Networking 101
http://www.theispreport.com/articles/31/1/Networking-101/Page1.html
The ISP Report
By The ISP Report
Published on 01/18/2008
A network is like a simple spider web, the basic reason that the
Internet is often called the world wide web. It's a series of lines
(called routes) that have intermediate and end points (called nodes)
that connect devices ie servers and hosts together. Those connections
and routes are what allow the devices to share, input or output
information across the network.
Along those routes, signals flow that contain information of interest to the network users in the forum of packets. Like a trapped fly that tugs on a part of the web, the disturbance is sent down the line, through nodes, to the spider or host at another point on the web. Unfortunately for the fly, the spider often sends back a reply.
Along those routes, signals flow that contain information of interest to the network users in the forum of packets. Like a trapped fly that tugs on a part of the web, the disturbance is sent down the line, through nodes, to the spider or host at another point on the web. Unfortunately for the fly, the spider often sends back a reply.
A network is like a simple spider web, the basic reason that the Internet is often called the world wide web. It's a series of lines (called routes) that have intermediate and end points (called nodes) that connect devices ie servers and hosts together. Those connections and routes are what allow the devices to share, input or output information across the network.
Along those routes, signals flow that contain information of interest to the network users in the forum of packets. Like a trapped fly that tugs on a part of the web, the disturbance is sent down the line, through nodes, to the spider or host at another point on the web. Unfortunately for the fly, the spider often sends back a reply.
Unlike a spider web, though, a computer network sends and receives those disturbances in the form of something called packets. There are other ways to perform the same function, but today almost all networks operate as explained below in a packetised format.
Software and hardware on the network cooperate to pass those packets. Packets are chunks or envelopes of information containing your data wrapped in control information like a postal address. That control data at the front and back of your data allows routers and computers to know where and how to send your data.
In most commercial and home networks, the method uses something called IP, or Internet Protocol. Every device on the network gets assigned an address in the form of what is called a dotted octet, such as 209.131.36.158. In the home, those addresses are usually in a range of:
10.0.0.0 through 10.255.255.255, or
172.16.0.0 through 172.31.255.255, or
192.168.0.0 through 192.168.255.255
Those constitute what are called Private Addresses, since they can't be sent over the public networks that form the Internet. They're used by routers, computers and peripherals in your home network to form your local network.
Private commercial networks, such as those inside companies large and small also use these same address ranges. Something called network address translation, NAT, at a device called a boundary router allows many companies and homes to use the same range without accidentally passing information to and from one another over the Internet.
Note that your home computer may have a very different address, such as 70.31.192.243. This is often the case because a single computer connected to the Internet gets an address assigned by the ISP, Internet Service Provider by DHCP (Dynamic Host Control Protocol. You then don't really have just a home network, but are a paying customer of a commercial network.
When each device - each computer, router, printer,... - is assigned its own address, the software and hardware can figure out where data is coming from and should go to. It's what makes possible communication without confusion.
The router software and/or hardware, in cooperation with networking hardware and software in each device, routes the data to and from the proper devices using those addresses. The method is in principle the same as that used by the postal system to route letters from one home or business to another.
Along those routes, signals flow that contain information of interest to the network users in the forum of packets. Like a trapped fly that tugs on a part of the web, the disturbance is sent down the line, through nodes, to the spider or host at another point on the web. Unfortunately for the fly, the spider often sends back a reply.
Unlike a spider web, though, a computer network sends and receives those disturbances in the form of something called packets. There are other ways to perform the same function, but today almost all networks operate as explained below in a packetised format.
Software and hardware on the network cooperate to pass those packets. Packets are chunks or envelopes of information containing your data wrapped in control information like a postal address. That control data at the front and back of your data allows routers and computers to know where and how to send your data.
In most commercial and home networks, the method uses something called IP, or Internet Protocol. Every device on the network gets assigned an address in the form of what is called a dotted octet, such as 209.131.36.158. In the home, those addresses are usually in a range of:
10.0.0.0 through 10.255.255.255, or
172.16.0.0 through 172.31.255.255, or
192.168.0.0 through 192.168.255.255
Those constitute what are called Private Addresses, since they can't be sent over the public networks that form the Internet. They're used by routers, computers and peripherals in your home network to form your local network.
Private commercial networks, such as those inside companies large and small also use these same address ranges. Something called network address translation, NAT, at a device called a boundary router allows many companies and homes to use the same range without accidentally passing information to and from one another over the Internet.
Note that your home computer may have a very different address, such as 70.31.192.243. This is often the case because a single computer connected to the Internet gets an address assigned by the ISP, Internet Service Provider by DHCP (Dynamic Host Control Protocol. You then don't really have just a home network, but are a paying customer of a commercial network.
When each device - each computer, router, printer,... - is assigned its own address, the software and hardware can figure out where data is coming from and should go to. It's what makes possible communication without confusion.
The router software and/or hardware, in cooperation with networking hardware and software in each device, routes the data to and from the proper devices using those addresses. The method is in principle the same as that used by the postal system to route letters from one home or business to another.