Greetings fellow tech enthusiasts! My name is Gilbert, and I am currently a cloud engineering trainee. I made the decision to transition into the tech industry in early 2022 by enrolling in an intensive coding boot camp, and I am excited to document my journey during my internship. My articles will cover everything from the basics to advanced concepts, so you can expect to learn something new every time you read my articles.
Introduction
Now Now, without wasting time, let’s dive into something that is the backbone of the Internet — Networking. Did you know that the Internet is not a magical entity but rather an interconnection of computers around the world? Yes, you heard that right! It’s like a giant spider web that connects all of us together, and we call this interconnection of computers, a network.
You might already have a network at home that connects all your home devices. But what about your workplace or school? They sure have a network too. In fact, all the computers there are linked together in a network. You might be wondering; can we link all these networks together? Absolutely! Your workplace connects to a bigger network, and that network connects to an even bigger network, and on and on. Eventually, you’ve got billions of computers that are interconnected, making up what we call the Internet.
What is the Internet?
When we access the Internet, we do it through a browser like Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, or Microsoft Edge. But wait, don’t confuse the Internet with the World Wide Web. The Internet is the physical connection between computers and wires around the world. On the other hand, the Web is the information on the Internet. We use it to access the Internet through a link like www.google.com. There are also other ways to access the Internet, like email, chat, and file-sharing programs.
The Internet is not just a massive network of satellites and cellular networks, but also physical cables buried beneath the ground. We don’t connect to the Internet directly, but rather computers called servers do. These servers store the websites that we use, like Wikipedia, Google, Reddit, and BBC. The machines that we use, like our mobile phones, laptops, and video game consoles, are called clients. Clients request the content, like pictures and websites, from the server.
Networking Hardware Components
Now that we have a basic understanding of how networks work and how devices are connected to them, let’s take a closer look at the networking hardware that makes it all possible. As mentioned earlier, there are a few ways to connect devices to a network, including Ethernet cables, Wi-Fi, and fiber optic cables. Each of these methods has its own benefits and drawbacks, and the choice of which to use will depend on a variety of factors such as cost, speed, and distance.
Ethernet cables are the most common way to physically connect devices to a network. They use copper wires to transmit data, and typically offer fast and reliable connections over short to medium distances. Ethernet cables are commonly used in office environments where devices are located in close proximity to each other.
On the other hand, Wi-Fi allows devices to connect to a network wirelessly, using radio waves to transmit data. Wi-Fi is convenient because it allows devices to connect without the need for cables, but its range is often limited, and it can be prone to interference from other devices.
Fiber optic cables are the fastest and most reliable way to transmit data over long distances. They use glass fibers to transmit data using light, which allows for incredibly fast speeds and minimal signal degradation over long distances. However, fiber optic cables are also the most expensive and difficult to install, so they are typically only used in high-performance computing environments. Regardless of how devices are connected to a network, they all need to be able to communicate with each other. This is where networking hardware such as routers, switches, and hubs come into play.
Routers are responsible for connecting different networks together and directing traffic between them. They use routing protocols to determine the best path for data to travel from one network to another. For example, if you want to access a website on the internet, your router will send the request through your ISP’s network and on to the internet, where it will be directed to the appropriate server.
Switches are used to connect multiple devices to a network and allow them to communicate with each other. They use a technique called “packet switching” to direct traffic between devices. When a device sends data to another device on the network, the switch will direct the data only to the appropriate device, rather than broadcasting it to all devices on the network.
Finally, hubs are the simplest type of networking hardware, and are typically only used in small, simple networks. Hubs simply broadcast all data they receive to all devices on the network, which can lead to slower speeds and increased network congestion.
Network Stack
The network stack is like the backbone of computer networking, made up of both hardware and software components that work together to make it possible. But how do all these different parts work together seamlessly? That’s where the protocol stack comes in — it’s like a set of rules that govern how data is moved around within a network. These rules are really important because they make sure that the data is transmitted in a way that is safe, reliable, and efficient.
There are numerous network protocols used in networking, but the two most important ones are the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and the Internet Protocol (IP), collectively known as TCP/IP. The IP protocol is responsible for delivering packets of data to their intended destination. It uses IP addresses, which are unique identifiers assigned to every device connected to a network. On the other hand, TCP ensures that data is transmitted reliably between devices on different networks. This was a critical development in the creation of the internet, as it enabled seamless sharing of information between computers across the globe.
The Web
When it comes to accessing the internet, most people do so through the World Wide Web. Websites are essentially text documents that are formatted using hypertext markup language (HTML). Web pages typically contain various multimedia elements such as images, audio, and video. To access a website, you type in a URL, or Uniform Resource Locator, which is a web address that typically starts with www. The second part of the URL is the domain name, which is a unique name that identifies a website. Domain names can have various endings, such as **** .com, .org, .net, or .edu,** **_among others. These endings indicate the type of website it is, with _.edu typically used for educational institutions.
To translate human-readable domain names into IP addresses that computers can understand, we use the Domain Name System (DNS). DNS acts as the internet’s directory, mapping domain names to their corresponding IP addresses. Every time you enter a website’s URL into your browser, your computer performs a DNS lookup to find the IP address associated with that domain name.
IPv4 vs IPv6
Now that we have a basic understanding of IP addresses, let’s dive a little deeper into IPV4, IPV6, and NAT. The Internet Protocol version four or IPv4, is the most commonly used protocol for connecting devices to the internet. However, IPv4 only provides a limited number of available addresses, which is a problem in a world where almost everything is connected to the internet. With less than 4.3 billion IPv4 addresses, it’s no wonder we’re running out of addresses to assign to new devices.
Fortunately, the newer version of IP address, IPv6, is here to save the day. IPv6 addresses consist of 128 bits, which is four times the amount that IPv4 uses. With 2 to the power of 128 possible IP addresses, the number of IPv6 addresses is essentially unlimited. So, we won’t have to worry about running out of IP addresses anytime soon.
Network Address Translation (NAT)
Network Address Translation, commonly known as NAT, is a critical tool in computer networking. NAT allows an organization to use one public IP address for all the devices on their network, making it easier for companies with numerous devices that need to connect to the internet. NAT acts as a receptionist at the front desk of a company, who can direct incoming calls to various private phone numbers within the company. In networking, NAT translates all incoming traffic to a public IP address to the correct private IP address on the network. This feature makes it simpler for devices to communicate with each other and with the internet while ensuring efficient and secure data transmission.
Conclusion
Indeed, networking is a complex and ever-evolving field, and this article only scratches the surface of the basics. There’s always more to learn, and resources are plentiful for those who want to dive deeper into networking. So, if you’re interested in networking, keep exploring and learning, and who knows where it might take you. I really value honest feedback from my dear readers. Until next time, happy networking!
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