W2783 Basic Networking
Introduction[edit]
When working with Computer devices, it's important to understand the concept of Networking. Networks have mainly to do with the Hardware of computers. They work to connect devices together to allow the ability to share data, software, and other forms of communication among several devices. Historically, Computer Networks are thought of in the context of a business or institution as they typically need a specialized network to share resources such as printers, scanners, and expensive software. In the following, we'll take a look at the components of a Network and shared Computer Devices to understand how Computer Networking works on a fundamental level.
Types of Networks[edit]
It's important to understand that a Network is simply the connection of many physical devices using wires or wireless media. This means simply plugging together a printer to a computer can be thought of as a Network.
As a result, there are many different types of Networks that exist depending on their scope. For instance, one of the smallest Networks is called PAN[1] which stands for Personal Area Network. This refers to the Network many have for their personal use typically consisting of a computer, one or two monitors, a router etc.
Beyond that, there's the LAN [1]which stands for Local Area Network. These are typically used in school and office settings where several computers are connected, allowing the shared use of devices (most commonly printers in these sorts of settings). Outside of this, there is the MAN which stands for a Metropolitan Area Network, which covers Networks the size of cities, as well as the WAN or Wide Area Network. WANs can cover any distance and the most common example of a WAN is the internet.
The internet provides an interesting case study for a network, however, because not only is the internet meant to be a Network that spans the globe, it is also meant to be public. [1] This leads to the distinction between Public and Private Networks. Many companies, for instance, have data that they'd like to share among only their network privately, meaning someone outside the network can not easily connect to the network and have access to all the data.
This distinction leads to the idea of a VPN. [1] You may have heard the term VPN in the past. It stand for Virtual Private Network. Essentially it allows connection to a Private Network virtually. These are often used when employees need to access work files from home. They can use a VPN to connect to their companies' private network virtually.
There still remains many complexities to the above distinctions but to understand Computer Networks at a basic level, just keep these general distinctions in mind.
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Components of a Network[edit]
Networks require several pieces of hardware to operate effectively. As was mentioned, a Network is the connection of several physical devices, typically computers. Switches control these computers and allow them to communicate with each other over a Network [2]. Similar to Switches, there are Routers.[2] You may have heard of internet routers in the past.
These simply communicate data between Networks with either a LAN cable (Ethernet) or Wi-Fi (Wireless Ethernet). Routers are integral to how the internet work as they connect an individual PAN or LAN to the broader internet, usually programmed to operate at high efficiencies as they manage the traffic of data packets between the respective networks.
You may also come across the term Access Point.[2] In Computer Networking, Access Points can simply be thought of as a way to quickly bring new devices into a network without the need of cables. These are known to improve flexibility within networks in a business setting.
Finally, there are Servers.[2] These are simply computers which provide shared data (files, programs, and other media) to all the devices on the respective Network.
This lends itself into the idea of Network Topology.[3] We won't go too in depth here but know that Network Topology essentially refers to how the devices of a network are connected. Common patterns are Line, Star, and Mesh. Which you can see in the image below.
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Identifiers and Protocols[edit]
With Networks, there are several Identifiers and Protocols made to distinguish devices as well as define how those two devices are meant to communicate. Possibly the most famous Identifier is known as the IP Address[3]. IP stands for Internet Protocol and it's a unique identifier given to every device that is connected to the internet. These numbers were assigned by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority to keep track of devices on the Internet. There are 232 IPs in the world with IP version 4 since every IP is a 32 bits in length.
Another identifier for devices is called the MAC Address[3] (Media Access Control Address) which is simply an identifier given to a computer or device upon its manufacturing. It's a sort of physical version of an IP Address. There 248 MAC Addresses available since every MAC Address is 48 bits in length.
In terms of Protocols, there are a few to keep in mind. For instance, there is the ARP [3] which stands for Address Resolution Protocol. This is a protocol to convert an IP into the physical MAC. The reverse can be done with RARP (Reverse Address Resolution Protocol).
Finally, there is the DNS Server. This stands for Domain Name System and it's vital to how the web works. This is because the DNS Sever takes the web address and URLs that are input into a web browser and translates it into the necessary IP address or Server that is hosting the website for the computers on the network (the internet).
Already, there are a lot of moving parts and complexities involved in Networking but these are essentially the core concepts to keep in mind. Try thinking of how all these parts work together and when you feel comfortable, try reading further into how Computer Networks operate.
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Key Concepts[edit]
- Types of Computer Networks
- A Network is simply the connection between several Devices and can span anywhere between local and global areas
- Networks can be public or private with the internet being a quintessential example of a public network
- Networks are made to quickly communicate files and programs between multiple devices such as computers, printers, or scanners
- Components of a Network
- Switches allow control and communication between computers within a Network
- Routers allow communication and traffic between networks
- Access Points allow Computers to join a network wirelessly
- Servers hold shared data within a network for the devices to utilize
- Identifiers and Protocols
- Identifiers are used in Networking to keep track of certain devices while Protocols are sets of instructions on how devices communicate
- IP Addresses and MAC Addresses were made to track devices on the internet and as they were being manufactured
- ARP and RARP are two protocols that allow the conversion between IP and MAC and vice versa
- DNS or Domain Name System Server is a common protocol used to convert URLs into IP Addresses, a critical protocol for the Web
