Title: Networking Basics
Course: 2016FA-MCO-110-401 > Section: Module 9: Networking

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Internet Protocol

Internet Protocol is the communication protocol utilized by all internetworked devices. It is through the use of this protocol by which data packets are structured and addressed. Internet Protocol functions by breaking data into multiple packets and placing a unique identifier, which contains both the sender’s and receiver’s internet address. It then transmits these packets through the network (LAN and WAN) to the receiving computer. The packet is picked up, read, and passed along multiple gateways until it reaches its destination address. All of this based on the address data assigned using the internet protocol. In layman’s terms, this protocol suite is how your data transmission, or request, gets to where it needs to be correctly and intact.

Data Packets

A Data Packet, or datagram, is a segment of data that is utilized for communication between two networked devices. A data packet is made up of quite a bit more than just the data being transferred. This is due to the need to reconstruct multiple packets into the intended file or request as well as the need for the packet to be received by the intended destination device. For this reason, data packets contain elements such as the source address, destination address, data size, sequence number, communication protocol, among others that give it the ability to navigate the multitude of devices on any given network to reach its destination.

Network Addresses and Network Names

A network address is the identifier given to any device, whether client or host, which allows it to be identified within a network. In a modern environment, this is most often your Internet Protocol Address (IP Address). Your network address, however, can be other unique identifiers such as your MAC address or even a phone number in POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) systems.

Most often we think of a network name as the SSID utilized to identify a wireless network. In actuality, a network name is a string of characters utilized to uniquely identify a specific (Window’s Server), or even a DNS (Domain Name System) assignment. Network names are a normal part of modern day network configuration and become increasingly important as the complexity of a network increases. The Network Name can be used to isolate specific nodes to network pathways and data only pertinent to that group. This creates a layer of security and also serves as a way to make networks more efficient. For a moment, imagine if all data transmissions utilized the same data path. The network performance would inevitably suffer and the risk of sensitive data being compromised would grow exponentially.

Objectives met:
- C9
- 9.1