Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
Conclusion
Now you have an understanding of the structure of the Internet, and how
networked applications do their business.
The Internet is actually a network of networks, built up in
multiple layers. Successful network transactions rely on
there being at least one dependable route through the
Internet from client to server. Client and server applica-
tions swap strings of text messages about the files they
want to exchange, transferring their files and messages
over network ports. To communicate with any given server,
you need to know its message protocols. When you do,
it's often possible to test the exchange between client and
server using a telnet session and typing in the appropriate
messages. Likewise, it's possible to write programs for a
personal computer or microcontroller to send those same
messages, as you saw in the cat bed project. Now that
you understand how simple those messages can be, you'll
soon get the chance to do it without a personal computer.
In the next chapter, you'll connect a microcontroller to the
Internet directly using an Ethernet interface for the micro-
controller itself.
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