TCP/IP

Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol, or TCP/IP, is the internationally accepted software for networking in general and, specifically, for making the Internet’s services possible. As you read this topic, you get a behind-the-scenes look at how TCP/IP makes the Internet work. You also see how to use TCP/IP to set up your own home, office, or […]

Layering TCP/IP Protocols Part 1

In this topic, we look at TCP/IP as the protocol set for communication between two or more computers. Remember that TCP/IP is a large suite of components that work together. In this topic, we first describe the layered TCP/IP organization and then the protocols themselves. TCP/IP technology is designed to allow all parts of your […]

Layering TCP/IP Protocols Part 2

Understanding TCP/IP: More than just protocols Many pieces of the TCP/IP suite have multiple functions: protocols, applications, and services. As we talk about all the useful things you can do with TCP/IP, we let you know whether you’re using a TCP/IP protocol, a service, or an application — and highlight the places where the same […]

Layering TCP/IP Protocols Part 3

Routing protocols: Interior and exterior Routing is the process of moving packets between networks. TCP/IP is a banquet of protocols, services, and applications. IP is the network "plate" that holds your food: That is to say, IP is underneath the data. The other protocols represent various pieces of your network dinnerware. Under your network "place […]

Serving Up Clients and Servers (TCP/IP)

Client/server solutions comprise the foundation of most TCP/IP services ^^and applications. As you take a look at what client/server means to a network computer user, you see that TCP/IP is an excellent protocol choice for client/server computing because TCP/IP allows so many different computers and network devices to communicate as both clients and servers. The […]

Nice Names and Appetizing Addresses (TCP/IP) Part 1

If your computer is already on a network and you always call computers by name and you’re not interested in what TCP/IP is doing to your computer’s name behind the scenes, you can breathe easy in this topic. The only thing you need to know now is another term for a computer — a host […]

Nice Names and Appetizing Addresses (TCP/IP) Part 2

Obtaining an IP Address Before you obtain an IP address for your network, we first have to ask whether you want a private address or a global Internet address. The answer depends on whether you need an address for a private network or a global public network, such as the Internet. Choosing whether to go […]

Nice Names and Appetizing Addresses (TCP/IP) Part 3

Branching out into domains The Internet’s "tree" (refer to Figure 4-5) is upside down: The root is at the top, and branches extend from the top-level domains, or TLDs. Your computer sits in the leaves, at the edge of this hierarchy of domains. There are two types of TLDs: ✓ Generic top-level domain (gTLD): These […]

Need More Addresses? Try Subnetting and NAT (TCP/IP) Part 1

TCP/IP is like a restaurant. When the restaurant runs out of a popular dish, it substitutes another one on the menu. When IP runs out of addresses, it also substitutes other dishes. The Internet is running out of 32-bit IPv4 addresses! You must have heard that before, maybe many times. But is that shortage still […]

Need More Addresses? Try Subnetting and NAT (TCP/IP) Part 2

Understanding how the DHCP protocol works — it’s client/server again DHCP does its magic by using a well-established approach to networked computers: client/server networking. The DHCP server holds pools of IP addresses to lease to clients. When you turn on your computer (a DHCP client), it contacts your network’s DHCP server and asks to lease […]