Networking

General

See: http://www.tcpipguide.com/free/t_NetworkingFundamentals.htm

The campus network uses Ethernet network devices connected via network switches using the TCP/IP internetworking protocols.

Network Device

Basic network config for each network card usually requires the following sequence;

MAC address (DHCP) <<-->> IP address (TCP/IP) <<-->> Domain Name (DNS)

In addition each network card must know of the following;

1. LAN Gateway address
2. LAN Subnet Mask

Networks

Basic network hierarchy is as follows;

LAN -> CAN/MAN -> WAN

References

Internetworking

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_network
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Local_area_network. LAN. Connects PC's in one building.
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campus_Area_Network. CAN. Connects small LAN's.
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolitan_area_network. MAN. Connects LAN's and CAN's in a large area such as a city, campus or town.
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wide-area_network. WAN. Connects MAN's in a country to another large geographical area.

Internet TCP/IP Stack

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_card. The network interface card (NIC) is the device installed in the computer to enable networked communications.
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MAC_address. The hardware address of the NIC used for local area network (LAN) management together with the Ethernet protocol.
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethernet. Protocol used in LAN's communications.
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IP_address. Protocol used in metropolitan area network (MAN) and wide area network (WAN) communications.
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gateway_address. The IP address on the LAN of the device which is connected to another LAN.
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subnet_Mask. Method used to maximise use of IP address's and identify LAN.
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic_Host_Configuration_Protocol. Protocol to assign an IP address to a network card using the MAC address.
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domain_Name_System. Protocol to assign a human readable name (hostname) to an IP address.