Basics of Computer Networking

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Computer Networking is the practice of connecting computers together to enable
communication and data exchange between them. In general, Computer Network is a
collection of two or more computers. It helps users to communicate more easily. In
this article, we are going to discuss the basics which everyone must know before
going deep into Computer Networking.

Computer Networking

How Does a Computer Network Work?

Basics building blocks of a Computer network are Nodes and Links. A Network Node
can be illustrated as Equipment for Data Communication like a Modem, Router, etc.,
or Equipment of a Data Terminal like connecting two computers or more. Link in
Computer Networks can be defined as wires or cables or free space of wireless
networks.
The working of Computer Networks can be simply defined as rules or protocols which
help in sending and receiving data via the links which allow Computer networks to
communicate. Each device has an IP Address, that helps in identifying a device.

Basic Terminologies of Computer Networks

• Network: A network is a collection of computers and devices that are
connected together to enable communication and data exchange.
• Nodes: Nodes are devices that are connected to a network. These can
include computers, Servers, Printers, Routers, Switches, and other devices.
• Protocol: A protocol is a set of rules and standards that govern how data is
transmitted over a network. Examples of protocols include TCP/IP, HTTP,
and FTP.
• Topology: Network topology refers to the physical and logical
arrangement of nodes on a network. The common network topologies
include bus, star, ring, mesh, and tree.
• Service Provider Networks: These types of Networks give permission to
take Network Capacity and Functionality on lease from the Provider.
Service Provider Networks include Wireless Communications, Data
Carriers, etc.
• IP Address: An IP address is a unique numerical identifier that is assigned
to every device on a network. IP addresses are used to identify devices and
enable communication between them.
• DNS: The Domain Name System (DNS) is a protocol that is used to translate
human-readable domain names (such as www.google.com) into IP
addresses that computers can understand.
• Firewall: A firewall is a security device that is used to monitor and control
incoming and outgoing network traffic. Firewalls are used to protect
networks from unauthorized access and other security threats.
Types of Enterprise Computer Networks
• LAN: A Local Area Network (LAN) is a network that covers a small area,
such as an office or a home. LANs are typically used to connect computers
and other devices within a building or a campus.
• WAN: A Wide Area Network (WAN) is a network that covers a large
geographic area, such as a city, country, or even the entire world. WANs are
used to connect LANs together and are typically used for long-distance
communication.
• Cloud Networks: Cloud Networks can be visualized with a Wide Area
Network (WAN) as they can be hosted on public or private cloud service
providers and cloud networks are available if there is a demand. Cloud
Networks consist of Virtual Routers, Firewalls, etc.
These are just a few basic concepts of computer networking. Networking is a vast and
complex field, and there are many more concepts and technologies involved in
building and maintaining networks. Now we are going to discuss some more concepts
on Computer Networking.
• Open system: A system that is connected to the network and is ready for
communication.
• Closed system: A system that is not connected to the network and can’t be
communicated with.
Types of Computer Network Architecture
Computer Network falls under these broad Categories:
• Client-Server Architecture: Client-Server Architecture is a type of
Computer Network Architecture in which Nodes can be Servers or Clients.
Here, the server node can manage the Client Node Behaviour.
• Peer-to-Peer Architecture: In P2P (Peer-to-Peer) Architecture, there is
not any concept of a Central Server. Each device is free for working as either
client or server.
Network Devices
An interconnection of multiple devices, also known as hosts, that are connected using
multiple paths for the purpose of sending/receiving data or media. Computer
networks can also include multiple devices/mediums which help in the
communication between two different devices; these are known as Network
devices and include things such as routers, switches, hubs, and bridges.

Network Devices

Network Topology
The Network Topology is the layout arrangement of the different devices in a
network. Common examples include Bus, Star, Mesh, Ring, and Daisy chain.
 Network Topology

OSI Model
OSI stands for Open Systems Interconnection. It is a reference model that specifies
standards for communications protocols and also the functionalities of each
layer. The OSI has been developed by the International Organization For
Standardization and it is 7 layer architecture. Each layer of OSI has different functions
and each layer has to follow different protocols. The 7 layers are as follows:
• Physical Layer
• Data link Layer
• Network Layer
• Transport Layer
• Session Layer
• Presentation Layer
• Application Layer
Protocol
A protocol is a set of rules or algorithms which define the way how two entities can
communicate across the network and there exists a different protocol defined at each
layer of the OSI model. A few such protocols are TCP, IP, UDP, ARP, DHCP, FTP, and so
on.

Unique Identifiers of Network

Hostname: Each device in the network is associated with a unique device name
known as Hostname. Type “hostname” in the command prompt(Administrator Mode)
and press ‘Enter’, this displays the hostname of your machine.
 HostName

IP Address (Internet Protocol address): Also known as the Logical Address, the IP
Address is the network address of the system across the network. To identify each
device in the world-wide-web, the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA)
assigns an IPV4 (Version 4) address as a unique identifier to each device on the
Internet. The length of an IPv4 address is 32 bits, hence, we have 2 32 IP addresses
available. The length of an IPv6 address is 128 bits.
Type “ipconfig” in the command prompt and press ‘Enter’, this gives us the IP address
of the device.
MAC Address (Media Access Control address): Also known as physical address,
the MAC Address is the unique identifier of each host and is associated with its NIC
(Network Interface Card). A MAC address is assigned to the NIC at the time of
manufacturing. The length of the MAC address is: 12-nibble/ 6 bytes/ 48 bits Type
“ipconfig/all” in the command prompt and press ‘Enter’, this gives us the MAC
address.
Port: A port can be referred to as a logical channel through which data can be
sent/received to an application. Any host may have multiple applications running,
and each of these applications is identified using the port number on which they are
running.
A port number is a 16-bit integer, hence, we have 216 ports available which are
categorized as shown below:
Port Types Range

Well known Ports 0 – 1023

 Port Types Range

Registered Ports 1024 – 49151

Ephemeral Ports 49152 – 65535

Number of ports: 65,536

Range: 0 – 65535
Type “netstat -a” in the command prompt and press ‘Enter’, this lists all the ports
being used.

List of Ports

Socket: The unique combination of IP address and Port number together is termed a
Socket.

Other Related Concepts

DNS Server: DNS stands for Domain Name System. DNS is basically a server that
translates web addresses or URLs (ex: www.google.com) into their corresponding IP
addresses. We don’t have to remember all the IP addresses of each and every
website. The command ‘nslookup’ gives you the IP address of the domain you are
looking for. This also provides information on our DNS Server. \
 Domain IP Address

ARP: ARP stands for Address Resolution Protocol. It is used to convert an IP

address to its corresponding physical address(i.e., MAC Address). ARP is used by the
Data Link Layer to identify the MAC address of the Receiver’s machine.
RARP: RARP stands for Reverse Address Resolution Protocol. As the name
suggests, it provides the IP address of the device given a physical address as input.
But RARP has become obsolete since the time DHCP has come into the picture.