A protocol hierarchy in computer networks refers to the organization and arrangement of networking protocols in a layered structure. This layered approach helps in achieving interoperability, modularity, and ease of implementation and maintenance within complex network systems. The most well-known protocol hierarchy is the OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) model, which consists of seven layers. You ...
Computer networks rely on various communication methods to transmit data between devices efficiently. Unicast, broadcast, and multicast are the three basic communication methods. Each method serves a specific purpose in distributing information across a network. Unicast allows two devices to communicate privately, broadcast sends data to all devices in a network segment, and multicast efficiently ...
Static routing is a fundamental concept in computer networking in which network routers are manually configured to direct traffic between different networks or subnets. Unlike dynamic routing, which uses protocols to exchange routing information and make routing decisions dynamically, static routing needs administrators to manually establish the routes that data packets should take. The static ...
The physical components and devices that are required for computer networks to function are referred to as network hardware. These devices make it easier for computers and other network devices to communicate and transmit data. Network hardware is an essential component in establishing and maintaining efficient and reliable network infrastructures, whether they be small local ...
TCP establishes a secure and reliable connection between two devices. This is possible because of the TCP’s 3-way handshake process, which occurs when two devices establish and close connections. There are three steps to both establishing and closing the connection, as the name implies. So, in this article, we’ll go through the TCP 3-way handshake process ...
BGP is an external gateway protocol that exchanges routing information between routers in various autonomous systems. It is the protocol that is used between Internet service providers and can also be used between an enterprise and an ISP. The entire route to each destination is included in the BGP routing information. Using the routing information, ...
A public IP address is a unique IP address assigned to your network router by your internet service provider and can be accessed directly over the internet. A private IP address is a unique address that your network router assigns to your device. It is used within a private network to connect securely to other ...
A bridge is a computer networking device that connects multiple LANs (Local area networks) together to create a single, larger LAN. The process of aggregating networks is referred to as network bridging. Bridges operate at the data link layer according to the OSI model. A repeater is also a computer networking device operating at the OSI model’s physical layer ...
Bandwidth, or network bandwidth, is the maximum data transfer rate of a network or Internet connection. It determines how much information can be sent over a particular connection in a certain amount of time. The higher bandwidth of a network, the larger amount of data it can send to and from across its path. Be careful ...
The hostname of the current server or system accessing the network is referred to as Localhost in networking. The network services running on the host are accessed using it through the loopback network interface. The loopback interface provides a way to connect back to the server while avoiding any local network interface hardware. The term ...