Networking Fundamentals
1. IP Addressing
IP Addressing is the foundation of communication in computer networks. An IP address is a unique identifier assigned to each device connected to a network. It allows devices to locate and communicate with each other. There are two main versions of IP addresses: IPv4 and IPv6.
IPv4 addresses are 32-bit numbers, typically represented in dotted-decimal format (e.g., 192.168.1.1). IPv6 addresses, on the other hand, are 128-bit numbers, represented in hexadecimal format (e.g., 2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334). IPv6 was introduced to address the exhaustion of IPv4 addresses.
Example: Imagine a city where each house has a unique address. The city is the network, and each house is a device. The address helps delivery services locate each house, just as an IP address helps devices on a network find each other.
2. Subnetting
Subnetting is the process of dividing a network into smaller, more manageable subnetworks, or subnets. This is done by borrowing bits from the host portion of an IP address. Subnetting improves network efficiency, enhances security, and reduces network congestion.
A subnet mask is used to determine the network and host portions of an IP address. For example, in the IP address 192.168.1.1 with a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0, the first three octets represent the network, and the last octet represents the host.
Example: Think of a large office building with multiple departments. Each department is a subnet, and the building is the network. By dividing the building into departments, it becomes easier to manage and secure each area, just as subnetting helps manage and secure different parts of a network.