Networking
Networking terms: IP addresses, subnets, routers, TCP/UDP, the OSI model, firewalls and VPNs.
29 pages
- ARP (Address Resolution Protocol)finds the MAC address for an IP address on a local network; ARP cache and ARP spoofing.
- Bandwidth vs Latencybandwidth is how much data a connection carries per second; latency is how long data takes to travel.
- Default Gatewaythe router a device sends traffic to when the destination is outside its local network, such as 192.168.1.1.
- DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol)the protocol that automatically assigns IP addresses, gateway and DNS settings to devices joining a network.
- Firewalla hardware or software security system that allows or blocks network traffic based on rules.
- FTP (File Transfer Protocol)transfers files between client and server on port 21; FTP vs SFTP vs FTPS.
- ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol)the protocol for network error and diagnostic messages, used by ping and traceroute.
- IP Addressa unique number that identifies a device on a network so data can reach it, in IPv4 or IPv6 format.
- IPv4 vs IPv632-bit dotted-decimal addresses (about 4.3 billion) versus 128-bit hexadecimal addresses (practically unlimited).
- LAN vs WANa local network within a building or campus versus a wide network spanning cities or countries, like the internet.
- Load Balancerdistributes incoming traffic across several servers for speed, reliability and scalability.
- MAC Addressa unique 48-bit hardware identifier for a network interface, used to deliver data within a local network.
- Modemconverts digital data into signals for the ISP's line and back, connecting a network to the internet; modem vs router.
- NAT (Network Address Translation)a router technique that lets many devices with private IP addresses share one public IP address.
- Network Switcha device that connects devices on a LAN and forwards data only to the intended device using MAC addresses.
- Network Topologyhow network devices are arranged and linked, such as bus, star, ring, mesh, tree and hybrid topologies.
- OSI Modela seven-layer framework (Physical to Application) describing how data travels across a network.
- Port Numbera number from 0 to 65535 that identifies a service on a computer, such as 80 for HTTP and 443 for HTTPS.
- Proxy Serveran intermediary that forwards requests between clients and servers; forward proxies serve clients, reverse proxies serve servers.
- Public vs Private IP Addressinternet-unique addresses from your ISP vs local-only ranges such as 192.168.x.x and 10.x.x.x.
- Routera device that forwards data packets between networks and connects a home or office network to the internet.
- SMTP, POP3 and IMAP (Email Protocols)SMTP sends email; POP3 downloads it to one device while IMAP keeps it synced on the server.
- SSH (Secure Shell)an encrypted protocol for logging in to remote computers, with password or key-based authentication.
- Subnet Maskseparates the network and host parts of an IP address, e.g. 255.255.255.0 or /24 in CIDR notation.
- TCP vs UDPreliable, ordered, connection-based delivery versus fast, connectionless delivery without guarantees.
- TCP/IP Modelthe four-layer model the internet runs on: Application, Transport, Internet and Network Access.
- VLAN (Virtual LAN)splits one physical switch network into separate logical networks for security and less broadcast traffic.
- VPN (Virtual Private Network)an encrypted tunnel that protects data on public networks and hides the user's IP address.
- Wi-Fiwireless networking over radio waves on 2.4, 5 and 6 GHz bands, with generations from Wi-Fi 5 to Wi-Fi 7.