Networking-Basics

Communication Protocols in the Internet Age The Internet works because devices follow common rules called protocols. These rules decide how data is formatted, how messages start and end, and how errors are handled. When you load a page, send an email, or stream music, many small steps happen, each guided by a protocol that both ends understand. Protocols sit in layers. The bottom layers handle physical and link tasks, like how signals travel over cables. Above them, the Internet layer moves packets toward a destination. The transport layer adds reliability with TCP or offers speed with UDP. The application layer hosts the services you use every day, such as the web, mail, and file transfer. ...

Networking Essentials: Protocols, Topologies, and Security Networks connect devices, share files, and provide internet access for homes, schools, and offices. To understand how they work, think of three ideas: protocols, topologies, and security. Protocols are the rules that govern how data moves and how devices agree on a common language. The most important set today is TCP/IP, but you will also meet DNS, DHCP, HTTP and HTTPS, and mail protocols. These rules use addresses and ports to deliver data correctly and safely. ...

Networking Essentials: From Packets to Protocols in Everyday Language Think of a computer network as a busy city. Data moves as small mail envelopes called packets. Each packet carries a piece of your message and a label with where it should go. Protocols are the rules that tell devices how to handle those packets. Packets are tiny bundles of data. They travel over wires or wireless links from one device to another. Your home Wi‑Fi router and the modem connect you to your Internet provider, and routers forward packets toward their destination by reading the address label. This system keeps messages moving, even if the path changes along the way. ...

Networking Essentials: From LANs to Global Internet Every device you own uses a network. From home Wi‑Fi to the World Wide Web, networks connect people and machines. This article walks through the journey from a small LAN to the global Internet, with simple ideas you can apply at home or at work. Local networks, or LANs, bring devices together in a small area—home, school, or office. Cables or wireless signals link computers, printers, and phones through switches and wireless access points. A LAN is fast, private, and easy to manage. ...