Understand the Basic Network Architectures

• There are two broad categories of networks: LANs and WANs.



• The physical arrangement of a network is typically called the network’s topology.



• There are four main types of network topologies: Ring, Bus, Star, and Mixed.

Understand Basic Network Protocols

• Protocols, an agreed upon format for exchanging or transmitting data between systems, enable computers to communicate.



• When data is transmitted over a network, it is usually broken up into smaller pieces called packets.



• Most protocols define the types and format for packets used in that protocol.



• The TCP protocol is connection-oriented, requires the three-way handshake to initiate a connection, and provides guaranteed and reliable data delivery.



• The UDP protocol is connectionless, lightweight, and provides no error checking or delivery guarantee.



• Each network device has a unique hardware address known as a MAC address. The MAC address is used for packet delivery on local networks.



• Network devices are also typically assigned a 32-bit number known as an IP address.



• The Domain Name System (DNS) translates names, like www.cnn.com, into IP addresses.

Explain Routing and Address Translation

• The process of moving packets from one end device to another through different networks is called routing.



• Subnetting allows you to divide the 32-bit IP address space into a network portion and a host portion.



• The DHCP protocol allows network devices to be automatically configured on a network and be temporarily assigned an IP address.



• Network Address Translation (NAT) converts private, internal IP addresses to public, routable IP addresses and vice versa.



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