Basic Networking Concepts

1. What is Networking?

Networking is the practice of connecting multiple computing devices to share resources, information, and services. It facilitates communication between devices such as computers, servers, smartphones, and more.

2. IP Address and Subnetting

  • IP Address: An IP (Internet Protocol) address is a unique identifier assigned to each device on a network.
    • IPv4 (e.g., 192.168.1.1)
    • IPv6 (e.g., 2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334)
  • Subnetting: Dividing an IP network into smaller sub-networks for improved performance and security.

3. MAC Address

  • A MAC (Media Access Control) address is a hardware address assigned to a network interface card. It’s unique to each device.

4. Protocols

  • TCP/IP: Suite of communication protocols for connecting hosts on the internet.
  • HTTP/HTTPS: Protocols for transferring data over the internet. HTTPS is secured.
  • FTP/SFTP: Protocols for transferring files over a network.
  • SMTP/POP3/IMAP: Protocols for sending and receiving emails.

5. Ports

  • Virtual endpoints used for communication between different processes on a network.

6. Firewalls and Routers

  • Firewall: Security device that filters network traffic.
  • Router: Networking device that forwards data packets between networks.

7. DNS (Domain Name System)

  • Translates human-readable domain names (e.g., www.example.com) into IP addresses.

8. OSI Model

  • Conceptual framework for understanding network interactions.

    1. Physical Layer
    2. Data Link Layer
    3. Network Layer
    4. Transport Layer
    5. Session Layer
    6. Presentation Layer
    7. Application Layer

Python Networking Libraries

  • Socket Library: Provides low-level networking capabilities.

This is a basic overview of networking concepts.