Important Networking Terms

Important Networking Terms

1. IP (Internet Protocol) address

   • A unique number assigned to a device on a network
   • It is used to ensure that data is sent to the right device
   • Example: 192.168.0.5
     • It is divided into 4 sections
       • Each section has a number from 0 and 255
         • 0 and FF in hexadecimal
         • 00000000 to 11111111 in binary
   • It provides 4 billion different addresses which is not enough for the long term
   • A device will not always have the same IP

2. MAC (Media Access Control) address

   • A unique number given to a computer
   • It can never change
   • it is a 12 digit hexadecimal number
     • Example: 52:a0:6f:10:44:bd

3. Packets

   • When data is sent across a network it is broken up into small chunks called packets
   • The header includes the source address and destination and and identification number
   • Advantages
     • The packets do not need to take the same route around the network as one another
     • The packets do not even need to arrive in the same order as they left, as they are reassembled by the recipient computer
     • If one packet is not sent correctly then only that packet needs to be resent