Network IT Basics introduces you to the core concepts of networking. Learn about protocols, networks and topologies that make up the fundamental building blocks of computer networking.

Protocols are the rules that allow network devices to speak the same language. These are what connect computers, printers, servers and routers together.

Network Operating System

Network Operating Systems incorporate software and associated protocols that allow autonomous computers to communicate with each other over a network conveniently and cost-effectively. This allows devices like a disk or printer to be shared between machines on the network. The individual machines in the network have their own operating system, and the Network Operating System resides on top of them. This ensures that users cannot log into another machine without the proper password, and prevents processes running on different machines from communicating with each other. It provides network security with user authentication and access control, web services, a directory, and backup of data.

Network OSs are specialized operating systems that run on a server and manage data, applications, groups, users and other network functions. They also provide a host name to each machine on the network, which is helpful for people who are not familiar with IP addresses. These operating systems run on different platforms, including Microsoft Windows NT, Novell Netware, Linux, and Mac OS X.

Hub

The hub is a first layer network device. It receives data signals and immediately transmits them to all ports connected to it. This method of transmission is known as broadcasting. The hub does not distinguish between the MAC (Media Access Control) address of each system and therefore, every time a frame is sent from A to B, all systems receive it. This causes a waste of bandwidth and leads to performance problems such as data loss.

In addition, the hub does not have built-in security features and is susceptible to attack by unauthorized users. The hub can also be infected by a virus, which is then transmitted to all of the devices connected to it. Because of these limitations, the hub is now rarely used in modern networks, except to establish small home networks. Hubs are more cost-effective than switches and routers, but they do not provide flexibility or high speeds of transmission. They can also be more difficult to maintain and monitor.

Router

Network routers are a vital part of computer networking. They connect devices to each other and the internet by forwarding data packets, which are units of information that contain a destination and a source address. Routers are capable of analyzing and changing the data that they transfer, which sets them apart from hubs and switches, which simply forward the data without analyzing it or modifying it in any way.

When the router receives data from a wired device, it replaces the device’s private address with its own public address and records this transaction in its ledger. When the router receives a response Network IT Basics from a website, it pairs the site’s address with the record in its ledger and delivers the data to the device through the appropriate LAN port.

Some routers also offer security features, like a built-in firewall and content filtering software that blocks websites and other unwanted content on a device-by-device basis. These are especially helpful for families with small children, and many routers can be configured to block content at specified times or after a specific amount of time has elapsed.

Switch

Switches connect devices on a local area network (LAN) and are one of the basic building blocks of any modern IT network. You can find switches in homes, offices, factories, hospitals and leisure centres.

Network switches provide more advanced functionality than hubs but simpler than routers. They can be managed or unmanaged and are available in various configurations and speeds.

A network switch operates at the Data Link Layer in the OSI model and filters incoming and outgoing data packets based on their media access control (MAC) address. This makes them better at preventing frame collisions than hubs, which do not filter packets.

A network switch also helps to increase bandwidth by preventing duplicated data transmissions. It does this by buffering Ethernet frames before distributing them to their destination, which prevents network traffic overloading. This feature is especially useful in a star topology, where the central connecting device has limited capacity. Network switches also enable multiple users to use a single network connection effectively.