Computer networking is a term that refers to the various technologies, protocols, and standards that are needed to share data between computers. Networks can be categorized based on their topologies (how they look), media (what types of wires or signal carriers are used), and whether they use hubs or switches. In this tutorial, we will discuss the different layers of computer networking and how these layers interact with each other.
Computer Networking Tutorial How Does a Network Work?
A network is a group of devices that are connected to each other and can share resources. The most common example is the Internet, but you can also have a local area network (LAN) or wide area network (WAN).
A computer networking tutorial consists of two or more computers connected together by cables, routers, and switches. It allows users on one computer to access files stored on another computer in the same network without having to go through an external server such as Google Drive or Dropbox.
Computer Networking Tutorial Physical Layer
The physical layer is the lowest layer of the OSI model and is responsible for transmitting data over a physical medium. The physical layer is concerned with how signals are translated into bits and bytes that can be transmitted across a medium, such as copper wire or fiber optic cable.
For example, imagine you want to send an email from your computer networking tutorial to someone else’s computer (this will become clearer in later tutorials). In order for this communication to occur there must be some sort of connection between both computers’ network cards (NICs). This connection is established through cables or wireless signals which then send electrical signals down their length before arriving at their destination device’s NIC where they will be converted back into bits again so they can be interpreted by its CPU.
Computer Networking Tutorial Data Link Layer
The data link layer is responsible for providing physical addressing, framing and error detection, flow control, and flow management. The data link layer is also responsible for transferring data between two devices in a computer network.
The physical addressing is used to identify each device on the data link layer. This address may be an electronic serial number (ESN) or media access control (MAC) address that uniquely identifies every device connected to a network. The MAC address consists of 48 bits while ESN has 16 digits.
The framing ensures that no packet gets lost during transmission over a communication channel such as cables or wireless signals etc. so that they can be received in the correct sequence at their destination. It also helps in recovering from errors caused by noise interference during transmission. Error correction techniques improve reliability by detecting errors before they become too serious; otherwise, retransmission might be required after receiving corrupted frames back from the receiver.
Computer Networking Tutorial Network Layer
The network layer is the second layer of the OSI model. It’s responsible for addressing data and routing it between computers, regardless of what type of physical media they’re using.
It handles functions like:
- Addressing – The network layer assigns addresses to each device on its network so that they can be identified by other hosts on that same network, as well as other networks.
- Routing – Once data has been transmitted from one host to another, this layer determines where it should go next based on its destination address (see above). This is also known as “packet switching,” which we’ll talk about later on in this guide!
Computer Networking Tutorial Transport Layer
The transport layer is responsible for end-to-end message delivery. It ensures that the data reaches its destination, even in the event of network failure. This is done by providing reliability and flow control mechanisms to ensure reliable transmission of data between hosts. The transport layer uses TCP and UDP protocols to provide reliable transmission of data between hosts on a network.
Computer Networking Tutorial Application Layer
The application layer is responsible for data transfer between the application and the network. It’s also responsible for protocols that handle file transfer, email, and web browsing. Some examples of these are FTP (File Transfer Protocol), HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol), SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol), and DNS (Domain Name System).
Conclusion
Now that you have an idea of what computer networking is, it’s time to take your knowledge to the next level. The next step is learning about how networks work at a more technical level. For example, you should know what protocols are used over which networks; this will allow you to understand their advantages and disadvantages better when choosing which one(s) might be right for specific situations.
