Book Image

Networking Fundamentals

By : Gordon Davies
Book Image

Networking Fundamentals

By: Gordon Davies

Overview of this book

A network is a collection of computers, servers, mobile devices, or other computing devices connected for sharing data. This book will help you become well versed in basic networking concepts and prepare to pass Microsoft's MTA Networking Fundamentals Exam 98-366. Following Microsoft's official syllabus, the book starts by covering network infrastructures to help you differentiate intranets, internets, and extranets, and learn about network topologies. You’ll then get up to date with common network hardware devices such as routers and switches and the media types used to connect them together. As you advance, the book will take you through different protocols and services and the requirements to follow a standardized approach to networking. You’ll get to grips with the OSI and TCP/IP models as well as IPv4 and IPv6. The book also shows you how to recall IP addresses through name resolution. Finally, you’ll be able to practice everything you’ve learned and take the exam confidently with the help of mock tests. By the end of this networking book, you’ll have developed a strong foundation in the essential networking concepts needed to pass Exam 98-366.
Table of Contents (23 chapters)
Free Chapter
1
Section 1: Network Infrastructure
7
Section 2: Network Hardware
11
Section 3: Protocols and Services
18
Section 4: Mock Exams
19
Mock Exam 1
20
Mock Exam 2

Understanding the internet layer

The internet layer maps across to the network layer of the OSI. Despite the difference in name, these two layers perform the same functions. They both provide logical addressing through the use of IP addresses. By using IP addresses (and a subnet mask), we can identify whether a host is local to the sending device or on a remote network. If the destination is on a remote network, the IP address is also used in the process of path selection and forwarding of data via routers, routing servers, or layer 3 switches. Note that I use the term layer 3 here, despite the TCP/IP model not using numbering, purely for familiarity since we have referred to them as this previously.

The three main protocols on this layer are as follows:

  • IP
  • Internet Control Messaging Protocol (ICMP)
  • Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP)

We already have a basic understanding...