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

Making routing decisions

Regardless of which protocol is in use, the premise is the same: the path chosen is the one with the smallest metric. Admittedly, I've oversimplified this, but I wanted to give you an overview before moving on.

All routing devices hold a routing table that contains information about the networks, interfaces, and metrics. Even your Windows PC will have a routing table. And that is where I'm going to start.

Windows OS routing table

While we tend to consider routing as something that is performed on a router or a server configured for routing, your computer also performs routing functions. The next activity introduces you to the Windows OS routing table.

Activity 1:

  1. On your Windows PC, open...