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Topic 2 Network Protocols

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22 views4 pages

Topic 2 Network Protocols

Uploaded by

kvidiniotis99
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Topic 2: NETWORK PROTOCOLS

A protocol is an agreed method of communication between two communicating devices. Most human
beings understand that we have different rules depending on the method of communication we are
using. Talking to friends will look and sound different from when we are on a stage or on the telephone
to an adult.

On a computer’s network, protocols are used to enable a conversation between computers to take place
e.g., sending and receiving data, protocols may be open which means they can be used by anyone or
proprietary which means they were developed by a manufacturer to work only with the devices or
software they make.

OPEN PROTOCOLS
Open protocols are more popular as they enable wider communication across a network and across the
internet, see fig 13.7 list some commonly used protocols.

IP addresses
When a computer logs onto a network it is given an IP address. The Internet Protocol is usually part of
the operating system will allocate this.

The IP address for a computer is represented using four bytes of data. Each byte can represent decimal
numbers between 0 and 255. For example, the IP address for http://www.google.com.au is
74.125.224.216.

Dynamic IP addresses are allocated to the network computer by a dynamic host configuration protocol
(DHCP) server, which has the equivalent of a bag of IP numbers. When a machine logs on to the network
it is given an IP number only for the period of time it is logged on. It then surrenders to that IP address
when it logs off. This is a common method of assigning IP numbers to computers on a network.

Alternatively, computers, usually servers, can be given a permanent or static IP address. A static IP
address is assigned to a computer by a network administrator. On some networks the computers are
given their IP address by a special network server.

Each computer visible on the Internet must have a unique IP address so that data downloaded from the
Internet is delivered to the correct place.

Transmitting data with TCP/IP


In fig 13.9 we can see how the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and Internet Protocol (IP) work
together to send packets of data to another computer.
If we think of our data as if it were a text document the TCP software breaks the document up into lots
of paragraph size parts called packets. TCP puts a unique serial number starting with 1, then 2 and so on
in the header of each packet. This packet header also contains some other data to help with things like
error detection in case the data is damaged on its journey.

Other protocols
The following list describes other protocols

1. Bluetooth is a standard communications protocols for lower power devices with a short range.
A master Bluetooth device can communicate with up to seven devices in a wireless user group.
2. AppleTalk was developed by Apple to enable Apple and Macintosh computers to exchange data
and share printers on a small network.
3. NetBEUI was used to transfer data between computers on a small network. Both NetBEUI and
AppleTalk have now been replaced usually by TCP/IP.
4. IPX/SPX was developed to support networking using the Novell Netware network operating
system. If a network engineer decided to use the Novell networking software, the IPX/SPX
protocols would be installed on all computers on the network to enable them to work together.
Questions
1. What is a protocol
2. Why are protocols needed on a computer network?
3. What is meant by open protocol?
4. What is an IP address?
5. How are dynamic IP addresses different from static ones?
6. Why do people use URLs rather than IP addresses to identify a website on the internet?
7. Why are IP addresses important?
8. What are data packets?
Answers
1. A protocol is an agreed method of communication between 2 devices communicating with each
other.

2. Protocols are needed on a computer network as they enable a communication between computers to
occur.

3. Open protocols refer to more popular protocols such as TCP, UDP, DHCP, IP, SMTP, HTTP, FTP etc.,
which enable for a wider communication across networks.

4. An IP address also known as the Internet protocol is a set of rules able to add and read addresses on
data packets.

5. Dynamic IP addresses differ to Static IP addresses as they are only given to a machine logged onto a
network for a short period of time and usually change while Static IP addresses are permanent IP
addresses set to a computer(s) by a Network administrator.

6. People use URLs rather than IP addresses to identify a website as URL contain the Domain Names of
websites and it is necessary to process requests (to gain access to a website by searching it up) through
a Domain Name Server DNS in order to convert the domain name into an IP address.

7. IP addresses are important as they set the destination for packets to be transferred between 2
endpoints/devices/computers.

8. Data packets are network packets of data used to travel on a set path in a network.

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