Networking Overview

A network enables two computers to communicate with each other.

• Each network is structured differently and can be set up individually

There is a wide array that can be used to facilitate the network:

⇒ topologies (mesh/tree/star)

⇒ mediums (ethernet/fiber/coax/wireless)

⇒ protocols (TCP/UDP/IPX)

Network Types

1. Wide Area Network (WAN): Internet

2. Local Area Network (LAN): Internal Networks (Ex: Home or Office)

3. Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN): Internal Networks accessible over Wi-Fi

4. Virtual Private Network (VPN): Connects multiple network sites to one LAN

5. Global Area Network (GAN): Global network (the Internet)

6. Metropolitan Area Network (MAN): Regional network (multiple LANs)

7. Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN): Personal network (Bluetooth)

WAN

• Wide Area Network, referred to as The Internet

• is a large number of LANs joined together

• the primary way we identify if the network is a WAN:

  • use a WAN Specific routing protocol such as BGP and if the IP Schema in use is not within RFC 1918 (10.0.0.0/8, 172.16.0.0/12, 192.168.0.0/16)

LAN / WLAN

• Local Area Network and Wireless Local Area Network

• assign IP Addresses designated for local use (RFC 1918, 10.0.0.0/8, 172.16.0.0/12, 192.168.0.0/16)

• WLAN introduces the ability to transmit data without cables

VPN

• making the user feel as if they were plugged into a different network

• TYPES:

  1. Site-To-Site VPN: both the client and server are Network Devices & used to join company networks together over the Internet, allowing multiple locations to communicate over the Internet as if they were local

  2. Remote Access VPN: the client's computer creates a virtual interface that behaves as if it is on a client's network

  3. SSL VPN: done within our web browser & stream applications or entire desktop sessions to your web browser

GAN

• a worldwide network such as the Internet is known as a Global Area Network

• uses the glass fibers infrastructure of wide area networks and interconnects them by international undersea cables or satellite transmission

MAN

• a broadband telecommunications network that connects several LANs in geographical proximity

• High-performance routers and high-performance connections based on glass fibers are used, which enable a significantly higher data throughput than the Internet

PAN / WPAN

• smartphones, tablets, laptops, or desktop computers can be connected ad hoc to form a network to enable data exchange through cable in the form of a Personal Area Network

• Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) is based on Bluetooth or Wireless USB technologies