Computer Networking Study Notes: Chapter 1.1

What is the Internet?

  • Billions of connected devices:
    • hosts = end systems
    • running network apps at Internet’s “edge”
  • Packet switches: forward packets (chunks of data)
    • routers, switches
  • Communication links
    • fiber, copper, radio, satellite
    • transmission rate: bandwidth
  • Networks
    • collection of devices, routers, links: managed by an organization
  • Internet: “network of networks”
    • Interconnected ISPs (Internet Service Providers)
  • protools are everywhere
    • control sending, receiving of messages
    • e.g., HTTP (Web), streaming video, SKype, TCP, IP, WiFi, 4G, Ethernet
  • Internet standards
    • RFC: Request for Comments
    • IETF: Internet Engineering Task Force
  • Infrastructure that provides services to applications:
    • Web, streaming video, multimedia teleconferencing, email, games, e-commerce, social media, interconnected appliances, …
  • provides programming interface to distributed applications:
    • “hooks” allowing sending/receiving apps to “connect” to, use Internet transport service
    • provides service options, analogous to postal service

What is a protocol?

  • Network protocols:
    • computers (devices) rather than humans
    • all communication activity in Internet governed by protocols
    • Protocols define the format, order of messages sent and received among network entities, and actions taken on message transmission, receipt