Categories
Computer Networking

MAC Address: What Is It And How To Find It

The MAC (Media Access Control) Address is a physical address, written as 12 hexadecimal characters, that is assigned to network interface cards (NICs) when they are made.Since we can’t change a MAC address, we also call it a “Burned-In Address” (BIA).It is used in the Layer 2 (Data Link) of the OSI Model.Switches, for example, […]

Categories
Computer Networking

What is an Ethernet Frame?

The Ethernet Frame is specified by the Ethernet data-link protocol.It is made up of three parts: an Ethernet header, encapsulated data, and an Ethernet trailer at the end of the frame. The Different Parts of an Ethernet Frame Preamble: Devices use it to synchronize their receiver clocks SFD (Start Frame Delimiter): Informs that this is […]

Categories
Computer Networking

Ethernet Fiber-Optic Cables

We would use fiber-optic over UTP cables for multiple reasons: Longer maximum distance Faster speed No vulnerability to EMI (Electromagnetic Interference) Better security (UTP emits a signal outside of the cable that can be copied) How does fiber-optic transmission work? Fiber-optic cables send light over glass fibers. A light (optical transmitter) shines into the core.To […]

Categories
Computer Networking

Ethernet UTP Cables

In Ethernet standards, we use copper cables called UTP cables (Unshielded Twisted Pair). “Unshielded” means that the wires have no metallic shield, which makes them vulnerable to electrical interference.This is why the wires are “twisted” together, as it helps protect against electromagnetic interference (EMI). UTP cables and RJ-45 UTP cables have either 2 pairs of […]

Categories
Computer Networking

Wired Ethernet Standards

Ethernet refers to a collection of standards coming from the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers). These standards are used to connect one or several computers to a network, forming a LAN. All start by the number 802.3: Note: BASE refers to baseband signaling, and the letter(s) after it refers to the cable that […]

Categories
Computer Networking

The TCP/IP Model

This will be a brief presentation of the TCP/IP Model.The information about the different layers’ functions can be found in my previous article on the OSI model. What is the TCP/IP Model? Just like the OSI model, it is a conceptual model.It also references a set of protocols that makes communications between computers possible.This is […]

Categories
Computer Networking

The OSI Model Explained

Today I will talk about the OSI model.But first, I should define what a networking model is. What is a Networking Model? A networking model is a framework for understanding how different pieces of a network interact with one another. If you want to know why and how this model was created, I have an […]

Categories
Computer Networking

History of OSI and TCP/IP Models

Why did we need Standardized Protocols? Before the 1980s, there was no standardized networking protocols, each vendor had their own protocols. So if you had, for example, an IBM computer, your computer wouldn’t have been able to communicate with a DEC computer because they were both using different networking protocols. The Creation of the OSI […]