IP version 6 (IPv6) Advantages and Implementation
The Internet has, to all intents and purposes, run out of public IP version 4 addresses. The solution to this issue is new IP version 6. This would require a parallel IPv6 based Internet to be running until all IPv4 connections have been converted. More ...
Comparison of the Layers of the OSI and TCP/IP Models
The TCP/IP protocol suite was developed by DARPA in the early 1970s. The OSI networking model was developed in Europe in 1986. This article compares the two networking standards. More ...
Free eBook: Introduction to 802.11 Wireless
The growth of wireless mobile devices is incredible. If you're an IT professional you'll need to understand wireless technology. This free ebook by Aaron Balchunas explains everything from radio frequency to wireless authentication protocols. More ...
Comparing IPv4 and IPv6 at a Glance
When examining the details of the IPv4 and IPv6 headers, there are some important differences between the two protocols. This article summarizes some of the differences. More ...
The OSI Data Link Layer
The Data Link layer uses MAC addresses is to pass data frames from the Physical layer to the Network layer and vice versa. The use of MAC addresses permits the direction of data within the same network, but not across routers. More ...
IPv6 Multicast Addresses
An IPv6 multicast address defines a group of devices known as a multicast group. Unlike IPv4, there is no broadcast address in IPv6. Instead, IPv6 uses multicast. A packet sent to a multicast group always has a unicast source address. More ...
IPv6 Prefix Length Notation
In IPv4, the prefix (or network portion) of the address can be identified by a dotted-decimal netmask, commonly referred to as a subnet mask. IPv6 address prefixes can be represented much the same way that IPv4 address prefixes are written in CIDR notation. More ...
IPv6 Anycast Addresses
An IPv6 anycast address can be assigned to more than one interface. In other words, multiple devices can have the same anycast address. A packet sent to an anycast address is routed to the nearest interface having that address, according to the routers routing table. More ...
Major Protocols in the TCP/IP Suite
This is a chart of the layers of the TCP/IP Suite and the major protocols in each layer. As you move your mouse pointer over each protocol acronym, a brief description of the protocol appears. This is not a comprehensive list. More ...
Ports and Sockets
Data transmitted over the Internet carries a 32-bit IP address that identifies its destination computer and a 16-bit number that identifies a port on that computer. The combination of the IP address and the port number is called a socket. A pair of sockets, one on the sending computer and one on the receiving computer uniquely identifies a specific connection on the Internet. More ...
Classless IP Addressing
In the beginning, classful addressing was a great idea for keeping IP addresses organized. But as the Internet grew, and IP addresses became scarce, classful addressing was found to be too limiting. Classless IP addressing, known as Inter-Domain Routing (CIDR) was released in September 1993. More ...
DSL (Digital Subscriber Line)
DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) is a technology used to transmit digital data over telephone lines. DSL service can be transmitted simultaneously with voice band telephone service on the same line because DSL uses a much higher frequency that rides on top of the low 3400 Hz voiceband. More ...
IPv6 Global Unicast Addresses
Global unicast addresses (GUAs) are globally routable and reachable in the IPv6 Internet; they are equivalent to public IPv4 addresses. GUA addresses are also known as aggregatable global unicast addresses. More ...
OSI Transport Layer
The Transport layer (OSI layer 4) uses connection-oriented protocols to provide a reliable end-to-end connection between the source computer and the destination computer. Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) is a transport layer protocol. More ...
What Are Private IP Addresses?
Normally you have to be assigned an IP address, or a group of IP addresses by a Regional Internet Registry. However, if you just need IP addresses for an internal network that will not be routed to the Internet, you can select from blocks of IP addresses reserved as Private IP addresses. More ...
