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 Week 1 – CST– 311 Intro to Computer Networks

Module 1 - Computer Networks and the Internet

This week was meant for us to get a feel for networking and the terminology. As we progress in this course, we will get into more detail with the subjects covered this week. Chapter one covered the two views of the internet. The “Nuts and Bolts” view contains the ISPs, routers, protocols, and the standards. The “Service” view describes the internet as an infrastructure that provides services to applications like the Web, email, and e-commerce.

We also covered the network edge which includes end systems, access networks, and links. The network core includes packet switching, circuit switching, and network structure. There are two fundamental approaches to sending messages through a network of links and switches. The first is packet switching where messages are broken into smaller chunks of data called packets. These packets travel through links and packet switches. The other method is circuit switching where all the resources required along a path between end systems are reserved for the duration of the communication session.

Many other topics were covered in this chapter, but network protocols were exceptionally interesting. In protocol layering, each layer provides a service by performing certain actions within that layer and by using the services of the layer directly below it. These layers together make up the protocol stack which consists of five layers: the physical, link, network, transport, and application. The application layer includes protocols such as HTTP, SMTP, and FTP. The transport layer includes two transport protocols, TCP and UDP. The network layer moves datagrams from one host to another and includes the IP protocol. The link layer protocols include Ethernet, WiFi, and DOCSIS. Lastly, the physical layer protocols depend on the transmission medium of the link. For example, Ethernet has physical layer protocols for twisted pair copper wire, coaxial cable, and fiber.

I am looking forward to the following weeks on this course when we dive deeper into each of these topics.

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