Understanding the network.pdf - Back to Home

there are varieties of network protocols, each of which has its own distinct
operational "grammar," yet provides the same set of core services.
The most common service in the networking process is datagram delivery and
addressing. Datagrams are the logical units that carry the actual data. Datagrams,
like transmission frames, have information about the sender and receiver to include
with the data (see Figure 1.7).
Figure 1.7. The transmission frame/network
datagram relationship.
With network communication protocols, each node on the network is assigned a
specified address within a unique address range. This address generally has a
format that contains the network host identifier and the station identifier. When
hosts communicate with one another, they use these network addresses to specify
the sender and the destination of the data.
One of the primary characteristics of network addressing is the use of a broadcast
domain, which allows stations to send and receive data which is not addressed to a
particular station, but to a group of adjacent hosts that all share the same distinct
network address.
Network Hardware
The cable alone is not enough in large networks. Transmission media and the
protocols that regulate them have finite limits on the number of nodes that can be
supported. In order to expand the size and range of a computer network, devices
that amplify, connect, and segment the transmission media need to be added.
These hardware devices are called repeaters, hubs, bridges, and routers.