The IP Layer
The module delivers a comprehensive understanding of the Internet Protocol (IP) layer, emphasizing network architecture, router functionality, and performance evaluation using queuing theory. It explores essential aspects of IP addressing, the process of packet forwarding, and the security challenges at the IP level, including NAT and various attacks. The transition from IPv4 to IPv6 is also discussed, highlighting their differences and the necessity behind the IPv6 adoption.
Sections
Navigate through the learning materials and practice exercises.
What we have learnt
- Network topology impacts bandwidth, latency, reliability, and cost considerations in network design.
- Routers are critical for inter-network communications, employing input ports, switching fabric, and output ports to manage data packets.
- IP addressing is hierarchical, and CIDR facilitates efficient routing and address allocation.
Key Concepts
- -- Network Topology
- The physical and logical arrangement of elements in a communication network, influencing performance and reliability.
- -- Router Architecture
- The internal structure and function of routers including input ports, switching fabric, output ports, and the routing processor.
- -- Queuing Theory
- A mathematical framework used to evaluate the performance of network links by analyzing traffic arrival processes, service times, and queue characteristics.
- -- IP Addressing
- The scheme for assigning unique identifiers to devices on a network, crucial for data packet delivery.
- -- NAT (Network Address Translation)
- A method that allows multiple devices on a local network to share a single public IP address for accessing the internet, providing a level of security.
- -- IPv4 vs IPv6
- IPv4 uses 32-bit addresses while IPv6 uses 128-bit addresses to accommodate the growing number of devices on the internet.
Additional Learning Materials
Supplementary resources to enhance your learning experience.