The World of Networking

Let me take you through the fascinating journey of Networking. Ever since I first came across the word "networking", I was curious to understand how can one computer communicate to the other.

How can we access the information available on a remote computer which is thousands of kilometers away? 

These questions made me curious. Since then I am on a voyage to understand the intricacies of how packet travels. Each time I understand part of it, it opens up a new dimension and the journey continues. The purpose of this blog is to take you through the mysteries of network. How it evolved? What are the different components involved? 

I have tried to compile the list of interesting articles and videos that I have come across would help you understand the concepts better.

Do you understand what happens when you type-in an address in address bar of a browser?

Following presentation gives a brief introduction. Although the following link requires you to register in their site it is worth it. Register yourself and enjoy the animation. The registering doesn't require any money.  

Juniper Presentation on "How network works"

The above video introduces you to concepts like switching and routing. I assume you have gone through the video and understand the details like MAC or Layer 2 address, IP or Layer 3 address. 

If you have any doubts kindly reach me at my twitter handle

@RaghavendraAca1

One of the best books on kick starting your journey in networking is  

TCP/IP illustrated volume 1 by Richard Stevens

The author beautifully explains the concepts of network. He goes in depth into 

TCP/IP. This will be bible if you are planning to give interviews for networking companies. 

If you are keen on how the code for socket() system call is written in kernel then buy, 

TCP/IP illustrated volume 2 by Richard Stevens

Now that you understand a terminologies and networking jargons, we can jump into more advanced concepts. 

Switches can have loops and can potentially bring down the network if administrator doesnt take care of it. Hang on, do you mean does administrator need to know every connection among thousands of switches? If he creates a loop then the entire network might be brought down. This is where network developers used their knowledge of graph theory to came up with Spanning Tree. This helps in avoiding the loop at L2 [Layer 2]. Spanning tree protocol automatically removes loop by at software layer hence the administrator is freed from wiring issues?  

Are you keen to know how the routers communicate between each other to exchange the network information so that they can route a packet?

Do you know what is Interior Gateway Protocol?

Do you know examples of Exterior Gateway Protocol like BGP?

Do you plan to take up a career in networking? 

If answer to above question is yes then you can do following certifications,

Basic,

Cisco Certified Network Associate [CCNA] is around $ 300.

Advanced,

Cisco Certified Network Professional [CCNP] there are three papers,

1. Switching

2. Routing

3. Troubleshoot. Each of the papers is around $ 300. 

These certifications help you in getting solid understanding in networking protocols. They can also give you edge over other applicants. 

You might have heard of Cloud computing, Data Center etc. Nowadays the webservices are hosted on cloud so that Business Application need not bother about intricacies of managing the network, storage and compute. There are certifications like AWS certified developer which gives you skills on hosting it on Amazon. 

http://learnatsgr.blogspot.com/2018/08/lets-imagine-that-you-are-trying-to.html

All the best

#vacation