TCP/IP First-Step

Description:

Your first step into the world of TCP/IP

• No TCP/IP experience required
• Includes clear and easily understood explanations
• Makes learning easy

Your first step to understanding TCP/IP begins here!

• Learn TCP/IP basics
• Discover the power of TCP/IP components and subcomponents
• Use hands-on activities to understand TCP/IP
• Benefit from examples that illustrate the power of TCP/IP

Welcome to the world of TCP/IP!

TCP/IP is the world’s de facto communications protocol. It is the official protocol of the Internet and, consequently, has become the predominant communications protocol suite in many private networks and internetworks.

 

No TCP/IP experience needed!

TCP/IP First-Step explores TCP/IP concepts in a reader-friendly manner that assumes no previous experience. Learn about packetized data transfer, open networking, reference models, and standards bodies. Understand the architecture of the TCP/IP protocol suite and learn about its components, functions, and respective uses. TCP/IP First-Step helps you understand TCP/IP’s role in the network.

I. INTRODUCTION AND ARCHITECTURE.

1. TCP/IP: The Official Protocol of the Internet!

    What Is TCP/IP?

    Finding TCP/IP's Roots.

    Enabling the Internet's Success.

    The Abilities and Limitations of TCP/IP.

    TCP/IP's Top Five Critical Functions.

    What It Can't Do.

    Chapter Summary.

    Chapter Review Questions.

2. What Has TCP/IP Done for Me Lately?

    Business and Pleasure?

    At Play.

    At Work.

    What's the Secret?

    Open Standards.

    Generalizing to See the Patterns.

    The Need for Reliable Communications.

    The Need for Timely Communications.

    Chapter Summary.

    Chapter Review Questions.

3. The Quest for Freedom of Choice.

    Open or Closed?

    The Case for Closed Technologies.

    The Case for Open Technologies.

    How Do You Not Keep a Secret?

    Open Architectures Equals Open Standards.

    Reference Models: Keeping Things Organized.

    Speaking of Political Committees...

    EIA/TIA.

    IEEE.

    IETF.

    Layers of Layered Standards.

    OSI Reference Model.

    Using the OSI Reference Model.

    What It Looks Like.

    What It Really Does.

    Gotcha!

    Getting a Jump on Emerging Standards.

    Using Open Standards to Create Proprietary Products.

    Making Sense of the Chaos.

    Chapter Summary.

    Chapter Review Questions.

4. TCP/IP: The Networking Protocol That Changed the World.

    The Official Protocol of the Internet.

    Groups of Functions.

    Inside the Tool Box.

    Tools for Users.

    Tools for Applications.

    Tools for the Network.

    The Big Picture.

    Dissecting TCP/IP.

    Process/Application Layer.

    Host-to-Host Layer.

    Internet Layer.

    Network Access Layer.

    Chapter Summary.

    Chapter Review Questions.

II. PROTOCOLS: THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF TCP/IP.

5. Peeking Under the Covers.

    Tools of the Trade.

    TCP's Functional Requirements.

    UDP.

    IP.

    A Closer Look at Port Numbers.

    Well-Known Port Numbers.

    Registered Port Numbers.

    Private and Dynamic Port Numbers.

    Chapter Summary.

    Chapter Review Questions.

6. Pushing the Envelope.

    The Life of a Packet.

    Stage 1: Wrap It Up.

    Stage 2: Pass It On.

    Stage 3: Take It Away.

    The Numbers Game.

    Finding Your IP Address.

    Decimal Numbers.

    Binary Numbers.

    The Architecture of an IP Address.

    The Real Deal.

    User-Friendly IP Addresses.

    Learning to Count All Over Again.

    Using IP Addresses.

    How Can You Tell a Host Address from a Network Address?

    Chapter Summary.

    Chapter Review Questions.

7. More Fun with IP Addresses.

    Subdivision: It's Not Just for Real Estate.

    The Need to Subdivide.

    Cut It Up!

    Subnetting a Network.

    Where's the Subnet Address?

    Checking the Math.

    Staring at the Bits.

    Leaving Room for the Network.

    The Benefits and Drawbacks of Subnetting.

    Mystery Behind the Mask.

    Decimal Masks.

    Network Masks.

    Subnet Masks.

    Two Types of Subnets.

    Chapter Summary.

    Chapter Review Questions.

8. Guaranteed Delivery: Your Package Will Get Delivered...Eventually!

    Reliability and Networking.

    Communication Is the Key.

    Six Little Flags, One Great Adventure.

    Communicating in a Crowd.

    Communicating in a Network.

    Multitasking with TCP.

    Chapter Summary.

    Chapter Review Questions.

9. Best-Effort Delivery: It's Now or Never!

    User Datagram Protocol.

    What Do You Mean, Best Effort?

    Yeah, but What's It Good For?

    Video Varieties.

    Sound Options.

    It Gets a Little More Complicated.

    UDP-In Action!

    The View from the Source.

    The View from the Destination.

    UDP Port Numbers.

    Chapter Summary.

    Chapter Review Questions.

III. NETWORK SERVICES: MAKING YOUR NETWORK EASY TO USE.

10. Special Delivery for Special Messages.

    ICMP: A Protocol for System Messages.

    The Architecture.

    Fields and Functions.

    Types of Messages.

    Using ICMP.

    PING.

    TRACEROUTE.

     Chapter Summary.

    Chapter Review Questions.

11. How Do I Get There from Here?

    Routers Route!

    What Is a Router?

    What Does a Router Do?

    How Does That Work?

    Calculating Routes.

    Measuring Distances.

    Measuring Quality of the Connections.

    Applying Rules.

    Chapter Summary.

    Chapter Review Questions.

IV. USER SERVICES: MAKING THE MOST USE OF YOUR NETWORK.

12. Connecting to TCP/IP Networks.

    Anatomy of a Local-Area Network.

    Wire-Based Networks.

    Wireless Networks.

    Configuring a Network Connection.

    Laptop Versus Desktop Computers.

    Connecting to a Wire-Based Network.

    Connecting to a Wireless Network.

    Chapter Summary.

    Chapter Review Questions.

13. Smiling and Dialing.

    What, Exactly, Is the Internet?

    All ISPs Are Not Created Equal.

    Picking an ISP.

    Picking an Access Technology.

    More Power!

    What's the Catch?

    What's the Story with Dial-Up Connections?

    How Does It Work?

    Dial-Up Today.

    Configuring a Dial-Up Connection.

    Tracking Down the Wizard.

    Chapter Summary.

    Chapter Review Questions.

14. Taking the Next Step.

    Information, Please!

    Checking Your Configuration.

    Internet's Yellow Pages.

    TCP/IP's Bugshooting Tools.

    Map It Out.

    Show Me the Numbers.

    Tracking Down Problems Beyond Your Control.

    Back to ping.

    Tracing the Route.

    Chapter Summary.

    Chapter Review Questions.

V. APPENDIX.

Chapter Review Answers.

Glossary.