Fundamentals of Networking
What you need to know.
In a digital age one can know what a computer is and its basic functions. These are really applicable to those who just check on their emails or use it to stream shows or movies. However, if you’re trying to break into tech especially cybersecurity, then knowing what makes services on computer runs is a must. This is where Computer Networking comes into play, what it is essentially is an innerweb of connected devices that share data and resources. A lot of these devices are computers and servers and you may be wondering how they are able to communicate with each other. Well I’m gonna show you and give you a deep dive on the equipment used to upkeep computer networking.
I am going to keep it a buck there is a lot of hardware that is essential to computer networking and each has their own beneficial function. There are like 5 big categories I can really think of and I will tell you all of them with a few examples.
End Devices
These are the final destinations where data ends up or they can be the source where data comes from. In a network topology they sit on the outskirts, to showcase and put an emphasis where data will end up. Some of these include the following.
PCs/Laptops
Phones
Servers
Printers
Smart Devices
Cabling and Connectivity
Cabling is a physical control that demonstrates how devices connect with one another. There are different categories of cables.
Copper Cable - uses electrical signals to transmit
Fiber Optic - uses light signal to transmit
Transceiver - converts the one type to another
Power and Backup
As the name suggests these allow for devices to keep running, even during failure.
UPS - Interruptible Power Supply, prevents sudden shutdown and power outage
PDU - Power Distribution Unit, distributes safe electrical power to systems
Generators - Provides long terms back up
Security and Monitoring
Helps protect the network and tells you when something is breaking or even gets attacked. In an enterprise setting the two coexist as one.
CCTV
Antennas
Wireless Controllers
Core Networking Devices
These allow for traffic to be moved inside and between networks. They don’t necessarily generate data but helps it gets to its destination or stop malicious data from reaching destinations.
Routers - connects different networks
Switches - able to connect multiple devices
Access Point (AP) - provides wireless connectivity
Firewall - protects a network from attacks
Load Balancer - distributes traffic between servers
There you have it a quick rundown on the essential networking equipment. Honestly, each category can be their own separate article but it is a lot to cover and I don’t want that info to be overwhelming. Just wanted to give you surface level info to show you what keeps networks a float and why it is important.
I actually really enjoy sharing info like this and it keeps my mind fresh on the knowledge I have. I also really just enjoy talking about this others it allows me to get some practice needed for interviews and so on. There is a lot of things I didn’t go over in networking in terms of software based like protocols and CLI commands. Though I will get to that and wont leave you all hanging because those are also important in the field of cybersecurity and understanding them is key.
