Ch 7 · Topologies & Addressing · Theory
Topic 7 of 10 in Networks & Data Transmission — How Machines Talk — 4 lessons.
Network Topologies
The topology is the shape of a network — how devices connect. The common ones:
IP Addressing
An IP address identifies a device's location on a network. Two versions:
The Layered Model
Recall protocols are organised into layers. The TCP/IP model has four, each handing data to the one below:
Wireless & Security
Wireless (Wi-Fi) trades cabling for convenience, at some cost in speed and security. Because the signal travels through the air, encryption matters even more — WPA/WPA2 secures Wi-Fi so nearby devices can't read the traffic. This is the same public/private-key encryption idea from Chapter 3, applied to the wireless link.