NodeConnect

It’s party time! You decide to throw a party at a park with a bunch of pavilions. But you can’t just walk up and claim a pavilion. Instead, you have to go through the park’s reservation service. You tell them the date and time of your event, and they check their list to see what’s available. Great news! A pavilion is open, and they assign it to you for a set time. The day arrives, and as planned, you host your party until it’s time to leave. What a great gathering! This is a lot like how DHCP works in a network. When a device — like your phone or laptop — joins a network, it can’t just start communicating. It needs an IP address first, just like you needed a reserved pavilion. Then, what is the "reservation" process of getting an IP address? Let's take a dive into the automated world of DHCP. What is DHCP? The Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol simplifies network provisioning by automatically assigning important network parameters. These include: IP addresses : Just as ...

When I was first introduced to subnetting, it was difficult to understand the math and the process behind it. I watched videos but it did not click. I focused more on how to calculate it than on the reasoning behind it. Why do we subnet? I remember seeing forward slashes followed by numbers, classes, letters, network and broadcast addresses - important terms that was overshadowed by just trying to grasp why certain numbers were used.  Years later, I hear the word "subnetting" in one of my courses, and it reminded me of my struggles. Yet, I was excited. It was a time for redemption. Example after example, I started to get them right but also got to understand how to create a subnet with sufficient space for devices. Because of this, I have grown to love subnetting.  For me, it took time - a break that lasted about two years followed by a curriculum that focused on the topic for a few weeks. If you find yourself struggling with subnetting, do not worry. It takes time. If someth...

Whether it is a to-do list or a big project, organization is key. We have busy lives. The task in itself can have several parts or may require some sort of collaboration with a partner or a team. A project may call to meet deadlines, which means keeping up with those crucial dates and having a system of order. Similarly, our networks are busy, transferring a great deal of data across links and nodes. The amount of traffic generated can lead to bottlenecks, packet loss, and delays. A network’s design can vary in complexity, depending on the environment or needs of a customer. Just as we find a manageable way to handle heavy workloads, our networks have a way of efficiently handling network traffic by creating "mini-networks" within our network. This process is called subnetting.   Why We Subnet To reduce congestion. Just as traffic in cities cause slowdowns and delays, too much traffic can lead to bottlenecks, packet loss, and delays. Subnetting breaks the netwo...

  PAN, WAN, MAN, LAN, CAN - what is up with all these rhyming words? As much as I would love to have a walk down memory lane and make a right at Kindergarten Avenue, these are actual names - well, acronyms, - for the types of networks that exist today. These networks are like nesting dolls. PANs can be found in LANs, LANs make up our WANs, and there is more in between. Let's take a closer look at these networking nesting dolls. Personal Area Networks (PANs) Have you ever grown frustrated at how your Bluetooth headphones seem to take forever to pair to your phone? Do you use a wired mouse or a wireless mouse with your desktop? Do you use your smartphone for payment by "tapping" it? These are examples of personal area networks.  A personal area network connects devices close in range, from a few centimeters to a few meters in range. These types of networks can be wired or wireless. A wired PAN may be a computer connected to a printer by a USB cable or Ethernet cable. A wire...

Every day, we browse the web, send emails, stream our favorite movies and TV shows, and perform other activities that are reliant on our networks, It seems so second-nature that when something goes wrong, it feels like it is the end of the world. We can call a technician, or we seek to solve the problem ourselves. Either way, it helps to understand the foundation to solve the problem. So, what happens behind the screen?  Whether you are new to the field or well-seasoned, it is important to understand how data is transmitted across our networks. The Open Systems Interconnect (OSI) model and TCP/IP suite are networking models that provide a framework on that process. While the OSI model is heavily emphasized in A+ and Network+, it’s often said that our networks predominantly run on the TCP/IP model. You’ve probably come across job descriptions that require a basic understanding of TCP/IP but often overlook the OSI model. Is there a difference between the two models, and doe...

The term "network" has been defined countless times. If there is anything I have learned about something being repeated many times, it means it is important. With networks, that is no different. I defined networking previously and briefly - a collection of devices that receive and transmit data amongst each other. Yet, it truly does not do it justice. I just finished my first co-op iteration at Motorola Solutions. Entering this new opportunity for me was more than just a foot in the door in the field of networking. I got to see critical infrastructure that transmitted and received signals relayed from first responders' and public sector communications. Long story short, I got to see the inner workings of a network, especially how different media and architecture converges to keep communications clear and functioning. Humanizing Networks   The world's networks, big and small, have been compared to:  Extensive highways that carries information across "tolls", ...