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New Series: IP in Practice

Introductory picture to IP in Practice

I have done a few posts on subnetting and the inner workings of DHCP. I wanted to do a post on IPv6 and a hands-on demo on implementing DHCP on actual networking equipment. However, I missed a few parts that I would like to cover that would particularly help in understanding how IP works and why it is needed.

Unlike the previous series, this will be a direct approach to a certain protocol: Internet Protocol (IP). I recently started my first series, covering important ports, protocols, and acronyms used in the networking field. However, I realized not only is it difficult to address the ones to mention, but for some letters it's hard to find. The intended structure was to have several per letter not just one. The idea seemed fun and engaging, however, doing over 20 posts alphabetically on acronyms, ports, and protocols lacks order and deviates from the direct approach I want this blog to have. For that reason, I am putting it on hold indefinitely. It was fun at first, but it was not accomplishing my goal.

 If you have ever felt the same way about ending or pivoting from a project like I did with the A-Z series or maybe feel differently, please comment below and share your thoughts.  

Enough with the aside. The IP in Practice series will be a hands-on approach toward understanding our main line of communication used by devices today: IPv4 and the debated IPv6. This series is written from a learning and practice perspective, focusing on observing how IP behaves in real networks through study, labs, and demos. 

Let's first look at what goes into an IP address. 

IP in Practice Series
IPv4 IPv6
IP Addressing Basics Why do we need IPv6?
IPv4 Structure and Classes IPv6 Address Structure
Public and Private Addresses Address Types (unicast, multicast, anycast)
Demo Demo
Classless Addressing and Subnetting IPv6 Subnetting
IPv4 Subnetting Calculator IPv6 Prefix Lengths
Special IPv4 Addresses Special IPv6 Addresses
IPv4 Workarounds (NAT, PAT, VLSM) Transition to IPv6 (SLAAC, NAT64, Tunneling)
Quiz



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