An IP address can be defined as a unique numeric identifier (address) that is assigned to each computer operating in a TCP/IP based network. Manually configuring computers with IP addresses and other TCP/IP configuration parameters is not an intricate task. However, manually configuring thousands of workstations with unique IP addresses would be a time consuming, …
A computer network can be segmented physically and logically. A collision domain is one of the logical network segments in which the data packets can collide with each other. One of the most common protocols used when referring to a collision domain is the Ethernet protocol. Collision domains are often referred to as ‘Ethernet segments.’ …
MPLS stands for Multi Protocol Label Switching. The MPLS is often referred to as the layer in between the Data Link and Network layers because of where it operates. The MPLS serves as a method to forward packets of data easily by using labels. What are the Data Link and Network layers? In the seven-layer …
VRRP stands for Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol. The VRRP is a commonly used method to avoid network outages during important data transfers. Data transfer can be highly susceptible to failure when sent by a single router network. To combat this problem, VRRP creates a virtual connection between routers within the same network and ties them …
A DHCP reservation is a permanent IP address assignment. It is a specific IP address within a DHCP scope that is permanently reserved for leased use to a specific DHCP client. Users can configure a DHCP reservation in their DHCP server when they need to reserve a permanent IP address assignment. Reservations are used for …
PCAP (Packet Capture) is a protocol for wireless Internet communication that allows a computer or device to receive incoming radio signals from another device and convert those signals into usable information. It allows a wireless device to convert information into radio signals in order to transfer them to another device. PCAP runs in the background …
A DHCP scope is a valid range of IP addresses that are available for assignment or lease to client computers on a particular subnet. In a DHCP server, a scope is configured to determine the address pool of IPs that the server can provide to DHCP clients. Scopes determine which IP addresses are provided to …
L2TP (Layer Two Tunneling Protocol) defines an extension to PPTP (Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol) that an ISP (Internet Service Provider) uses to allow a VPN (Virtual Private Network) to operate. L2TP combines L2F from Cisco Systems’ optimum features and PPTP from Microsoft into a single protocol. L2TP’s two primary components are the LNS (L2TP Network Server) …
A subnet mask allows users to identify which part of an IP address is reserved for the network and which part is available for host use. By looking at the IP address alone, especially now with classless inter-domain routing, users cannot tell which part of the address is which. Adding the subnet mask or netmask …
The Unix/Linux `traceroute` command and the Microsoft Windows `tracert` commands both accomplish the task of tracing network paths, but they do it in slightly different ways. Both of these tools for tracing network routes send out a packet wth TTL (Time To Live) set to 1 and report it’s destnation. Then, they send out a …