Binary Numbers

The thinking bits of a computer use “flip-flops” to show “up” or “down” or “ on” or “off”. It’s just as easy to think of these as on/off light bulbs. Arrays of these flip-flops are used for storing and manipulating numbers. The point is that they can only have two states like a light bulb. These two states can also be stores as N/S magnets on a hard disk, or pits in foil on CD, or high and low voltages in a cable etc.

Troubleshooting TCP/IP

These are the two main utilities for troubleshooting TCP/IP:
ping – used to test connectivity
ipconfig – used to view IP address information.
Before launching into detailed settings investigation, always check that the hub/switch has power to it, or that the network cable hasn’t been pulled out.
The ping command does the following:
Verifies connections to one or more remote computers by sending ICMP echo packets to the computer and listening for echo reply packets.

Internet Connection Firewall

Windows XP ships with a basic built-in firewall. The firewall helps protect the computer from outside attacks on the internet. A firewall controls which network traffic is allowed in and out of a computer. It does this by opening and closing ports.
When communications take place between two machines different port numbers are used depending on the service. As an example a Web Browser will communicate with a Web Server on port 80, which is the default port for HTTP (The language used to display web pages).

Configuring TCP/IP

This free lesson will teach you how to configure TCP/IP in windows and how to use the ipconfig command.
To configure TCP/IP click on Start.
Right-click on My Network Places.
Select Properties.

The IP Address

Every computer on a network and the internet needs an address. This address is known as an IP address. Two computers can never have the same address.  An IP Address is a group of 4 eight bit binary numbers represented in decimal. Each number is separated by a period, e.g. 10.1.0.1.  Any machines that are connected to a network will each need a unique address.

Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)

In order for communication to occur on a network  all parties must use a common language. In IT networks this is known as a protocol.  There are many different protocols available for computer networks. The most common and widely used being TCP/IP.
TCP/IP is the standard protocol that is used on the internet. In order for any network to access the internet you must use the TCP/IP protocol suite. TCP/IP is required by Active Directory. For this reason, TCP/IP is the default protocol for Windows XP and 2003.

What is a computer Network?

What is a computer Network?

A network is any collection of independent computers that communicate with one another over a shared network medium. A computer network is a collection of two or more connected computers. When these computers are joined in a network, people can share files and peripherals such as modems, printers, tape backup drives, or CD-ROM drives. When networks at multiple locations are connected using services available from phone companies, people can send e-mail, share links to the global Internet, or conduct video conferences in real time with other remote users. When a network becomes open sourced it can be managed properly with online collaboration software. As companies rely on applications like electronic mail and database management for core business operations, computer networking becomes increasingly more important.