Networking Fundamentals

Networking Beginner's Manual

Basic Definitions

IP Address

• A unique identifier for a device on a network.
• Example: 192.168.1.1.

MAC Address

• A unique hardware identifier for network interfaces.
• Example: 00:1A:2B:3C:4D:5E.

Ports

• Virtual endpoints for communication.
• Example: HTTP uses port 80.

Subnet Mask

• Defines the network and host portions of an IP address.
• Example: 255.255.255.0.

CIDR Notation

• Combines IP address and subnet mask.
• Example: 192.168.1.0/24.

Networking Tools

nmap

• Network exploration and security auditing tool.

  $ nmap 192.168.1.1

netcat

• Utility for reading from and writing to network connections.

  $ nc -l -p 1234
  $ nc 192.168.1.1 1234

ping

• Test the reachability of a host.

  $ ping 8.8.8.8

traceroute

• Trace the path packets take to a network host.

  $ traceroute example.com

ip addr

• Display and manipulate IP address information.

  $ ip addr