For the Network+ exam, you don't need to know the history of TCP/IP or the Internet, but you do need to understand the virtually universal acceptance and support for TCP/IP in all forms of networking.
TCP/IP is not just one or two protocols, but rather a suite of protocols that work together to enable Internet, intranet, and networking communications over local and wide area networks and internetworks. You must know the use and function of each of the major protocols in the TCP/IP protocol suite. In addition, you really ought to be familiar with the layers of the OSI model on which each of the TCP/IP protocols operate.
Before you become too overwhelmed by the enormity of this task, take a deep breath, let it out slowly, and relax. Chances are that you're already using many of these protocols frequently, if not every day. When asked, you probably have no problem explaining the function and use of each of them.
You won't go far in your understanding of how the TCP/IP protocols work together if you don't know how Internet addressing works to get a message from point A to point B over the Internet. That's why you need to know about default gateways, DNS, WINS, and other client- and server-based tools and resources.
If you know and understand all the ins and outs of TCP/IP fundamentals and protocols, you can look forward to conquering the TCP/IP questions on the Network+ exam quickly and completely.
Quick Assessment
Objective: Listing the main protocols in the TCP/IP protocol suite
1. ______ is the primary transport protocol of the TCP/IP protocol suite.
2. The TCP/IP protocol that provides for source and destination addressing is ______.
3. The two most commonly used e-mail client protocols are ______ and ______.
4. The ______ TCP/IP utility is used to check the validity of a remote IP address.
5. TCP is a ______ communications protocol.
Objective: Identifying the OSI model layers of the TCP/IP protocols
6. The Internet Protocol operates on the OSI model's ______ layer.
7. TCP and UDP are ______ layer protocols.
Objective: Describing the purpose and use of DNS, WINS, and host files
8. ______ is used to resolve an FQDN to its IP address.
9. The dynamic Windows-based service used to resolve NetBIOS names into their IP addresses is ______.
Objective: Explaining the IP default gateway
10. The ______ is typically the router interface that connects a network to the Internet.
Answers
1. TCP (Transmission Control Protocol)
2. IP (Internet Protocol)
3. POP3 (Post Office Protocol), IMAP (Interactive Mail Access Protocol).
4. PING (Packet Internet Groper)
5. Connection-oriented
6. Network
7. Transport
8. DNS (Domain Name System)
9. WINS (Windows Internet Name Service)
10. IP default gateway
TCP/IP: World famous and accepted everywhere
The Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) protocol suite, also known as the Internet Protocol suite, serves communications at both the global and local levels. From its conception, TCP/IP evolved with an emphasis on portability and universal support. Its adaptability and open structure are important reasons for its rapid and widespread acceptance.
Here are some of the characteristics that contribute to the popularity of TCP/IP:
* Open protocol and universal interconnectivity: TCP/IP isn't based on or tied to any particular operating system; it's an open standard that developers can base new systems on without having to worry about interoperability issues. For example, two different operating systems or processes running on separate computers can directly communicate using TCP/IP.
* Conformity (modularity): Even though it preceded the emergence of the OSI model by nearly a decade, TCP/IP conforms to the OSI model. TCP/IP protocols communicate only with the layers immediately below and above the layers on which they operate. This layering creates a modularity that can easily be adapted by any system.
* Internet addressing: TCP/IP supports a 32-bit (4-octet) addressing scheme that enables it to address over four billion Internet hosts. This address system is used to identify both the network and the host.
In addition to the preceding characteristics, the protocols that make up the TCP/IP protocol suite also provide a wide range of functionality, versatility, and interoperability options to networked users.
The TCP/IP Protocols
TCP/IP is actually a suite of protocols that work together to provide for reliable and efficient data communications across an internetwork, which is a network of networks, local and wide area. To their friends, the TCP/IP protocols are more commonly known by their initials, but you should try to remember their full names.
he major protocols of the TCP/IP protocol suite are
* Address Resolution Protocol (ARP)
* Domain Name System (DNS)
* File Transfer Protocol (FTP)
* Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)
* Interactive Mail Access Protocol (IMAP)
* Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP)
* Internet Protocol (IP)
* Open Shortest Path First (OSPF)
* Post Office Protocol (POP3)
* Routing Information Protocol (RIP)
* Simple Mail Transport Protocol (SMTP)
* Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)
* User Datagram Protocol (UDP)
In addition, the TCP/IP protocol suite includes a variety of utilities that can be used to verify or troubleshoot connection and network problems. The ones you should know for the exam are
* IPCONFIG
* NETSTAT
* PING
* Telnet
* TRACERT
Don't waste time memorizing all the protocols in the TCP/IP protocol suite. Look over the preceding lists and mentally log them away. Being able to recognize what a protocol does (typically the name is a dead giveaway) and when it is used is more important than memorizing the list.
