The Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP) is a reliable transport protocol that works on a connectionless IP packet network. It transports Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) messages over networks and also has other functions. SCTP was created in order to correct the TCP’s shortcomings, while carrying real-time signaling information over a network. It also runs on top of the UDP network layer if and when required. Services that SCTP Offers The SCTP offers the following services: Fragments data to the discovered path MTU size. Transfers Error free, non-duplicated user data that Read More

Ethernet is a media access method that is specified at the Data Link layer and uses specific Physical layer cabling and signalling techniques. It is important to be able to differentiate between the types of connectors that can be used to connect an Ethernet network together. I'll discuss the different unshielded twisted-pair cabling used today in an Ethernet LAN. Network Cabling It's important to understand the difference between the media access speeds Ethernet provides in computer cabling systems. However, it's also important to understand the connector requirements for each implementation Read More

The Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (IGRP) is a network routing protocol that is designed to enable routing inside of an Autonomous System (AS). Cisco developed this protocol in the late 1980s in response to the existing Routing Information Protocol’s (RIP) shortcomings. As Cisco routers became more popular, a number of large networks began using IGRP, which the enhanced ITRP replaced in the early 1990s in order to improve the overall efficiency of network routing. How does the Interior Gateway Routing Protocol Work? The Interior Gateway Routing Protocol is labeled a Read More

IP Access Lists What is an Access List? Access lists are used to control and manage access of interesting and non interesting traffic. Access lists are powerful tools for controlling access both to and from network segments. They can filter uninteresting packets and be used to implement security policies. Using the right combination of access lists, network managers will be armed with the power to enforce nearly any access policy they can invent. After the lists are built, they can be applied to either inbound or outbound traffic on any Read More

Ethernet refers to the family of Local Area Network implementation that was jointly developed by Digital Equipment Corporation, Intel Corporation and Xerox Corporation. It consists of certain specifications and standards as well as hardware devices and components. Ethernet Connection The Ethernet protocol provides for a verity of cabling options, one of which is a specification referred to as 10Base5. Connecting cable is known as AUI (Attachment Unit Interface) and network attachment device is known as Media Attachment Unit (MAU) rather than transceiver. CSMA/CD Ethernet is a baseband LAN specification invented Read More

The sending and receiving of data from a source device to the destination device is possible with the help of networking protocols when data encapsulation is used. The data is encapsulated with protocol information at each OSI reference model layer when a host transmits data to another device across a network. Each layer communicates with its neighbor layer on the destination. Each layer uses Protocol Data Units (PDUs) to communicate and exchange information. Protocol Data Unit (PDU) Protocol Data Units contain the control information attached to the data at each Read More

When executing an inter-network installation, many mechanisms and components are usually involved. Cisco is superior because it is the only inter-networking company with a well made end to end inter-networking solution. Cisco switches makes the LAN more competent by creating multiple collision domains. Each switch port is a split collision domain. With only one device connected per port, collisions are not probable and communications are more efficient. Cisco switches are very capable because they perform packet filtering and forwarding in hardware as opposed to software. Cisco switches increase the speed Read More

Ethernet at the Data Link Layer Ethernet provides services corresponding to Layers 1 and 2 of the OSI reference model, and IEEE 802.3 specifies the physical layer (Layer 1) and the channel-access portion of the Data Link (Layer 2). In addition, IEEE 802.3 does not define a logical link control protocol but does not specify several different physical layers, whereas Ethernet defines only one. Ethernet Addressing Every network device has a unique physical identity that is assigned by the manufacturing vendor is called MAC address or Ethernet address. The mac Read More

What is CDP? CDP is the Cisco Discovery Protocol. It is a Cisco Proprietary Protocol that discovers and shows information about directly connected Cisco devices. CDP works on layer two (Data Link layer) of the OSI Reference Model. Cisco Discovery Protocol (CDP) works only with the Cisco manageable devices such as Cisco Catalyst Switches and Cisco Routers and Access Server. It is a useful utility of Cisco IOS that runs on the routers with the Cisco IOS version 10.3 or later and Cisco switches and hubs. CDP is basically network Read More

Frame Relay is a protocol for transmitting data over a wide area network (WAN). It was designed to use across ISDN interfaces but it is now used over an assortment of other network interfaces. Once one becomes a master of frame relay design and configuration, it is much easier to obtain a strong understanding of x.25, ATM, and SMDS. Frame relay operates at the physical and data link layers of the OSI model. Frame relay is an example of packet switched technology. In a packet switched network, end stations share Read More