Speaker 1: Hey everybody, and welcome to another deep dive with us.
Speaker 2: Yeah, thanks for having me.
Speaker 1: So today we're diving into the world of networking with.
Speaker 2: The help of Hazene Gaber's Comtia Network Plus Exam and
Speaker 2: ten zero zero zero seven Study Guide.
Speaker 1: Yeah. This book is, uh, it's a great one, really
Speaker 1: great whether you're prepping for the Network Plus Exam or
Speaker 1: just want to like understand how networks. Yeah.
Speaker 2: Yeah, just the fundamentals work at.
Speaker 1: A really basic level.
Speaker 2: Yeah, and it's a really good resource for that.
Speaker 1: And what's really neat about this book is that it
Speaker 1: takes a vendor neutral approach.
Speaker 2: Yes, very important. So it's kind of like you're learning
Speaker 2: how a car works before you decide whether you want
Speaker 2: a Ford or a Chevy.
Speaker 1: Yeah, you're not learning about a specific brand of networking equipment.
Speaker 1: You're learning about the principles the concepts of networking that
Speaker 1: apply in general, regardless of the equipment you got it.
Speaker 1: So I was flipping through this book and there are
Speaker 1: some really fascinating little details.
Speaker 2: It's a big book.
Speaker 1: I mean, did you know that with IP there are
Speaker 1: enough unique IP addresses for every grain of sand on Earth?
Speaker 2: I did know that.
Speaker 1: Yes, it's incredible. It's like, I mean, that's.
Speaker 2: Why they had to come up with IPv six right there,
Speaker 2: because we were running out, running out of addresses with
Speaker 2: IPv four.
Speaker 1: Yeah.
Speaker 2: With the number of devices connecting to the Internet these days.
Speaker 1: It's only going to get worse or better depending on
Speaker 1: how you look at it.
Speaker 2: Right. Well, and this book covers so much more than
Speaker 2: just IP addresses. Oh yeah, I mean this really It
Speaker 2: goes into the five core areas of networking fundamentals, starting
Speaker 2: with just the fundamental building blocks of how networks work,
Speaker 2: and then going into the complexities of routing and switching,
Speaker 2: and then IP addressing and subnetting.
Speaker 1: And important concepts.
Speaker 2: We can't forget about network security.
Speaker 1: The most important one, argue, I mean, what.
Speaker 2: Good is a network if it's vulnerable to attack?
Speaker 1: This book really explores the essential tools and strategies for
Speaker 1: keeping networks safe.
Speaker 2: From all the bad actors, all sorts of bid digital mischief.
Speaker 1: Yeah. It even goes into advanced.
Speaker 2: Concepts like network virtualization.
Speaker 1: Network virtualization, and storage technologies. So where do we even begin.
Speaker 1: I think we start with the most basic question.
Speaker 2: Yeah, what is a network?
Speaker 1: What is a network?
Speaker 2: At its most basic A network is two or more
Speaker 2: devices that can talk to each other, okay, share information.
Speaker 2: So think about like your home Wi Fi network. You've
Speaker 2: got your laptop, your smartphone, your smart TV, maybe a
Speaker 2: gaming console. Right, they're all on the same network, right,
Speaker 2: They're all.
Speaker 1: Talking to each other, they're sharing data, and they're accessing
Speaker 1: the Internet through that through one connector through that one
Speaker 1: connection point.
Speaker 2: Exactly.
Speaker 1: What about the devices themselves, Like, we hear these terms
Speaker 1: like routers and switches, sure, but I'm not always clear
Speaker 1: on what they do.
Speaker 2: Yeah, so those are essential pieces of networking hardware. So
Speaker 2: let's start with switches. Yeah, they act like traffic directors
Speaker 2: within a local network. Okay, So think of a switch
Speaker 2: as a central hub in your house, connecting all your
Speaker 2: devices and making sure data gets to the right destination.
Speaker 1: So if I'm streaming a movie on my smart TV,
Speaker 1: the switch is ensuring that the data from the Internet
Speaker 1: is going to here, is getting to my TV and not.
Speaker 2: TB and not your laptop ap top exactly. Switches use
Speaker 2: what's called a maxi address table, okay, to keep track
Speaker 2: of which device is connected to which port. All right,
Speaker 2: So it's kind of like a directory maps each device
Speaker 2: to its physical location on the network.
Speaker 1: So switches manage the flow of data within a single
Speaker 1: network within a single network. Yeah, okay, but what about
Speaker 1: routers okay.
Speaker 2: So routers are the bridge between different networks. They connect
Speaker 2: your home network to the wider internet, gotcha. So it
Speaker 2: directs traffic between your local devices okay, and the outside world.
Speaker 1: So the router is like the gateway to the Internet,
Speaker 1: to the Internet exactly.
Speaker 2: And it uses IP addresses, which are like global addresses
Speaker 2: okay for devices on the Internet, gotcha, to determine the
Speaker 2: best pass for data to travel.
Speaker 1: It's amazing to think about how all this happens behind
Speaker 1: the scenes every time we do anything online.
Speaker 2: Every time you send an email, yeah, every time you
Speaker 2: browse a website. There's a lot going on.
Speaker 1: Magic.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it is.
Speaker 1: Kind of But one thing that I've always found a
Speaker 1: bit mystifying is the concept of ports okay and protocols.
Speaker 2: Yeah. So, think of ports as virtual doorways on your computer. Okay.
Speaker 2: Each port is assigned the specific number, and different services
Speaker 2: or applications use different ports to send and receive data.
Speaker 1: So each application has its own has its own designated
Speaker 1: entrance little interests on my computer exactly. And then there
Speaker 1: are protocols the.
Speaker 2: Protocols are like sets of rules or procedures that govern
Speaker 2: how data is exchanged between devices.
Speaker 1: So is ports are like doorways, protocols are like.
Speaker 2: The instructions on how to use the doorway.
Speaker 1: Okay.
Speaker 2: For example, when you browse the web, your computer uses
Speaker 2: a protocol called HTTP to communicate with web servers.
Speaker 1: Okay.
Speaker 2: HTTP defines how your browser requests web pages and how
Speaker 2: the server responds with the content.
Speaker 1: So HTTP is like the language.
Speaker 2: The language of the web. Every browser, every web server
Speaker 2: knows how to speak it. And there's tons of other protocols.
Speaker 2: Each one is designed for specific purposes, like sending email
Speaker 2: or transferring files.
Speaker 1: This is a lot of complexity to make this all
Speaker 1: work seamlessly. Is there a way to make sense of
Speaker 1: all these layers? There is a communication That's where the
Speaker 1: OSI model comes in.
Speaker 2: OSI OSI what is?
Speaker 1: It's a conceptual framework that divides network communication into seven
Speaker 1: distinct layers. Seven layers, seven layers, like a cake, like
Speaker 1: a case. A lot of people describe it as a
Speaker 1: seven layer cake.
Speaker 2: I love a cake analogy.
Speaker 1: Each layer represents a specific function in the communication process.
Speaker 2: So what are the different So the bottom layer is
Speaker 2: the physical layer, Okay, it deals with the physical transmission
Speaker 2: of data over cables or wireless signals. Okay, so the
Speaker 2: bits and bytes moving across the network, so.
Speaker 1: Like the foundation, the foundation of the cake of our cake.
Speaker 2: Yes, okay. Then we move up to the data link layer,
Speaker 2: which focuses on managing access to the physical medium and
Speaker 2: making sure that data transfer between devices on the same
Speaker 2: network is reliable. Okay, So things like MSc addressing and
Speaker 2: error detection.
Speaker 1: So make sure that the right data gets to the
Speaker 1: right device.
Speaker 2: Exactly, even if there's errors during transmission. Then you've got
Speaker 2: the network layer, which handles routing traffic between different networks.
Speaker 2: Ok So that's like the postal service of the Internet,
Speaker 2: making sure data packets get delivered to the correct destination,
Speaker 2: even if it involves crossing multiple networks.
Speaker 1: So the routers are coming in.
Speaker 2: That's where routers come in. They're like the post office
Speaker 2: sorting centers, gotcha, figuring out the best route for those
Speaker 2: data packets to get to their final destination. Then what
Speaker 2: above the network layer, You've got the transport layer make
Speaker 2: sure that data is delivered reliably and in order.
Speaker 1: Okay.
Speaker 2: So it's like a quality control check for data transmission.
Speaker 1: Make sure nothing gets lost exactly or jumbled up, jumbled
Speaker 1: up along the way. Yeah.
Speaker 2: The next three layers are the session, presentation, and application
Speaker 2: layers okay, and they deal with increasingly higher level functions okay.
Speaker 2: The session layer manages connections between devices, the presentation layer
Speaker 2: handles things like data formatting and encryption okay, And the
Speaker 2: application layer is where users interact with software like web
Speaker 2: browsers and email clients.
Speaker 1: Wow, that was a whirlwind tour of the OSI model
Speaker 1: seven layers. I can see how breaking it down into
Speaker 1: those layers makes it easier to understand this whole complex
Speaker 1: process of network communication.
Speaker 2: It's a very powerful tool for visualizing how data flows
Speaker 2: across a network.
Speaker 1: Well, we've covered a lot of ground in this first
Speaker 1: part of our deep dive. We have. We've explored the
Speaker 1: basic concepts of networks, delved into the rolls of switches
Speaker 1: and routers, and even tackled the OSI model.
Speaker 2: That the seven layer cake.
Speaker 1: I'm hungry, me too, But there's still so much more
Speaker 1: to discover. Oh yeah, welcome back to our deep dive
Speaker 1: into networking.
Speaker 2: We're back.
Speaker 1: Last time, we built a really solid foundation. Yeah, we
Speaker 1: did exploring, you know, just the core concepts of networks.
Speaker 1: And even like dissecting the OSI model that delicious seven
Speaker 1: layer cake.
Speaker 2: It is a good analogy.
Speaker 1: I love that analogy. But let's not get lost in
Speaker 1: the layers. I want to focus in on two key players,
Speaker 1: routers and switches.
Speaker 2: Very important.
Speaker 1: I think a lot of people get these mixed up.
Speaker 2: It's easy to do.
Speaker 1: What is the difference between a router and a switch.
Speaker 2: So imagine you're sending a letter.
Speaker 1: Okay.
Speaker 2: A switch is like the mail room in an office building. Okay,
Speaker 2: make sure the letter gets to the right person on
Speaker 2: the same floor. A router is like the post office.
Speaker 2: It figures out how to send that letter across cities
Speaker 2: or states or countries.
Speaker 1: So a switch manages connections within a local network like
Speaker 1: a home or an all right, like a home earn
Speaker 1: office exactly, while a router connects different networks together.
Speaker 2: Yes, so your home network to the internet, right, that's
Speaker 2: your router's job.
Speaker 1: Okay.
Speaker 2: Switches operate within a single broadcast domain and they forward
Speaker 2: data only to the intended recipient based on their MC address.
Speaker 1: Right. We talked about MC addresses before, those unique identifiers.
Speaker 2: Like a serial number for your device.
Speaker 1: So a switch uses a man a reutter address table
Speaker 1: they do to figure out where to send data.
Speaker 2: Packets like a detective building a case.
Speaker 1: Okay.
Speaker 2: Every time a device connects to a switch, the switch
Speaker 2: learns its MS address and what port it's connected to. Okay,
Speaker 2: and then whenever data arrives for that device, the switch
Speaker 2: checks its little table and says, oh, I know where
Speaker 2: you go, and it sends it on its way. Very cool,
Speaker 2: very efficient.
Speaker 1: What about routers? How do they figure out the best
Speaker 1: path for data?
Speaker 2: So? Routers use IP addresses okay. Such are like global
Speaker 2: addresses for devices on the Internet, okay, and they determine
Speaker 2: the most efficient route okay. Contain something called routing tables,
Speaker 2: which are like maps of the network, and they're constantly
Speaker 2: being updated with information about the best paths to different destinations.
Speaker 1: So it's like a GPS for data packets.
Speaker 2: I like that analogy.
Speaker 1: It's constantly calculating the optimal.
Speaker 2: Route, yeah, based on traffic conditions and network congestion all that.
Speaker 1: And they don't just blindly forward data, No they don't.
Speaker 1: They're also playing a critical role in network security by filtering.
Speaker 2: Praffic based on predefined rules, so.
Speaker 1: They can block unwanted traffic.
Speaker 2: Like a digital bouncer at a club for entering the
Speaker 2: network exactly. Okay. Routers can also perform something called Network
Speaker 2: address translation MAT you got it, which allows multiple devices
Speaker 2: on a private network to share a single public IP address.
Speaker 1: Why is that necessary?
Speaker 2: So we're running out of public IP addresses. We have
Speaker 2: so many devices connecting to the Internet these days. That
Speaker 2: NAT helps conserve those precious addresses by allowing multiple devices
Speaker 2: within a private network like your home network, Yeah, to
Speaker 2: share a single public IP address that's provided by your
Speaker 2: Internet service provider.
Speaker 1: So it's like having a single phone number for your
Speaker 1: entire household. I like that yet, but each person has
Speaker 1: their own extension.
Speaker 2: To the outside world. It just looks like a single connection, okay,
Speaker 2: but internally you've got multiple devices sharing that connection, gotcha.
Speaker 1: So NAT addresses that IP address shortage. It does, but
Speaker 1: also adds a layer of security.
Speaker 2: Right because it masks the internal IP address of your
Speaker 2: devices in.
Speaker 1: The outside world.
Speaker 2: Exactly.
Speaker 1: Speaking of IP addresses, yes, you mentioned that with IPv six,
Speaker 1: there are enough addresses for every grain of sand on Earth.
Speaker 2: It's a lot of addresses.
Speaker 1: Well, we need so many.
Speaker 2: Because the world is becoming increasingly interconnected. Yeah, We've got
Speaker 2: billions of devices connecting to the internet.
Speaker 1: Yeah, smartphones, laptops, tablets.
Speaker 2: Smart refrigerators, smart coasters.
Speaker 1: Everything's getting smart.
Speaker 2: Everything is smart. Yeah, and they all need a unique
Speaker 2: IP address communicate IPv six. Make sure we're not going
Speaker 2: to run out anytime soon.
Speaker 1: It's like future proofing the Internet exactly. I'm sure there's
Speaker 1: enough room for everything, for all the devices it's coming online.
Speaker 2: Yeah, for the Internet of Things.
Speaker 1: So we were talking about routers and you mentioned that
Speaker 1: they use routing tables to figure out the best path
Speaker 1: for data. Yes, but what happens if there are multiple
Speaker 1: paths available.
Speaker 2: That's a great question within a network, So that can
Speaker 2: lead to some problems.
Speaker 1: Yeah, wouldn't that lead to confusion?
Speaker 2: Data could get lost or delivered.
Speaker 1: Out of order, right, like loop in around.
Speaker 2: Lukes are bad. Yeah, So that's where spanning tree protocol
Speaker 2: comes in. Spanning tree Spanning tree protocol, Okay, think about
Speaker 2: a city with multiple routes to a destination. Okay, if
Speaker 2: there's a traffic jam on one route, cars might start
Speaker 2: circling endlessly trying to find a way through. Spanning Tree
Speaker 2: protocol is like a traffic management system for the network. Okay.
Speaker 2: It intelligently disables redundant paths to prevent data I'm getting
Speaker 2: trapped in those loops.
Speaker 1: So it makes sure that everything flows.
Speaker 2: Smoothly, keeps that data flowing nice and efficiently. You're the network, yes,
Speaker 2: avoids any bottlenecks or traffic jams.
Speaker 1: This is all making a lot more sense.
Speaker 2: I'm glad to hear it.
Speaker 1: Routers and switches they seem like simple boxes. They do,
Speaker 1: but they're doing a lot of work.
Speaker 2: They're the unsung heroes of the networking world. They are,
Speaker 2: they really are.
Speaker 1: I have one more question before we move on. I've
Speaker 1: heard this term power over Ethernet POE POE.
Speaker 2: Yeah, that's a cool one.
Speaker 1: What is that and why is it useful?
Speaker 2: So traditionally, devices like security cameras or VIP phones require
Speaker 2: separate power and data connections. POE lets you deliver both
Speaker 2: power and data over a single Ethernet cable.
Speaker 1: So I could power a security camera you could just
Speaker 1: by plugging it into the network exactly. That's neat.
Speaker 2: It simplifies installation, it reduces clutter because you don't need
Speaker 2: all those power adapters, and it's especially useful for devices
Speaker 2: that are installed and hard to reach place like ceilings
Speaker 2: or walls.
Speaker 1: You're not running separate power cables.
Speaker 2: No, you don't have to.
Speaker 1: So it's not just about efficiency, it's about flexibility and.
Speaker 2: Ease of installation. Yeah, very cool technology.
Speaker 1: This has been really insightful. I feel like I'm starting
Speaker 1: to get how these devices work together and all ties
Speaker 1: together to make the internetwork.
Speaker 2: It does.
Speaker 1: But speaking of complexity, I think it's time to tackle
Speaker 1: a topic that a lot of people find intimidating, a.
Speaker 2: Dreaded topicuetting subnetting. It's like the art of dividing a
Speaker 2: large kingdom.
Speaker 1: Into smaller, more manageable provinces. Right, a little bit of
Speaker 1: math involved.
Speaker 2: We're going to demystify this concept will and reveal the
Speaker 2: logic behind the curtain those IP address ranges. We're going
Speaker 2: there lead the way.
Speaker 1: I'm ready. Welcome back to the Deep Dive Part three.
Speaker 1: We've journeyed through the foundational layers of networking.
Speaker 2: We have explored the rolls of routers and switches and
Speaker 2: even dipped our toes into that vast ocean of IP addressing.
Speaker 2: We've covered a lot, but now it's time to fortify
Speaker 2: our digital kingdom. Yes it is today. We're talking about
Speaker 2: network security.
Speaker 1: Very important.
Speaker 2: The shields and safeguards that protect our data from the
Speaker 2: bad guys, those who would seek to exploit it.
Speaker 1: Yeah, because a network without security is like a cash
Speaker 1: hole with its drawbridge always down.
Speaker 2: Very vulnerable, very vulnerable. Security should be like woven into
Speaker 2: the fabric of any network from the very beginning, from
Speaker 2: the initial design to the ongoing maintenance.
Speaker 1: Absolutely.
Speaker 2: What are some of the most common network attacks? Oh,
Speaker 2: there's so many the security people worry about.
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's a constant battle.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 1: So you've got your brute force attacks like denial of
Speaker 1: service DOTS attacks yep.
Speaker 2: Which attempt to overwhelm a network.
Speaker 1: With traffic, just a flood of traffic.
Speaker 2: Causing a digital traffic.
Speaker 1: Jamp, basically making it unusable.
Speaker 2: That blocks legitimate users. Right. Then there are the sneakier attacks, right, Yeah,
Speaker 2: the ones that are harder to detect.
Speaker 1: Man in the middle attacks, unlus somebody's intercepting communication.
Speaker 2: Sitting right in the middle between.
Speaker 1: Two parties, eavesdropping or even injecting malicious code.
Speaker 2: It's like having a spy listening in on your phone.
Speaker 1: Calls, right, but this is our digital conversation exactly. And
Speaker 1: then malware, ah, malware, malicious software.
Speaker 2: Yes, the viruses and worms that can really ransomware, spyware,
Speaker 2: mess things, all sorts of nasty stuff out there.
Speaker 1: How do we defend our networks?
Speaker 2: Oh, you need multiple layers of protection, like an onion,
Speaker 2: Like an onion exactly. Okay, So the first line of
Speaker 2: defense is your firewall.
Speaker 1: Okay.
Speaker 2: The firewall like a gatekeeper.
Speaker 1: It controls the flow of traffic in and out of
Speaker 1: the network. So it inspects h data packet coming in
Speaker 1: and out.
Speaker 2: It looks at every single.
Speaker 1: One, deciding whether to allow it through based on rules
Speaker 1: that you set. So it can filter traffic based on
Speaker 1: all sorts.
Speaker 2: Of things IP addresses, port numbers, protocols, wow, specific applications.
Speaker 1: That's reassurance.
Speaker 2: It's very powerful.
Speaker 1: But firewalls alone can't detecked against every threat.
Speaker 2: No, you need more.
Speaker 1: What else do we need?
Speaker 2: Intrusion Detection and Prevention systems IDPs? IDPs? That's right.
Speaker 1: What do they do?
Speaker 2: They're like vigilant guards. They're constantly monitoring network activity, looking
Speaker 2: for suspicious patterns, okay, and they take action to block
Speaker 2: or mitigate those threats.
Speaker 1: So they're like our security cameras, like.
Speaker 2: Security cameras and motion detectors, always watching and then.
Speaker 1: Encryption, scrambling data into unreadable formats.
Speaker 2: Like putting your secret documents in a lock box.
Speaker 1: That only you have the key to open, exactly. And
Speaker 1: encryption is used everywhere everywhere.
Speaker 2: These days, online transactions, email, protecting passwords.
Speaker 1: So much of our digital lives depend on it.
Speaker 2: It really does.
Speaker 1: But technology can only go so far, right, what about
Speaker 1: the human element?
Speaker 2: Oh, the human element the weakest link.
Speaker 1: So often the weakest link.
Speaker 2: Yeah, so you need strong security policies, okay, and user education,
Speaker 2: things like strong password policies, multi factor authentication, regular secure already.
Speaker 2: Awareness training can make a huge difference.
Speaker 1: So creating a culture of security where everybody understands the
Speaker 1: importance of.
Speaker 2: These things exactly. Security is not just about technology, it's
Speaker 2: about people. Process is a commitment to protecting our data.
Speaker 1: Well, this deep dive into network security has been it's
Speaker 1: a constant evolution of threats and defenses.
Speaker 2: It's an arms race. Yeah, but knowledge is power, it is,
Speaker 2: and with knowledge and vigilance we can build strong defenses.
Speaker 1: This deep dive has been a really great foundation.
Speaker 2: We started from the beginning in networking and we've come
Speaker 2: a long way from.
Speaker 1: The basic principles to routing, switching, security.
Speaker 2: All important stuff.
Speaker 1: We've covered a lot of ground, but this is really
Speaker 1: just the beginning.
Speaker 2: It is there's always more to learn.
Speaker 1: Especially as technology continues to evolve.
Speaker 2: It never stops changing.
Speaker 1: Before we sign off, I have one final question for
Speaker 1: our listeners. Now that you have this deeper understanding of
Speaker 1: how networks work and the importance of security, what steps
Speaker 1: are you going to take to protect your own own
Speaker 1: digital footprint.
Speaker 2: That's a great question, think about it.
Speaker 1: Thanks for joining us on this deep dive.
Speaker 2: It's been pleasure.
Speaker 1: Until next time, stay curious, stay informed, and stay safe.