Lesson 7

This module discussed an overview of client-side networking under Linux. You learned to identify your required network parameters, to configure your network interface, and finally to enable the interface. You also explored the two methods of turning hostnames into IP addresses: the local Host Table and the distributed DNS database system. With these skills, you will be able to connect your computer to existing networks, including the Internet.

Having completed this module, you should now be able to:

1. Identify your required network parameters
2. Use netcfg to configure a network interface
3. Enable and disable a network interface
4. Use the Host Table to look up network IP addresses and hostnames
5. Configure your network interface to use DNS

The following terms were introduced in this module:

1. 32-bit: A number that has 32 binary digits. 32-bit IP addresses are written as four numbers separated by dots, X.X.X.X, where each number is in the range 0 to 255. Think of it as a string of 32 1's and 0's.
2. BOOTP: An older protocol used like DHCP to initialize hosts dynamically on a network. DHCP implements Bootp as a subset for backward compatibility with non-DHCP capable machines.
3. DHCP: Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. An open Standard for configuring hosts's interfaces at boot time.
4. DNS: The Domain Name Server protocol. It replaces the Host Table as the primary means of resolving hostnames into IP addresses on large networks.
5. Ethernet: A high speed network used for local networks among workstations and servers. Usually forms the basis of large academic and corporate networks.
6. Host Table: A database of remote, network connected hosts maintained by each host on the network.
7. Interface: A communications system used to connect a Linux machine to a network.
8. IP address: A set of numbers that is a unique label for that interface on the network. It is represented by the notation X.X.X.X, where each X is a decimal number from 0 to 255.
9. Netmask: A set of numbers which indicates the network class. When its binary representation is anded with an interface IP address, the result is the network address.
10. Routing: Subnets communicate through routers, so that only messages intended for a subnet's hosts are received. Without routing, data must be sent to every connected host, a very inefficient practice in large networks.
11. Subnet: A set of machines that communicate without the assistance of a router. Networks and subnets are connected with routers to make larger networks.
12. TCP/IP: Set of protocols that facilitate controlling the transmission of packets of information.

The next module covers TCP/IP troubleshooting and PPP configuration.

Before moving on to the next module, click the Quiz button to answer some questions about network integration.
Network Integration - Quiz