The third layer of the OSI Model, the network layer, is where most network engineers focus their time and expertise. As Darragh commented in my post on the data link layer, Layer 2 is cool but Layer 3 ...

A networking topology choice that is easily misunderstood. There are many questions that come to mind when selecting a Layer 2 vs Layer 3 network topology for audio systems. Surprisingly, most of it ...

The purpose of the network layer is to help route messages between different local networks. Central to this layer is the concept of exclusive network addresses, where every terminal connected to the ...

Table 1. This table illustrates subnet masks. The number after the “/” in the CIDR notation indicates the total number of IP addresses available. Click here to see an enlarged diagram. Understanding ...

We just saw that the mask determines where the boundary between the network and host portions of the IP address lies. This boundary is important: If it is set too far to the right, there are lots of ...

Just ask any economist: When a commodity is in short supply, several things happen. The price goes up, rationing begins, and people start scrambling for substitutes. Globally unique Internet addresses ...

Knowing how an IP address identifies a host on a network can be confusing. Before you begin calculating various addresses, you should know the fundamentals of IP addressing. Todd Lammle describes this ...