How Computers Communicate in a Network | Google IT Support Certificate

Google Career Certificates・2 minutes read

Victor Escobedo, a corporate operations engineer at Google, stresses the importance of networking skills, layered models, and protocols in computer networking. He highlights the significance of understanding how different layers and protocols work together to ensure proper communication and data transfer in networks.

Insights

  • Understanding layered models like the TCP/IP five-layer model and the OSI model is crucial in comprehending computer networking, as they facilitate data transfer through protocols at each layer.
  • Fiber optic cables, while more expensive and fragile than copper cables, offer advantages such as quicker data transport over longer distances, making them ideal for environments with electromagnetic interference and high-speed requirements.

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Recent questions

  • What are the essential layers in computer networking?

    The essential layers in computer networking include the physical layer, data link layer, network layer, transport layer, and application layer. Each layer plays a crucial role in facilitating communication between devices and ensuring data transfer across networks.

  • How do fiber optic cables differ from copper cables?

    Fiber optic cables transport data using light beams through glass tubes, while copper cables use electrical voltages. Fiber cables are more expensive and fragile but can transmit data faster and over longer distances compared to copper cables.

  • What is the role of routers in computer networking?

    Routers operate at layer 3 of the OSI model and forward data between independent networks. Core routers form the backbone of the internet, facilitating communication between different networks and ensuring internet connectivity.

  • Why are hubs less common in modern network setups?

    Hubs allow connections from multiple computers simultaneously, causing noise and collisions on the network. Due to their limitations in network communications, switches have largely replaced hubs in modern setups to reduce collisions and increase throughput.

  • How do switches differ from hubs in networking?

    Switches can inspect data and send it only to the intended system, reducing collisions and increasing throughput compared to hubs. Unlike hubs, switches play a crucial role in directing data traffic efficiently within a network.

Related videos

Summary

00:00

"Victor Escobedo: Networking Skills and Protocols"

  • Victor Escobedo introduces himself as a corporate operations engineer with a passion for IT since childhood when he first encountered computers through his father's work.
  • Despite limited resources and guidance, Victor pursued a career in tech, eventually specializing in IT and working at Google for the past seven years.
  • Victor emphasizes the importance of networking skills in his role, highlighting the need to understand how applications interact within a corporate infrastructure.
  • Computer networking is likened to human communication, with protocols ensuring proper communication between devices.
  • The TCP/IP five-layer model and the OSI model are essential in understanding computer networking, with protocols at each layer facilitating data transfer.
  • Victor stresses the significance of layered models in networking, explaining how different protocols work together to enable communication.
  • The physical layer involves networking cables and connectors, while the data link layer interprets signals for communication between devices.
  • The network layer, using IP, facilitates communication across different networks through routers, crucial for internet connectivity.
  • The transport layer, utilizing TCP and UDP, ensures data delivery to the correct applications running on nodes, with TCP focusing on reliability.
  • The application layer consists of protocols specific to applications like web browsing and email, representing the contents of the data package in networking.

13:36

Fiber Optic Cables vs Copper Cables: Differences

  • Copper cables have a shorter maximum distance at higher speeds compared to fiber optic cables.
  • Fiber optic cables contain glass tubes that transport light beams instead of electrical voltages like copper cables.
  • Fiber cables are used in environments with electromagnetic interference and can transport data quicker and over longer distances than copper cables.
  • Fiber cables are more expensive and fragile than copper cables.
  • Network devices like hubs allow connections from multiple computers simultaneously, causing noise and collisions on the network.
  • Hubs are less common today due to their limitations in network communications.
  • Switches, unlike hubs, can inspect data and send it only to the intended system, reducing collisions and increasing throughput.
  • Routers operate at layer 3 and forward data between independent networks, with core routers forming the backbone of the internet.
  • Servers provide data to clients, and nodes can act as both servers and clients depending on the situation.
  • The physical layer involves transmitting bits across networks using modulation, line coding, and twisted-pair cables for duplex communication.

28:05

Essentials of Ethernet Technology and MAC Addresses

  • Web browsers need underlying layers to send and receive data, not details about the connection type.
  • MAC addresses are used to identify computers uniquely.
  • Components of an Ethernet frame include unicast, multicast, and broadcast addresses.
  • Cyclical redundancy checks ensure data integrity in Ethernet transmissions.
  • Ethernet technology originated in 1980, with standardization in 1983.
  • Ethernet initially lacked switches, leading to shared collision domains.
  • Carrier sense multiple access with collision detection (CSMA/CD) helps manage data transmission.
  • MAC addresses are globally unique identifiers for network interfaces.
  • Ethernet frames consist of a preamble, MAC addresses, EtherType field, data payload, and frame check sequence.
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