The process of turning plain text into an encrypted form (cipher text) is known as encryption. Sensitive data is transmitted in an encrypted form so that it can be protected and a strong encryption mechanism ensures that the data is not misused even if a hacker gets hold of it. Decryption is the reverse mechanism where the encrypted cipher text is converted back into its original form.Read through this article to find out more about encryption and decryption and how they are different from each other.What is Encryption?Encryption is the procedure of encoding data in cryptography. This procedure turns plaintext, ... Read More

What is an IP Address? An IP address (Internet Protocol address) is a numerical identifier, such as 192.0.2.1, that is associated with a computer network that communicates using the Internet Protocol. An IP address is used for two purposes: identifying a host or network interface, and addressing a specific location. An IP address has two primary functions: it identifies the host, or more particularly its network interface; and it indicates the host's position in the network, allowing a path to be established to that host. IP addresses can be either Public or Private. Read through this article to ... Read More

Both MAC Address and IP Address are used to uniquely identify a machine on the internet. MAC address is provided by the chip maker while IP Address is provided by the Internet Service Provider. Mac Address Media Access Control (MAC) address is a physical address that works at the data link layer of the OSI model. A MAC address is a 48 or 64-bit address associated with a network adapter. MAC addresses are linked to the hardware of the network adapters, hence they are also known as the "hardware address" or "physical address." MAC addresses uniquely identify the adapter ... Read More

Connection-oriented and Connection-less Services are used to establish connections between two or more devices. Connection-oriented Services A connection-oriented service is one that establishes a dedicated connection between the communicating entities before data communication commences. It is modeled after the telephone system. To use a connection-oriented service, the user first establishes a connection, uses it and then releases it. In connection-oriented services, the data streams/packets are delivered to the receiver in the same order in which they have been sent by the sender. Connection-oriented services may be done in either of the following ways − Circuit-switched connection: In circuit ... Read More

A Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) is a medium-sized network but it covers a larger area than a LAN. It often covers multiple cities or towns. In contrast, a Wide Area Network (WAN) is a much larger network than LAN and MAN. A WAN in general is a network of local area networks (LANs) that link to other LANs via telephone lines and radio waves. Go through this article to find out more about MAN and WAN and how they are different from each other. What is a Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)? A MAN is comparable to a ... Read More

Both LAN and MAN are computer networks that differ in terms of the geographical area they cover. LANs are private networks limited to a particular geographical area in the range of a few kilometers, while MANs cover a larger area that can span multiple cities and towns.Read through this article to find out the major differences between a LAN and a MAN.Local Area Network (LAN)A Local Area Network is a private network that connects computers and devices within a limited area like an office, a building, or a campus. On a small scale, LANs are used to connect personal computers ... Read More

When several computers are connected together and are able to communicate with one another, it is called a computer network. Computer networks are designed to share data and information among the computers of the network. Depending on the operating geographical area, computer networks are of the three major types, namely LAN, MAN, and WAN. All the three computer networks are designed for the same purpose, i.e., for sharing information among the computers. But, they are different in many ways, which we are going to highlight in this article. Let's start with some basics of LAN, MAN, and WAN. What ... Read More

A WAN in general is a network of local area networks (LANs) that link to other LANs via telephone lines and radio waves. WAN connections can include both wired and wireless technologies. Wired WAN services include carrier Ethernet, commercial broadband Internet links, etc., whereas wireless WAN technologies include cellular data networks like 4G LTE, public Wi-Fi, satellite networks.LANs are privately owned and span a smaller geographical area (restricted to a few kilometers). It can be used in various settings, including offices, residences, hospitals, and schools. The setup and management of a LAN is quite straightforward.Go through this article to find ... Read More

A stateless protocol is one in which each communication is treated as a separate event, unrelated to other communications of the same type.A stateful protocol, on the other hand, is the polar opposite of a stateless protocol, in which each communication is treated as part of a broader sequence.Read through this article to find out more about stateless and stateful protocols and how they are different from each other.What is Stateful Protocol?In Stateful Protocol, when a client sends a request to the server, it expects a response; it resends the request if it does not receive one.Stateful applications and procedures ... Read More

Go-Back-N is a data link layer protocol that uses a sliding window method for reliable and sequential delivery of data frames. It is a case of sliding window protocol having to send window size of N and receiving window size of 1.Selective Repeat Protocol is also a data link layer protocol that uses sliding window method for reliable delivery of data frames. Here, only the erroneous or lost frames are retransmitted, while the good frames are received and buffered.Read through this article to find out how these two data link layer protocols work and what are the major differences between ... Read More