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Chapter 5
Advanced Configuration
41
thro ug h a ne two rk; a nd p ro vid ing fra g me nta tio n a nd
re a sse mb ly o f d a ta g ra ms to sup p o rt d a ta links with
d iffe re nt ma ximum-tra nsmissio n unit (MTU) size s. The IP
a d d re ssing sc he me is inte g ra l to the p ro c e ss o f ro uting IP
d a ta g ra ms thro ug h a n inte rne two rk. Ea c h IP a d d re ss ha s
sp e c ific c o mp o ne nts a nd fo llo ws a b a sic fo rma t. The se IP
a d d re sse s c a n b e sub d ivid e d a nd use d to c re a te
a d d re sse s fo r sub ne two rks. Ea c h c o mp ute r (kno wn a s
ho st) o n a TCP/ IP ne two rk is a ssig ne d a uniq ue lo g ic a l
a d d re ss (32-b it in IPv4) tha t is d ivid e d into two ma in p a rts:
the ne two rk numb e r a nd the ho st numb e r. The ne two rk
numb e r id e ntifie s a ne two rk a nd must b e a ssig ne d b y the
Inte rne t Ne two rk Info rma tio n Ce nte r (Inte rNIC) if the
ne two rk is to b e p a rt o f the Inte rne t. An Inte rne t Se rvic e
Pro vid e r (ISP) c a n o b ta in b lo c ks o f ne two rk a d d re sse s fro m
the Inte rNIC a nd c a n itse lf a ssig n a d d re ss sp a c e a s
ne c e ssa ry. The ho st numb e r id e ntifie s a ho st o n a ne two rk
a nd is a ssig ne d b y the lo c a l ne two rk a d ministra to r.
Whe n yo u se nd o r re c e ive d a ta (fo r e xa mp le , a n e -ma il
no te o r a We b p a g e ), the me ssa g e g e ts d ivid e d into little
c hunks c a lle d p a c ke ts. Ea c h o f the se p a c ke ts c o nta ins
b o th the se nd e r’ s Inte rne t a d d re ss a nd the re c e ive r’ s
a d d re ss. Be c a use a me ssa g e is d ivid e d into a numb e r o f
p a c ke ts, a d iffe re nt ro ute c a n if ne c e ssa ry, se nd e a c h
p a c ke t a c ro ss the Inte rne t. Pa c ke ts c a n a rrive in a
d iffe re nt o rd e r tha n the o rd e r the y we re se nt in. The
Inte rne t Pro to c o l just d e live rs the m. It’ s up to a no the r
p ro to c o l, the Tra nsmissio n Co ntro l Pro to c o l (TCP) to p ut
the m b a c k in the rig ht o rd e r.
All o the r p ro to c o ls within the TCP/ IP suite , e xc e p t ARP a nd
RARP, use IP to ro ute fra me s fro m ho st to ho st.
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