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in Networking
3 min read

TCP vs UDP: Choosing the Right Transport Protocol

Part 9 of the networking and home lab series.

In the world of networking, choosing the right transport protocol is a bit like picking the ideal vehicle for your journey. Need to transport delicate goods across town? Perhaps a well-sprung van would do. Racing against time? A nimble motorbike might be your best bet. Similarly, when it comes to data transmission over networks, TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) and UDP (User Datagram Protocol) are our two trusty steeds.

in Networking
4 min read

NAT and Port Forwarding: Talking to the Outside World

Part 8 of the networking and home lab series.

Imagine your home as a bustling little village with a single post office (your router) that handles all incoming and outgoing mail (data). Now, each house in this village has its own address, but to the outside world, they only see one big address — the post office's. This is the basic premise of Network Address Translation (NAT).

in Networking
3 min read

How Devices Join the Network: DHCP Explained

Part 7 of the networking and home lab series.

Imagine you're setting up a small farm, and you need to make sure each animal has its own space. You could manually assign spots, but that’s a faff, especially as the herd grows. Instead, you use a system that automatically assigns each one a spot based on what's available. This is basically what DHCP does for your network devices.

in Networking
4 min read

MAC Addresses and ARP: Finding Devices on a Network

Part 6 of the networking and home lab series.

When you think of a MAC address, imagine it as the fingerprint of your device on a network. It's as unique as a bespoke football kit number, identifying each piece of kit in the field. While it's not the only factor that makes up your "team" (or network), it's crucial for determining who's who in the lineup.

in Networking
3 min read

IP Addresses and Subnetting Demystified

Part 5 of the networking and home lab series.

Networking can seem a bit like trying to understand the offside rule in football: it sounds simple until you try to explain it. Yet, just like mastering the offside trap, getting your head around IP addresses and subnetting is crucial for anyone dabbling in networking. So, grab a brew and let’s break down these concepts into digestible chunks.

in Networking
4 min read

Wired vs Wireless: Ethernet and Wi-Fi Compared

Part 4 of the networking and home lab series.

Introduction

Ah, network connectivity—a bit like the plumbing in your house. You don't really think about it until something goes wrong, but when it does, you're knee-deep in water (or in this case, connection issues). Whether you’re binge-watching the latest series on Netflix or working from home, a solid network is crucial. In this post, we'll have a natter about two common networking options: Ethernet and Wi-Fi.

in Networking
4 min read

Switches and Routers: What’s the Difference and Why It Matters

Part 3 of the networking and home lab series.

Welcome to the world of networking—a bit like plumbing, but for data. Whether you're setting up a home network or managing a corporate behemoth, understanding the roles of switches and routers is crucial. Much like how a football team needs both defenders and forwards to function correctly, your network depends on these trusty devices to keep data flowing smoothly.

in Networking
4 min read

Network Topologies: Star, Bus, Mesh and More

Part 2 of the networking and home lab series.

So, you're curious about network topologies. Fair enough—it's the kind of topic that can seem as tangled as a football club's finances. But once you get your head around it, you'll see it's not just about connecting computers; it's about choosing the right structure to keep data flowing smoothly. Let's dig in.

in Networking
3 min read

What Is a Network? (LAN, WAN, PAN Explained Simply)

Part 1 of the networking and home lab series.

Pull up a chair, grab a brew, and let's have a chat about something that's basically the backbone of our modern world: networks. No, not the social media kind; I'm talking about the unseen web of connections that lets your computer talk to your printer, or your phone stream football results without missing a beat.

in Networking, Home lab
6 min read

Networking and Home Lab: the Series

A series on how networks work, from the basics to running a home lab on a NAS with Docker. The early posts explain the building blocks; the later ones apply them to a real home network.