Grouping Devices into Networks and Hierarchical Addressing :
The original Internet – a few trusted users, no security issues.
Security needs have changed dramatically.
Dividing networks based on ownership means access can be prohibited, allowed, or monitored.
E.G. college network – admin, research, and student networks.
Security between networks is implemented in a router or firewall at the perimeter of the network.
The Internet = millions of hosts identified by a unique IP.
If each host had to know the address of all hosts it would severely degrade their performance.
Dividing networks so hosts who need to communicate are together reduces overhead (o/h) of hosts needing to know all IPs.
For all other destinations, hosts only need to know the address of a router.
This router is called a gateway. It serves as an exit from that network.
Hierarchical Addressing:
A hierarchical address uniquely identifies each host.
It also has levels that assist forwarding packets across internetworks, enabling division based on those levels.
So, hierarchical addressing supports communications between internetworks.
Postal addresses are examples of hierarchical addresses.
Refering only to the relevant address level (country, state, city, etc.) at each stage makes this process very efficient.
No need at each stage to know the all details (except Last).
IP addresses work in a similar way.
IP addresses have a network portion and a host portion.
Routers forward packets between networks using only the network portion.
Once delivered, the whole address will have been used to deliver the packet.
If necessary, additional layers of addressing can be created (subnet portion).
Tags: switch, interface, guides, vlan, ip, cisco
