Networking guides

13 articles · Browse the Networking tools →

Networking IP Addressing Explained: How Devices Find Each Other on a Network What an IP address actually is, the difference between IPv4 and IPv6, public vs private addresses, and how addressing, subnets, DNS and ports fit together to move data across the internet. 11 min read Networking Subnetting Explained: Subnet Masks, CIDR & How to Split a Network What a subnet mask really does, how CIDR notation like /24 works, how to count hosts, and a step-by-step method for dividing a network into subnets — with worked examples. 12 min read Networking How DNS Works: Turning Domain Names Into IP Addresses The internet's phone book, step by step — resolvers, root, TLD and authoritative servers, the common record types (A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT), caching and TTL. 10 min read Networking Ports & Protocols Explained: TCP, UDP and the Numbers Behind Every Connection How a port number directs traffic to the right program, the difference between TCP and UDP, the well-known ports you should recognise, and how ports relate to firewalls and security. 9 min read Networking IPv4 vs IPv6: Why the Internet Needed a New Address System Why IPv4 ran out of addresses, how IPv6 fixes it with 128-bit addresses, how to read the shorter notation, and what NAT, dual-stack and the transition mean in practice. 9 min read Networking Bluetooth Versions Comparison Bluetooth Classic and LE generations — throughput, range, and key features per version. Networking DNS Record Types Common DNS resource record types — A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT, and friends. Networking Internet Protocol History Timeline of major internet protocols — TCP/IP, DNS, HTTP, TLS, and the web stack. Networking Network Cable Standards Twisted-pair Ethernet categories and fiber cable types — speeds, distances, and use. Networking Phone Star Codes Common Vertical Service Codes (*xx codes) for landlines and mobile — forwarding, caller ID, voicemail. Networking SMS / MMS Email-to-Text Gateways Email-to-SMS and email-to-MMS gateway addresses for major US, Canadian, UK, and AU carriers. Send texts to phones by email for free. Networking WiFi Bands & Channels WiFi 2.4 / 5 / 6 GHz channels, widths, and 802.11 generation reference. Networking Wireless Protocols Comparison WiFi, BT, Zigbee, LoRa, cellular — range, throughput, power, and when to pick each.