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Essay on Internetworking
Internetworking involves connecting two or more computer networks with some sort of routing device to exchange traffic back and forth, and to guide traffic on the correct path (among several different ones usually available) across the complete network to their destination. Internetworking uses devices called routers (originally called gateways) and some types of high end switches.
Internetworking started as a way to connect disparate types of networking technology, but it became widespread through the developing need to connect two or more local area networks via some sort of wide area network. Now it also includes the connection of other types of computer networks such as personal area networks.
The most notable example of internetworking in practice has become the Internet, a network of networks running different low-level protocols, unified by an internetworking protocol, the Internet Protocol (IP). IP only provides an unreliable packet service across the Internet, to transfer data streams reliably, applications must utilise a Transport layer protocol such as TCP.
Bridges and Switches
Bridges and switches are data communications devices that operate principally at Layer 2 of the OSI reference model. As such, they are widely referred to as data link layer devices.
Several kinds of bridging techniques have proven important as internetworking devices. Transparent bridging is found primarily in Ethernet environments, while source-route bridging occurs primarily in Token Ring environments. Translational bridging provides translation between the formats and transit principles of different media types (usually Ethernet and Token Ring). Finally, source-route transparent bridging combines the algorithms of transparent bridging and source-route bridging to enable communication in mixed Ethernet/Token Ring environments.
Today, switching technology has emerged as the evolutionary heir to bridging-based internetworking solutions. Switching implementations now dominate applications in which bridging technologies were implemented in prior network designs. Superior throughput performance, higher port density, lower per-port cost, and greater flexibility have contributed to the emergence of switches as replacement technology for bridges and as complements to routing technology....
