Networking is one of those topics that sits underneath almost everything in IT, but it’s surprisingly easy to overlook when you’re first getting started.
Whether you’re deploying applications in AWS, managing Linux servers or working in DevOps, everything eventually comes back to devices communicating with one another. Until recently, I understood terms like router, switch and IP address individually, but I didn’t have a clear picture of how they all fit together.
This week, I worked through the Networks and Communications section of KodeKloud to build that foundation. Rather than memorising definitions, my goal was to understand how data actually moves from one device to another and what happens when something goes wrong.
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The Problem
As someone transitioning into Cloud and DevOps, I knew networking would become unavoidable.
Cloud infrastructure relies heavily on networking concepts. Virtual networks, subnets, security groups, DNS, load balancers and Kubernetes networking all build upon the same core principles.
Before diving deeper into cloud technologies, I wanted to understand:
- What actually makes up a network?
- How do devices know where to send information?
- What role does each piece of networking hardware perform?
- How is data transported reliably?
- How should networking problems be diagnosed?
Answering these questions would give me a much stronger foundation for future topics.
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My Approach
Rather than jumping straight into advanced networking, I started with the fundamentals and built upwards.
I covered the material in the following order:
- Networking Fundamentals
- How the Internet Works
- Network Hardware
- Common Networking Protocols
- Network Troubleshooting
Each section naturally built upon the previous one.
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Networking Fundamentals
The first lesson completely changed how I think about networks.
At their simplest, networks are just groups of devices that exchange information and resources.
That communication doesn’t even require internet access.
Different network types simply describe their size.
PAN (Personal Area Network)
A PAN connects personal devices over a very short distance.
Examples include:
- Phone
- Smartwatch
- Tablet
- Wireless earbuds
Bluetooth is a common PAN technology.
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LAN (Local Area Network)
A LAN connects devices within one physical location.
Examples include:
- Home network
- Office
- School
- Small business
If the LAN uses Wi-Fi instead of cables, it’s called a WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network).
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WAN (Wide Area Network)
WANs connect devices across much larger geographical areas.
Examples include:
- Different cities
- Countries
- Continents
The Internet itself is the world’s largest WAN.
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Peer-to-Peer vs Client-Server
I also learned there are different ways devices communicate.
Peer-to-Peer
Every device communicates directly with the others.
Advantages:
- Simple
- Easy to configure
- Good for small file sharing
Disadvantages:
- Doesn’t scale well
- Harder to manage
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Client-Server
Instead of devices talking directly, everything communicates through a central server.
Benefits include:
- Better scalability
- Central management
- Easier security
- Better reliability
This architecture is used almost everywhere in modern computing.
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Understanding the Internet
One misconception I previously had was believing IP addresses uniquely identify every device.
That’s only part of the story.
I learned there are two important addresses involved.
MAC Address
A MAC address identifies the physical network interface on a local network.
Think of it as the device’s hardware identity.
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IP Address
An IP address identifies where information should be delivered across networks.
Routers use IP addresses to determine where packets should travel.
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Packets
Another interesting concept was packet switching.
Instead of sending one enormous file across the network, data is broken into many small packets.
Each packet can:
- Travel independently
- Take different routes
- Be retransmitted if lost
This makes communication much more reliable and allows many devices to share the same network simultaneously.
Routers forward packets one hop at a time until they eventually reach their destination.
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Network Hardware
One of the biggest improvements this week was finally understanding what each networking device actually does.
Modem
The modem connects your home network to your Internet Service Provider (ISP).
Without it, there is no internet connection.
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Router
The router acts as the traffic manager.
It:
- Connects different networks
- Assigns IP addresses using DHCP
- Routes traffic between your devices and the internet
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Switch
A switch expands the number of wired devices that can connect to a network.
Unlike a hub, switches intelligently send traffic only where it’s needed.
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Wireless Access Point (WAP)
A WAP extends wireless coverage.
Large offices often have many WAPs working together to provide seamless Wi-Fi throughout a building.
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Network Topologies
I also learned that network performance isn’t determined only by hardware.
The layout of the network matters too.
Some common topologies include:
Star
Every device connects to one central switch.
Advantages:
- Easy troubleshooting
- Fault isolation
- Most common today
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Mesh
Devices have multiple paths between one another.
Benefits:
- High redundancy
- Excellent resilience
Often used where uptime is critical.
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Bus
All devices share one communication cable.
While historically important, it’s largely obsolete because a single cable failure can disrupt the whole network.
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Protocols
Protocols are simply agreed rules that allow devices to communicate.
The TCP/IP model explains how information moves between computers.
Data travels through several layers during transmission.
This process is called encapsulation.
When the receiving device processes the information, those layers are removed in reverse order through decapsulation.
I also covered several common protocols:
- DHCP automatically assigns private IP addresses.
- HTTPS encrypts communication between browsers and websites.
- SMTP is responsible for sending email.
- UDP prioritises speed over guaranteed delivery.
- Port numbers ensure traffic reaches the correct application.
Seeing how each protocol solves a specific problem made networking feel much less abstract.
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Network Troubleshooting
The troubleshooting section was probably my favourite.
Rather than immediately assuming complicated failures, I learned the value of following a logical process.
A typical workflow might look like this:
- Check physical cables and hardware.
- Confirm the router is powered on.
- Verify IP configuration.
- Ping the local router.
- Ping 8.8.8.8 to test internet connectivity.
- Verify DNS settings.
- Use traceroute to identify where packets stop travelling.
- Ensure DHCP is assigning addresses correctly.
Breaking troubleshooting into small, logical steps makes problems much easier to isolate.
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Key Lessons
- Networks don’t require internet to function.
- Every networking device has a specific responsibility.
- Data travels as packets rather than one continuous stream.
- TCP/IP provides the framework that makes communication possible.
- Effective troubleshooting starts with the simplest checks before investigating more complex causes.
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What I’d Do Differently
Looking back, I probably spent too much time memorising networking terminology in the past instead of understanding the concepts behind it.
This time I focused on asking why each technology exists and what problem it solves. That made everything much easier to connect together, especially once I reached the troubleshooting section.
As I continue learning, I also want to spend more time practising these concepts in a lab environment rather than only reading about them. Building and troubleshooting small networks myself will help reinforce what I’ve learned.
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Next Steps
Networking is one of the core foundations of Cloud and DevOps, so this is only the beginning.
Next, I’ll continue building on these fundamentals while moving further into networking concepts before applying them to cloud infrastructure, where understanding how systems communicate becomes even more important.
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