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Kozosvyst Stas (StasX)
Kozosvyst Stas (StasX)

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Networking Basics: IP, TPS, and Beyond 🌐

#devops #webdev

In this lesson, we’ll dive into IP addresses, TPS (Transactions Per Second), and other essential networking concepts. This is great for devs who want to understand how the internet and distributed systems work.

1. IP Addresses

IP (Internet Protocol) addresses identify devices on a network. There are two main types:

  • IPv4: e.g., 192.168.0.1

    • 32-bit address
    • About 4.3 billion addresses

  • IPv6: e.g., 2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334

    • 128-bit address
    • Practically unlimited addresses

Key points:

  • Each device needs a unique IP on the same network.
  • IPs can be static (fixed) or dynamic (assigned by DHCP).
  • Public vs Private IPs: private are used inside local networks.

2. TPS (Transactions Per Second)

TPS measures how many operations a system can handle per second. It’s commonly used in:

  • Blockchains – number of confirmed transactions per second.
  • Databases – number of queries or updates per second.
  • Network systems – requests your server can handle per second.

Why it matters:

  • Helps measure performance.
  • Guides scalability decisions.
  • Reveals bottlenecks.

3. Ports and Protocols

  • Ports let multiple services run on a single IP.

    Example:

    • HTTP → port 80
    • HTTPS → port 443
    • SSH → port 22

  • Protocols define communication rules:

    • TCP → reliable, connection-oriented
    • UDP → faster, connectionless

4. Routing and DNS

  • Routing: How data finds its way from your device to another. Routers forward packets based on IPs.
  • DNS (Domain Name System): Converts human-readable domain names to IP addresses. Example: dev.to → 104.18.8.92

5. Practical Tip for Developers

  1. Use ping and traceroute to check connectivity and latency.
  2. Monitor TPS on your services using tools like Prometheus or Grafana.
  3. Understand your network setup — public IP vs private IP, NAT, and firewalls.

6. Summary

  • IP: identifies devices
  • TPS: measures system throughput
  • Ports & Protocols: manage and structure network traffic
  • Routing & DNS: help data reach the right place

💡 Pro tip: Networking knowledge is essential for optimizing apps, scaling services, and even working with blockchain or cloud systems.

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