Lecture Notes on IP Protocols

Introduction to IP Protocols

• IPv4 and IPv6 are the primary protocols for network communication.
• IP addresses are crucial for communication between devices.

IPv4 (Internet Protocol version 4)

• Structure: Consists of four numbers separated by periods (e.g., 192.168.1.131).
• Binary Representation: 32 total bits, separated into four 8-bit segments (octets).
  • Example: Binary for 192 is 11000000.
  • Maximum value for an octet is 255.
• Limitations: The address space was insufficient with the growth of the internet.

IPv6 (Internet Protocol version 6)

• Introduction: Developed to overcome IPv4 limitations with a larger address space.
• Structure: 128-bit length, divided into eight groups of 16 bits (2 octets per group).
  • Example in hexadecimal: fe80::5d18:652:cffd:8f52.
• Subnet Masking: Commonly uses a 64-bit subnet mask (first 64 bits for network address, last 64 for host).
• Ease of Use: Complex to memorize, thus DNS is crucial for name resolution.

IP Address Assignment

• IP Address: Unique to each device on a network.
  • Example: Assign 192.168.1.165.
• Subnet Mask: Indicates the network part of the address.
  • Example: 255.255.255.0.

Default Gateway

• Purpose: Allows communication outside the local subnet.
  • Example: Default gateway IP is 192.168.1.1.

Domain Name System (DNS)

• Function: Translates domain names (e.g., www.professormesser.com) to IP addresses.
• Configuration: DNS settings are configured in the operating system.
  • Example DNS servers: 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 (Google DNS).
• Redundancy: Multiple DNS servers can be configured for reliability.

Key Points

• Configuration Essentials: IP address, subnet mask, and default gateway are minimum requirements.
• DNS as a Critical Resource: Ensures ease of access through name resolution instead of memorizing IP addresses.