UNIT 1. Introduction to TCP/IP
Communication: Communication is the process of sharing ideas, information, and messages with others at a specific time and place. It is essential in personal life, business, education, and various other situations.
Evolution of Communication:
→ Primitive Methods: Early societies used drumbeats, fire signals, lantern beacons, carrier pigeons, and semaphore systems (flags or lights) for short-distance communication.
→ Postal Services: The postal system delivers written documents and small packages globally. In India, the postal system was introduced by the East India Company in 1766.
→ Telegraph: The first electronic communication medium, developed in the 1830s-1840s, used Morse code to send messages over long-distance wires.
→ Telephone: Patented by Alexander Graham Bell, the telephone initially aimed to transmit concerts, lectures, and sermons. It became the foundation for modern computer-based systems like the Internet and facsimile transmissions.
→ Computers and Internet: Early computers were used for calculations and encoding/decoding messages. The ARPANET, developed in the 1960s, evolved into the Internet, facilitating data and message exchange globally. LANs and WANs enable communication over smaller and larger areas, respectively.
Why do we Need the Internet?
Different computer networks (e.g., LANs for small areas) are designed for specific purposes and may use different hardware and software, leading to compatibility issues. Internetworking, or the internet, connects these separate networks, allowing seamless communication across different systems. The Internet, using both wired and wireless connections, carries various digital signals, making it a versatile and popular communication tool.
Need of Protocol on Communication.
Protocols in communication are essential for:
→ Standardization- Ensuring consistent and understandable exchange of data.
→ Interoperability- Allowing different systems and devices to work together.
→ Error Handling- Detecting and correcting errors in data transmission.
→ Security- Protecting data from unauthorized access and tampering.
→ Efficiency- Optimizing data transfer speeds and resource usage.
Timeline of Internet
→ 1969: Four-node ARPA established
→ 1972: Internetting Project begins
→ 1973: Development of TCP/IP suite begins
→ 1977: An Internet tested using TCP/IP
→ 1978: UNIX distributed to universities
→ 1983: TCP/IP became the official protocol for ARPANET
Architecture of Internet
A home user dials into the ISP, may be using a twisted pair telephone connection using a modem. The ISP connects to one of the Network Access Providers, which in turn, connects to the high-speed backbone at a Network Access Point. Network Access Point serves the purpose of connecting backbone networks to provide connectivity between end users.