What DHCP does DHCP, the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol, is the system that hands out network settings automatically. Every device on a network needs a few things to function: its own IP address, so other devices can find it; the address of the router that leads out to the internet; and the address of a DNS … Read more
What SNMP actually does SNMP, the Simple Network Management Protocol, is the shared language that lets one system keep tabs on all the others. Almost everything on a modern network speaks it: switches, routers, servers, printers, even the battery backup humming away under a desk. The idea is refreshingly simple. Each device runs a small program … Read more
First, what a trunk is To see why DTP matters, you need the idea of a trunk, and for that you need VLANs. A VLAN, or virtual LAN, is a way of slicing one physical network into several logical ones. The guest wifi, the staff computers, the card terminals and the security cameras can all … Read more
The switch: the office’s internal post room A switch connects the devices inside your network to each other. The computers, printers, phones, servers and wifi access points all plug into it, and its job is to move data between them quickly and only to the right place. When your laptop sends a document to the printer down … Read more
