How to Run a (Network) Postal Service

How to Run a (Network) Postal Service

The postal service provides the public with a wonderful service. You put a letter into the mailbox, and it magically appears at the right addressmost of the time, at least. The IP protocol defines a similar service for networks. By sending an IP packet into the network, with a correct destination address, the networking devices should collectively be able to forward the packet to the right destination.

This section takes you a little deeper into IP addressing. To understand these concepts, I'll sprinkle in a few comments about routing. Why? Well, IP addresses work like they do in part to help routing work well. Chapter 11 covers more details about the routing process.