Fundamentals of Communications and Networking, 3rd Edition

IP Communications

The Internet Protocol is a fundamental part of the Internet’s success. It has also become the most popular Layer 3 protocol for general communication within LANs. Using the same protocol for LAN and WAN communication makes it possible to expand how we use networks. IP-based networks can carry messages of any type, from email to streaming media. Each type of traffic has its own requirements and provides its own challenges to the network. As more and more applications use IP-based networks to communicate, they use more and more of the available capacity. Newer standards and techniques are necessary to ensure networks are as efficient as possible.

Recall that Layer 3 protocols, including IP, route packets across networks. When ...