Chapter 2
Names, Addresses andName Resolution
Why do Computers Need Names?
Before computers on a network can communicate with each other they need to be able to identify and recognise other computers. This is achieved by giving each individual computer a name. In this context our definition of a network is two or more computers linked by a cable (or cables) which share data and communicate with each other.
The simple reason for the use of names is that at the lowest level the method by which computers communicate is pretty tedious for humans to remember. What is this method? On almost all networked computer systems the network card (the piece of equipment that prepares the data and messages for transmission across the cables) is identified by ...
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