Chapter 1. Planning, Implementing, and Troubleshooting a TCP/IP Network Infrastructure

Your network is the road by which your data travels from point to point. Quite simply, if your network is flawed or is not functioning properly, your day will be unhappy, at best. At worst, your network services will not function, and if the network is down, most applications and services you are trying to deliver will not be deliverable. Good network designs do not just happen, nor are they necessarily hard to implement. A thorough knowledge of the mechanics of Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), Internet Protocol (IP) routing, IP subnetting, and Internet connectivity goes a long way toward creating and maintaining a network that not only works, but also can evolve and grow as business and user needs change and/or become more complex.