Week 6 - Name Mapping and Ports

     This week, we reviewed network ports and name resolution. This was an interesting week that gave us a closer look at how the network uses names and translates them to IP addresses and MAC addresses. 
    DNS helps computers translate a name into an IP address. Without DNS, we would have to remember all the website IP addresses. One could use a local text file to aid name mapping, but this is not common practice for large networks like the World Wide Web.
    Within a local network, computers use the Address Resolution Protocol (ARP). ARP translates an IP address into a MAC address. 
    Both DNS and ARP use a layered approach with rules of precedence to handle most cases of network topology and information sent through the network.
    Combine the previously mentioned methods with an open port, and one can begin to understand the process of network communication from the web to your local network. Sometimes, it is necessary to set a rule in a computer's firewall to allow communication to flow successfully.
    I urge all readers to advance their networking knowledge; by doing so, you will be able to troubleshoot common network issues.