Open Source Services And Networking

  Linux supports many different networking protocols such as:

1. TCP/IP
2. UDP/IP
3. IPX/SPX
4. Appletalk
5. DLC
6. DECnet

TCP/IP 

• It is focused more on delivering interconnectivity than on rigidly adhering to fuctional layers.
• TCP established a continuous open connection between a client and a server, over which bytes may be written in correct order in guaranteed the life of the connection.
• However, bytes that written on TCP have no built in structure, so higher level protocols are required.

 UDP/IP

•  Datagram Protocol
• Does not required any connection to be established between client and server.
• Provides no guarantee that packets will arrive in order or even at all.

IPX/SPX

• Internet Packet Exchange/ Sequenced Packet Exchange
• A proprietary protocol stack developed by Novell and based on Xerox Network Systems protocol.
• Allows to be configured as: IPX router, IPX brige, NCP client or server, Novell Print Client, Novell Print Server.

APPLETALK

• Apple's internetworking stack.
• Allows peer to peer network model.
• Provide basic functionality such as file and printer sharing.
• Each machine simultaneously act as a client and a server, and the software and harwade necessary are include with every Apple computer.

DLC

• Data Link Control operates at the data link layer
• Designed for communication between Hewlett Packard network printers and IBM mainframe computers on a Decnet network.

DECnet

• A group of data-communication products, including protocol suite, developed and supported by Digital Equipment Corporation.
• First DECnet, released in 1975, allowed two directly attached PDP-11 minicomputers to communicate.
• Digital has included support for nonproprietary protocols, but DECnet remains the most important of Digital's network product offerings.

Network Command

• ifconfig - Configure network interface
• dhclient - Used by the dhcp client to set each interface initial configuration to request an address, test the address and set the interface final configuration.
• ping - Computer network administration utility used to test internet connectivity.