Networking
8 topics in networking.
OSI Model
The OSI model helps you understand where different technologies operate (TCP at Layer 4, HTTP at Layer 7, load balancers at Layer 4 or 7).
IP Addresses
Understanding IP addressing is essential for designing networked systems — configuring load balancers, VPCs, subnets, and security groups all require IP.
Domain Name System (DNS)
DNS is the first step of every web request. It affects latency, reliability, and can be used for load balancing (DNS-based routing).
Proxy vs Reverse Proxy
Reverse proxies are used in virtually every production system. They handle TLS termination, load balancing, caching, rate limiting, and DDoS protection.
HTTP and HTTPS
Every web API uses HTTP. Understanding HTTP methods, status codes, headers, and connection management is essential for API design.
TCP vs UDP
Choosing between TCP and UDP affects your system's performance and reliability. Real-time systems (video calls, gaming) cannot afford TCP's overhead.
Load Balancing
Load balancing is used in virtually every production system. It is one of the first things you add when scaling beyond a single server.
Checksums
Checksums protect data integrity in distributed systems. When transferring files across networks, replicating databases, or storing data on disk, you need.