Basics of networking

In computer networks, in order to facilitate the description and control of the various stages of communication and for standardisation, a layered model is used so that hardware and software from different manufacturers are compatible with each other. Communication on a network is carried out using rules known as the adoption of communication protocols. The process of network communication involves passing data down the stack on a source device, encoding it into bits and sending it to a destination device, where the data is passed on and interpreted at the destination device. At each layer, the data comes with control information, port numbers and logical and physical addresses, which are then encoded and sent to the recipient. The process of flowing data down the stack and transferring control information and addresses is called encapsulation, while at the end devices, as data travels up the stack, this process is called decapsulation.