Here is a list of fundamental networking concepts that are important to learn for programming:
- IP Addressing: Understanding IP addresses, both IPv4 and IPv6, and their notation formats.
- Subnetting: Knowledge of subnet masks, subnetting techniques, and calculating network and host ranges.
- Routing: Understanding how routers forward data packets between networks using routing tables and protocols such as RIP, OSPF, and BGP.
- TCP/IP Protocol Suite: Familiarity with the TCP/IP stack, including the Internet Protocol (IP), Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), User Datagram Protocol (UDP), and their roles in data transmission.
- Ports and Sockets: Understanding port numbers, their assigned services, and how to establish communication using sockets in programming.
- DNS (Domain Name System): Knowledge of DNS fundamentals, including resolving domain names to IP addresses and configuring DNS records.
- HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol): Understanding the basics of HTTP, its request-response model, status codes, and common headers.
- Firewalls and NAT: Familiarity with network address translation (NAT) and firewalls, including their role in network security and managing traffic.
- VLANs (Virtual LANs): Knowledge of VLAN concepts, including segmenting networks logically and configuring VLANs on switches.
- DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol): Understanding DHCP and its role in automatically assigning IP addresses and network configurations to devices.
- Network Security: Awareness of common network security principles, including encryption, authentication, access control, and secure communication protocols (e.g., SSL/TLS).
- OSI Model (Open Systems Interconnection): Familiarity with the seven-layer OSI model and how it relates to network communication.
- Network Troubleshooting: Skills to diagnose and troubleshoot network connectivity issues, including using tools like ping, traceroute, and Wireshark.
These concepts provide a strong foundation for understanding networking in programming. As you delve deeper, you can explore more advanced topics like network protocols, VPNs, network optimization, load balancing, and network design principles.