TOPIC NETWORKING
TCP/IP the foundation all internet communication rides on
IN 10 SECONDS
Data is split into packets, each tagged with source and destination IP and port. TCP guarantees delivery by numbering packets and retransmitting lost ones. IP handles routing — hopping across routers until the destination network is reached.
GOTCHA Packet loss at 1% can halve TCP throughput due to congestion windows collapsing. `iperf3` is your friend for measuring real throughput.
HOW A PACKET TRAVELS
01 Sender breaks data into segments, assigns sequence numbers, and sends them to the local gateway.
02 Routers examine the destination IP, consult routing tables, and forward each packet hop by hop.
03 Receiver reassembles segments in order and sends ACKs back. Lost packets trigger automatic retransmission.
04 Sender adjusts send rate based on congestion signals (TCP slow start / congestion avoidance).
POKE IT YOURSELF
ping -c 5 supraj.dev — check latency and packet loss
traceroute supraj.dev — see every hop packets take
Drill this topic →
~70 sec read