172 tools and guides in Network. Pick one and use it right away.
A practical walkthrough for using WHOIS to look up domain registration information, covering how to run a lookup, how to read the results, what privacy redaction means, and what to watch out for.
Network →What an SSL/TLS certificate actually contains, how the chain of trust to a certificate authority works, what DV, OV, and EV validation levels really mean, and how to check a certificate in your browser.
Network →How to configure a second internet connection that automatically takes over when your primary line goes down, using a dual-WAN router and a backup connection like a cellular hotspot.
Network →How passkeys — which let you log in with a fingerprint or face scan instead of a password — work, and why they're considered more secure than traditional passwords.
Network →How to check the password of the Wi-Fi network you're currently connected to on iPhone, Android, and Windows.
Network →From the standard 1500-byte Ethernet MTU to the 1492-byte PPPoE reduction, packet fragmentation symptoms like sites that won't load, and how to confirm your real MTU with a ping test.
Network →From installing the VPN client your company issued through entering your connection details, completing extra authentication, and connecting to the internal network — how to get remote-work VPN access up and running.
Network →A field guide to the six DNS record types you run into most often when registering a domain or setting up email and subdomains — what each one does and how it is used.
Network →From router distance and connected devices to choosing between 2.4GHz and 5GHz and running a speed test, here is how to track down and fix a slow Wi-Fi connection.
Network →From Cat5e to Cat6, Cat6a, and Cat7 — compare maximum speed, bandwidth, cable length, and connector differences across Ethernet cable categories to find the right one for your home or office.
Network →What Open, Moderate, and Strict NAT type mean on PS5 and Xbox, why matchmaking or voice chat fails, how to check for double NAT, and how to fix it with UPnP or port forwarding.
Network →How TTL and ICMP Time Exceeded messages work, how to run tracert on Windows and traceroute on Mac and Linux, how to read the results, and what the asterisks (*) along the way actually mean.
Network →What a proxy server is, the difference between forward and reverse proxies, what proxies are actually used for, the key difference from a VPN, and the security risks of free proxies.
Network →What a VLAN is, how 802.1Q tagging works, why networks get segmented, how VLANs are used at home to isolate IoT and guest devices, and what hardware you actually need.
Network →When you actually need a static IP, how to check your current network settings, how to pick an address outside your DHCP range, and how to configure a static IP on Windows and Mac.
Network →What a DMZ host is, how it differs from port forwarding, when a DMZ is actually needed, how to set one up, and the security risks and precautions involved.
Network →How the login screen that appears when you join café or airport Wi-Fi actually works, the DNS redirect and blocking mechanism, why it pops up automatically, and the security risks that remain even after you log in.
Network →How ARP translates IP addresses into MAC addresses, how to check your ARP table, and how the ARP spoofing (cache poisoning) attack works, along with practical precautions.
Network →A plain breakdown of bandwidth, latency, and throughput — the three internet speed terms people mix up most — with everyday examples for each.
Network →How VoIP turns voice into internet data, plus codecs, the SIP and RTP protocols, and the jitter and packet-loss issues that affect call quality.
Network →From the three-way handshake and reliability guarantees to header overhead, real-world use in web browsing, DNS, streaming, and gaming, and QUIC — how TCP and UDP differ.
Network →From the four-step DORA process that hands out IP addresses automatically, to lease time, scopes, DHCP reservations, DHCP relay, and DHCPv6 — the basics of DHCP.
Network →From the principle that ISPs must treat all data equally, to the network usage fee debate, arguments for and against, and how regulation differs by country — net neutrality explained.
Network →A comparison of DSL, cable internet, fiber (FTTH), satellite internet, and 5G home internet — how each works and how they differ in speed and reliability.
Network →A breakdown of the classic NAT classification — Full Cone, Restricted Cone, Port Restricted Cone, and Symmetric — and how each type affects connection success for video calls, VoIP, and peer-to-peer gaming.
Network →From the privacy problem with unencrypted DNS to how DoH and DoT work, the difference between them, their trade-offs, and how to turn them on in your browser or on Android.
Network →A complete guide to the three private IP ranges defined in RFC 1918 — 10.0.0.0/8, 172.16.0.0/12, and 192.168.0.0/16 — plus loopback, link-local, and CGNAT shared address space.
Network →An introduction to the Zero Trust security model — the 'never trust, always verify' principle, least-privilege access, microsegmentation, and how it differs from traditional perimeter security.
Network →A step-by-step guide to port forwarding — how it works, finding your device's internal IP, configuring the rule on your router, common use cases, and the security precautions to take.
Network →How Wi-Fi Calling (VoWiFi) lets you make and receive regular phone calls over a Wi-Fi network instead of cellular signal, how it technically works, and the emergency-location caveats to know.
Network →How satellite internet works, the difference between geostationary (GEO) and low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite internet, its advantages and drawbacks, and who it makes the most sense for.
Network →A network setup guide for viewing a home IP camera or CCTV remotely — comparing manufacturer P2P/cloud apps, direct port forwarding, and VPN access, plus DDNS, ONVIF, and basic security precautions.
Network →A step-by-step way to figure out whether a site that won't load is a wider outage or a problem on your end — from checking on another device or network to outage-tracking sites, status pages, and ping/traceroute diagnostics.
Network →A complete look at the Tor anonymity network — onion routing, the guard/middle/exit relay structure, .onion hidden services, who uses it and why, and its real speed and security trade-offs.
Network →How the WebSocket protocol enables persistent, two-way real-time communication between browser and server, the polling problem it solves, the handshake process, ws vs wss, and real-world use cases.
Network →A practical walkthrough for mapping a NAS or shared folder as a drive on Windows or Mac, covering requirements, the exact steps for each OS, auto-reconnect, and troubleshooting.
Network →How NTP quietly keeps device clocks in sync — the stratum hierarchy, how it corrects for delay and drift, why accurate time actually matters, and the amplification-attack risk tied to misconfigured servers.
Network →Why smart home devices use so many different wireless protocols, how Wi-Fi, Zigbee, Z-Wave, and Thread compare, and how the Matter standard is bringing them together.
Network →What a network interface card actually does, wired vs. wireless NICs, onboard vs. expansion cards, how a NIC relates to a MAC address, the role of drivers, and what the link-speed LED tells you.
Network →How 5G network slicing splits one physical network into multiple virtual networks tuned for different needs, the three core 5G performance profiles behind it, and real-world use cases from autonomous vehicles to smart cities.
Network →How to turn off SSID broadcasting on your router, connect new devices manually afterward, and an honest look at how much security a hidden network name really adds.
Network →How NAT lets a single home router share one public IP address across many devices, how PAT/NAPT actually works, the NAT translation table, static vs. dynamic NAT, and why NAT is not a substitute for a real firewall.
Network →How devices can be physically or logically wired together -- star, bus, ring, mesh, and tree/hybrid topologies -- and why almost every home and office network today is built as a star.
Network →Why some rooms get fast Wi-Fi and others don't -- how the 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz bands trade off speed, range, and interference, plus how to pick the right one and understand dual-band and tri-band routers.
Network →What the dBm number in your Wi-Fi settings actually means, a scale for reading it, how it relates to RSSI and antenna gain (dBi), and how to check your own signal strength.
Network →Global unicast, link-local (fe80::), unique local (fc00::), multicast (ff00::), and the special loopback and unspecified addresses -- what each IPv6 address type is for and why one device normally has several at once.
Network →What a modem does versus what a router does, combined all-in-one gateways, fiber ONTs, the right reboot order, and why home internet needs both devices.
Network →How SSH encrypts remote server access, why it replaced Telnet, password vs. public-key authentication, what else SSH can do (SCP/SFTP, port forwarding, Git), and key-management habits worth building.
Network →What packet capture actually does, how to install Wireshark, capture and display filters, reading common traffic patterns, and the legal and ethical line you should never cross.
Network →A step-by-step sequence using ipconfig/ifconfig, ping, tracert/traceroute, nslookup, and netstat to narrow down exactly where an internet connection problem is coming from.
Network →A visual guide to the most common network connectors -- RJ45 for ethernet, RJ11 for phone lines, BNC and F connectors for coax, and SC/LC for fiber -- and how to tell them apart at a glance.
Network →A step-by-step explanation of what a network socket actually is, how it differs from a port number, and how socket pairs let one server handle thousands of simultaneous connections.
Network →From a Bluetooth earbud's PAN to your home Wi-Fi's LAN, a citywide MAN, and the internet-spanning WAN -- a size-based comparison of the main network types.
Network →Why connecting two switches with a redundant cable can create a network loop, what a broadcast storm is, and how the Spanning Tree Protocol (and its faster successor, RSTP) prevents both.
Network →How the client-server model, where a central server handles requests, differs from peer-to-peer (P2P) networking, where participants exchange data directly -- with the pros, cons, and typical use cases of each.
Network →How SNMP lets administrators monitor routers, switches, and other network gear from one central console -- covering the manager-agent model, MIBs and OIDs, community strings, SNMPv3 security, and traps.
Network →Plug-and-play unmanaged switches versus configurable managed switches with VLANs, port mirroring, QoS, and link aggregation -- and how to pick the right one.
Network →Using WireGuard, DDNS, and port forwarding to build a personal VPN server on your home router, so you can securely reach your home network from anywhere -- plus the security precautions to take.
Network →Autonomous systems, route advertisement, peering versus transit, BGP hijacking, and RPKI verification -- the core routing protocol that connects the entire internet.
Network →Label switching fundamentals, the LER/LSR split, the FEC concept, MPLS VPNs and label stacking, traffic engineering, and how MPLS relates to SD-WAN.
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