| TCP/IP Networking on Vintage PCs: General Stuff |
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The main protocol used today in networking digital devices is called TCP/IP - or "Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol". There are two versions of it, IPv4, and IPv6. IPv4 is what ALL vintage clients will be using. IPv6 is a much newer protocol we will be covering in the "Modern" section. You WILL need IPv4 enabled on your home LAN to use a vintage client.
How TCP/IP Works Each computer on the network is assigned a series of 4 3-digit numbers (each 3 digit number called an "Octet") that constitute as an "IP Address". This is the # used on the network, to identify the computer you are connecting to, something like a "street address" for the PC. There are two types of IP Address generally used in a home LAN using a vintage computer. A Static IP Address which is a IP address that never changes, and is always assigned to that computer. And a Dynamic IP Address which changes based on a pool of available IP Addresses assigned by a protocol called DHCP - ie Domain Host Control Protocol. And their use-cases are a tad different in the scope of "retrocomputing". In a home Class C INTERNAL network - this is typically 192.168.1.XXX. Static IPs are handy if you want to create a network resource that is constantly available to other clients at the same address. This has an added benefit in that it requires less "services" on the client to resolve an IP Address using DHCP, and instead, can just represent itself at that same IP Address every time it's on the network. However, it can be a potential security risk because that means if any bad actors get ahold of said IP address and know what ports it can communicate through, they can compromise that machine if they really wanted to. Dynamic IPs is what most of our devices use, including MODERN devices. Basically, DHCP protocol "resolves" an IP Address based on a pool of addresses available, and assigns it to the computer. The address is given a "lease time" to tell it when to "refresh" periodically, which may (or may not) result in a change of IP Address.
Hostname - Hostname is an actual, readable name that the PC Presents itself with on the network. IE "MYOLD486" or "CRAPTOP" or "MICKTHEXT" or "JESSICATANDY1K". This was created to make it easier for people to find these computers on networks - so that rather than typing Subnet Mask - This is almost always 255.255.255.0 on class c 192.168.XXX.XXX home LANs. What it is is a way of "subnetting" your devices to make the routing of data much easier (and possibly faster), as well as providing a little more security. It also helps make better use of IPv4 addresses. Thing is, almost nobody leverages this on their home LAN unless they're real network people, so you're safe with 255.255.255.0 for now (until I start exploring Subnet Masks more on this page at least, lol). Default Gateway - Default Gateway typically points to your internet gateway - ie 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.1.254...which is, your internet "modem" - aka "Gateway" as I talk about in the basic hardware pages under networks. A Gateway is a "node" on a network using the "Internet Protocol suite" (the "IP" part of the TCP/IP protocol), that serves as a router to other networks (such as the internet itself) when no route specification matches the destination IP Address of a packet. And yes, I'm looking this up on Wikipedia as I go to make sure I'm being 100% factual and not forgetting anything. This is call "QUALITY", something really lacking on the internet these days IMHO. So basically, your gateway sees an address like 63.233.160.150 - it sees something other than 192.168.1.XXX, and knows to go hunt around the internet for what resolves as GOOGLE.COM. DNS Server(s) - This is aimed more at Corporate networks where your DNS Server is typically a separate server on the network that handles Domain Name Service requests (that's what DNS stands for). Most people just set this to their Router, or don't even set it at all. These, on your home LAN, are going to be the things you will be the most concerned with with a Vintage Machine, and even then, not all of them may apply to you. I've gotten away with setting up Windows For Workgroups Boxes without the Default Gateway or DNS - it can find it on it's own, Mike Brutman's mTCP suite kinda' does the same thing.You actually have TWO IP Addresses if you give your vintage machine Internet Access EVERY computer on a in-home network will be assigned TWO IP Addresses - the Internal IP Address which we have been talking about up until now, usually the class C network 192.168.1.XXX IP Address you see on your home network if you type "ipconfig /all" into a command prompt on say a Windows system, and then there's your PUBLIC FACING IP address. THIS is the address used to identify your computer on the world's largest network - The Internet. Hopefully by now you've noticed the second part of TCP/IP is Internet Protocol. So while your IP Address at home can be reached via 192.168.1.XXX - your IP for the internet is entirely different, and based on location, node, ISP, and other factors. This is on purpose. We really, in the realm of vintage computing, don't need to be so concerned with this, unless we are going to be doing something INTERNET FACING with our vintage computer - which outside the usual retro-activities of Telnet BBS, FTP, Basic Web Browsing, and maybe, if you can get it working, E-mail. I've also used SSH periodically (VNC, hehe). |