Mary's NET11 Blog

I've decided that the topic from Module 1 that I'll cover in my assignment will be the Domain Name System (DNS).

I feel that the Domain Name System has an important role in making World Wide Web so user-friendly, compared to say, having to remember and type in IP addresses, some of which would be constantly changing.

I've found around 10 sites already relating to this topic in various ways, some are articles explaining exactly what DNS is, while one site offers tools such as looking up contact information for a domain/IP address.

- Mary

Labels: Assignment 1, Module 1

Today I'm going to search for some resources that are relevant to Module 1.

Some important things to consider are -

• Finding a range of perspectives on the topic.


• Checking the accuracy and source of the information I find.


• Assessing whether this information would be useful to others.

Should be fun!

- Mary

Labels: Assignment 1, Module 1

Every Saturday I'll give my weekly reflections on my study of NET11.



After reading the recommended links 'The Basic Process' and 'The Internet' on HowStuffWorks.com I couldn't help but compare some of the Internet protocols to my part-time work as a waitress at a restaurant. I'll draw a little cartoon to explain.



A waitress acts like our web browser.

So the waitress is the web browser, being the 'middle-man' for the customer, and from the customers point of view, that is all they want, 2 simple steps -

1) order the food (type in the URL)

2) receive the food (view the web page)

However once the waitress or browser has the order/page request, the part of the process that the customer doesn't see happens.

• The waitress assigns table number and order to customer (The URL is sent to a name server to turn the basic name into an IP address.)

• Once the table number and order are assigned, the order can be put through to the kitchen. (The browser connects to the server at that IP address.)

• The kitchen receives the order, and starts cooking the requested food on the order. (The browser follows the HTTP protocol to send a GET request to the server, asking for the specific file.)

• The kitchen sends the food out, ready to serve. (The server sends the HTML text for the web page to the browser.)

• Waitress checks for table number and delivers food to the table. (The browser reads the HTML tags and shows the page on your screen.) ¹
  

- Mary

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Reference List

In the above bulleted list, the Internet information is referenced from -
1 Brain, M. Behind the Scenes: How Web Servers Work, Retrieved March 3, 2007, from the How Stuff Works Websitehttp://computer.howstuffworks.com/web-server2.htm

Labels: Module 1, Reflections

Yesterday I tried unsuccessfully to ping the webct.curtin.edu site from Net Tools.com, so I though I would try again today. Unfortunately it is still timing out.

I read through the first 5 chapters of 'The Complete Reference: Internet (2nd edition)' by M. Levine-Young today. It's really helpful to read about what I'm studying from several different sources as they all have a slightly different way of presenting the information! :)

I also did the self test for this module in my webct account, and did have the 3 correct answers

1) - Managed Care: financial, legal and ethical issues.

2) - capitalization.

3) - 134.7.34.101

Labels: Module 1

My task today was to find a traceroute tool online, and find out:

• How many 'hops' are there?


• What is the average time in milliseconds from the tools site to the curtin server?


• Find out the IP number of the hostname curtin.edu.au
  

First I tried the traceroute tool on Central Ops.net and got the following results.





Hops: 18, from theplanet.com [70.84.211.98] to curtin.edu.au [134.7.179.10 ]

Average Time: 246 ms



Next was the traceroute tool on Network Tools.com.





Hops: 16, from ev1servers.net [66.98.241.1] to curtin.edu.au [134.7.179.10]

Average Time: 248 ms

Then I tried a visual traceroute tool from VisualRoute.

Hops: 14, from defenderhosting.com[205.234.111.129] to curtin.edu.au [134.7.179.10]

Average Time: 243 ms



Finally I used the traceroute tool from Software Technology Park of India.





Hops: 18, from white_dwarf.cbbtier3.att.net [12.0.1.1] to curtin.edu.au [134.7.179.10]

Average Time: 292 ms


I found it interesting to note that all 4 traceroute tests went through aarnet.net.au (Sydney, then Melbourne, Adelaide and finally Perth) I'm guessing this was the case as the quickest way to get to Curtin was indeed through the AARNET (Australian's Research and Education Network) routers.

Next I tried traceroute from my own computer to curtin.edu.au

Hops: 15, from my IP address, to curtin.edu.au [134.7.179.10]

Average Time: 58 ms

What I found surprising was that although I live around 200km from Perth where Curtin is situated, it still took 1 more hop than tracing than from VisualRoute, which is based in the USA. However the average time is significantly faster than for any of the other traceroute tests I performed.

I think using traceroute tools would be a great way to pinpoint where a connection problem exists (be it your ISP, the Internet or the website) if you are unable to access a website.

My next task -

• Ping the webct site and compare the time with the time taken to ping from the net tools site. Is it less or more than you expected?

Well I pinged the webct.curtin.edu.au site from my computer and got the following results -

5 pings, all 1049586 ms.

I tried pinging the webct.curtin.edu.au site from Net Tools.com, but all I got was 10 timeouts...

- Mary

References

Hexillion Technologies. (2004). Free online network utilities. Retrieved March 1, 2007, from http://centralops.net/asp/co/Traceroute.vbs.asp

Software Technology Parks of India, U.P. (n.d.). NOC tools. Retrieved March 1, 2007, from http://lucknow.stpi.in/tools/trace.pl

The Keyword Factory LLC. (2007). Network-Tools.com. Retrieved March 1, 2007, from http://network-tools.com/

Visualware Inc. (2007). VisualRoute. Retrieved March 1, 2007, from http://visualroute.visualware.com/

Labels: Module 1

I downloaded the FTP program WS_FTP from Ipswitch on a 30-day trial.

This task was super-easy for me as back when I was 12 and 13yrs old I always used to use a (much older) version of WS_FTP. I found the readme.txt file on recall.curtin.edu.au and also found the answer to the question.

I've also been attempting to keep on top of all that is going on in the discussion boards for NET11 - so far I've read everything posted. I haven't said much myself though, as online I've tended to be a 'reader' rather than a 'commenter'. When I do have something useful to add or can be of any help to anyone however, I will post. :)

Also, I found a lovely template for this blog thanks to Blogger Templates.org and I am using this template through the Creative Commons Licence.

- Mary

Labels: Module 1

Today my Internet WAS working fine (yay!) it really does makes such a difference being able to start studying at around 8.30am in the morning.


As I am studying both NET11 and NED11 this study period, my first priority today was to download and find some type of weekly planner and write down my goals for the week study-wise, and then block the different reading and tasks for each unit onto the plan. I found a fairly simple but very usable planning sheet at Time Thoughts. I'll use that until I buy myself a very essential item - a diary!


I completed all the reading for Module 1, and I thought the links through to the HowStuffWorks articles were fantastic - I got totally submerged in the subject and read up on several of the recommended reading links provided in the articles.

After all that reading, it was time for the first task in Module 1 - Using Telnet.



Step 1 - Logging into the Deakin library database computer.



Step 2 - Decide on what I want to do.

Step 3 - Searching by Author name.

Step 4 - Print to email.

Everything I learnt today was highly enjoyable! :) time for some NED11 studies now.

- Mary

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References

Deakin University (2007). Deakin University library database. Retrieved February 27, 2007, from http://library.deakin.edu.au/

Labels: Module 1