Why does Ethernet provide a broadcast address? (Think about the numerous \"disco

Question

Why does Ethernet provide a broadcast address? (Think about the numerous "discovery" protocols we discussed in class, such as: DHCP and ARP. Why is a broadcast address essential their operation?) Why is it important to consider hierarchy in network architecture? (To focus your thinking, imagine what the Internet would be like if there were no hierarchy in IP. Also, think about the literal meaning of the work: Internet. Think of analogies like Inter state highway system. Or, Inter national relationships, etc.)

Explanation / Answer

A broadcast address is an IP address that is used to target all systems on a specific subnet network instead of single hosts.

In other words broadcast address allows information to be sent to all machines on a given subnet rather than to a specific machine.

The broadcast address of any IP address can be calculated by taking the bit compliment of the subnet mask, sometimes referred to as the reverse mask and then applying it with a bitwise OR calculation to the IP address in question.

Example:

If the IP address is 192.168.12.220 and subnet mask as 255.255.255.128 then broadcast address can be deduced in following manner.

IP Address:               11000000.10101000.00001100.11011100

Reverse Mask:          00000000.00000000.00000000.01111111

Bitwise OR                 ----------------------------------------------------------

Broadcast Address: 11000000.10101000.00001100.11111111

A network architecture is a blueprint of the complete computer communication network, which provides a framework and technology foundation for designing, building and managing a communication network. It typically has a layered structure. Layering is a modern network design principle which divides the communication tasks into a number of smaller parts, each part accomplishing a particular sub-task and interacting with the other parts in a small number of well-defined ways. Layering allows the parts of a communication to be designed and tested without a combinatorial explosion of cases, keeping each design relatively simple.

If a network architecture diagram is open, no single vendor owns the technology and controls its definition and development. Anyone is free to design hardware and software based on the network architecture. The TCP/IP network architecture, which the Internet is based on, is such an open network architecture and it is adopted as a worldwide network standard and widely deployed in local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), small and large enterprises, and last but not least, the Internet.

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