This week I started my TryHackMe Pre-Security path, and I’m completely hooked. What started as curiosity about cybersecurity has turned into a full-on grind to complete each room successfully.
Every challenge feels like leveling up in a game, and today’s quest, “What is Networking” was such a fun introduction to how devices communicate across the Internet.
I wrapped up the room feeling like I just unlocked the first big piece of the puzzle, and honestly, I’m obsessed.
Room: What is Networking?
Path: Pre-Security
Goal: Explore how computers, routers, and other devices communicate to form the networks we use every day.
Networking keeps the digital world alive. Every message, stream, and file is just data moving between devices using shared rules (protocols).
Alice links Bob, Jim, Zayn and Toby — she becomes the connector/translator.
The Internet = billions of small networks connected so data can move worldwide.
| Human | Device |
|---|---|
| Name | IP address (network-assigned digital identifier) |
| Fingerprint | MAC address (physical hardware ID) |
IP → network-assigned identifier that helps route data between devices.
MAC → physical identifier tied to the device’s network interface card (NIC).
Note: MAC addresses can be spoofed, so MAC filtering alone is not a secure control.
| Version | Quick |
|---|---|
| IPv4 | ~4.3 billion addresses — running low |
| IPv6 | 340 trillion+ addresses — future-proof |
Ping is one of the most fundamental network tools available to us.
It uses ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol) packets to measure how reliable a connection is between two devices.
The time taken for packets to travel is measured through ICMP’s echo and echo reply messages.
You can ping local devices or websites. It’s built into Linux, macOS, and Windows.
Syntax:
ping IP-address-or-website-URL
• 1960s → ARPANET (first computer network)
• 1989 → World Wide Web (Tim Berners-Lee)
• Today → Billions of networks linked into the Internet
Understanding how devices identify and connect is the foundation of cybersecurity.