Can anyone tell me where I can find information on 'addressing/routing' which is one of the functions performed by a communication system?
Finding info on the new syllabus is such a pain!
Addressing and routing
Data packets may pass through many different links and paths during transmission. eg your email might be broken into 3 segments - one can go via Paris, the other NY, the other London before reaching the final destination.
Each link will have its own protocol/rules and each data packet is effected by these protocols.
Ethernet switches use the MAC address of the receiver to figure out where to onforward the data packet. Switches have a table (like an index of a book) of all the MAC addresses of devices and nearby networks . Packets are then directed to the exact connection that leads to the receiver.
Routers also figure out the fastest route and work around bad connections.
I show my class Warriors of the Net to help with the visualisation of this
Warriors of the Net