Networking Basics

A super-simple guide for a maths grad working in forex trading

Networking basics Network Monitoring & Troubleshooting Guide Troubleshooting a Unix System Guide Networking OSI Model - Simple

1) What is Networking?

Networking is how computers connect to share information. Without networks, your trading platform wouldn’t show live prices or send orders.

Think of it like a market where participants meet and exchange: networking provides the place and the rules for computers to “trade” data.

2) A Market Analogy

  • Computers = buyers/sellers
  • Network = the market venue
  • Protocols (TCP/IP) = common language & rules

Result: prices and orders (data) flow smoothly and predictably.

3) How a Trade Travels (Packets on the Move)

Your PC
➜
Router
➜
Internet
➜
Broker Server

When you click Buy, your order is split into small chunks called packets. These go to your router, then across the internet to your broker. A confirmation packet comes back. All in milliseconds.

4) Key Terms (Plain English)

IP Address
A unique number like 192.168.1.10. Tells the network where to deliver data (like a street address).
Router
Connects your home/office to the internet. Think of it as your broker to the wider market.
Switch
Directs traffic inside your local network (your building or room).
Packet
A tiny envelope carrying part of your message or order.
Latency
Travel time of packets. Lower latency = quicker trade execution.
Bandwidth
How much data can pass per second. Like lane count on a motorway.

5) Network Types

  • LAN (Local Area Network): your home/office Wi-Fi.
  • WAN (Wide Area Network): connects cities/countries; the internet.

Maths view (graph idea)

Think of devices as nodes and connections as edges. Data often takes the “shortest path” (fastest/least-cost route) across the graph.

6) Why Traders Care

Speed: Low latency helps your orders reach the broker faster.
Reliability: A stable link prevents disconnects and errors.
Security: Encryption keeps account and trade data private.

7) Try It Now (No Risk)

  • Ping: Measure latency to a server. On Windows, open Command Prompt and run ping google.com.
  • Traceroute: See the path your packets take. Run tracert google.com on Windows (or traceroute on Mac/Linux).

8) Mounting vs Unmounting (Unix vs Windows)

In Unix/Linux:

  • Mounting: Attaching a disk/USB so it becomes part of the single filesystem tree (e.g. at /media/usb).
  • Unmounting: Safely detaching it to ensure all data is written before removal (umount /media/usb).

In Windows:

  • Drives appear automatically with letters like E: or F:.
  • “Safely Remove Hardware” is the same as unmounting.

Analogy: Mounting is like connecting to a broker’s server so you can trade; unmounting is like disconnecting safely when you’re done.

8) Mounting vs Unmounting (Unix vs Windows)

Mounting = attach a storage device (USB, disk, network share) so its files appear inside your system. Unmounting = safely detach it so all data is written and the device can be removed.

Unix/Linux

  • One big folder tree starting at /. You pick a mount point (e.g., /mnt/usb or /media/usb) where the device will appear.
  • Mount: make the files accessible at that mount point. Unmount: flush changes and detach.
sudo mkdir -p /mnt/usb
sudo mount /dev/sdb1 /mnt/usb   # attach device to the filesystem
# ...use files at /mnt/usb ...
sudo umount /mnt/usb            # safely detach

Windows

  • When you plug in a drive, Windows usually mounts it automatically and gives it a letter like E:.
  • Using “Safely Remove Hardware” is the same idea as unmounting (ensures data is written before removal).

Trading Analogy

Mounting is like connecting to a broker so you can trade; unmounting is disconnecting safely so no orders are left half‑finished.