I’ve read and seen videos on the OSI model and from what I remember it’s just a reference model for how you should develop a network in a computer but it’s not strict in that you should follow it exactly how it looks?
I could be misremembering but if I’m not then my question is why do we use it in the first place? Is it just a checklist of sorts to make sure we’re including the main parts?
Also as a follow up question, in networking I always see ports as in port (long number) I am always confused are these actual physical ports?
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>I’ve read and seen videos on the OSI model and from what I remember it’s just a reference model for how you should develop a network in a computer but it’s not strict in that you should follow it exactly how it looks?
Yes that’s a fairly apt description. The thing with the OSI model is that basically any computer network will implement all the layers, but not necessarily as separate components. Often the boundary between layers is fuzzy, or a single protocol covers multiple layers.
>I could be misremembering but if I’m not then my question is why do we use it in the first place? Is it just a checklist of sorts to make sure we’re including the main parts?
That’s one way to use it, yes. You could also use the OSI model to categorise the different layers of a network, to group similar protocols/implementations together, to describe the layer at which something functions (eg. Layer 3 vs Layer 7 firewall), or use it as a guide to troubleshoot network issues and narrow down where a problem originates.
>Also as a follow up question, in networking I always see ports as in port (long number) I am always confused are these actual physical ports?
No, they are logical. Essentially they identify the software service on a machine that is communicating over the network connection. It’s a requirement to allowing more than one “network connection” per physical connection.
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