Internet
The Internet, sometimes called simply "the Net," is a worldwide system
of computer networks - a network of networks in which users at any one
computer can, if they have permission, get information from any other
computer (and sometimes talk directly to users at other computers). It
was conceived by the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) of the
U.S. government in 1969 and was first known as the ARPANet.
The original aim was to create a network that would allow users of a
research computer at one university to "talk to" research computers at
other universities. A side benefit of ARPANet's design was that, because
messages could be routed or rerouted in more than one direction, the
network could continue to function even if parts of it were destroyed in
the event of a military attack or other disaster.
Today, the Internet is a public, cooperative and self-sustaining
facility accessible to hundreds of millions of people worldwide.
Physically, the Internet uses a portion of the total resources of the
currently existing public telecommunication networks. Technically, what
distinguishes the Internet is its use of a set of protocols called TCP/IP (for Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol). Two recent adaptations of Internet technology, the intranet and the extranet, also make use of the TCP/IP protocol.
How does Internet work?
How does the Internet work? Good question! The
Internet's growth has become explosive and it seems impossible to escape
the bombardment of www.com's seen constantly on television, heard
on radio, and seen in magazines. Because the Internet has become such a
large part of our lives, a good understanding is needed to use this new
tool most effectively.
This whitepaper explains the underlying infrastructure and technologies
that make the Internet work. It does not go into great depth, but covers
enough of each area to give a basic understanding of the concepts
involved. For any unanswered questions, a list of resources is provided at
the end of the paper. Any comments, suggestions, questions, etc. are
encouraged and may be directed to the author at rshuler@gobcg.com.
