Understanding How The Internet Works Through A Maze Of Cables, Routers And Ip Addresses

By Author: Nathan Brown
Total Articles: 25
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The Internet is the most fascinating that has ever happened to mankind so far, but next only to the invention of motorcar, the airplane and telephony. However in terms of utility they have far outstripped the utility of the other three in such a short time and at a mind boggling speed dwarfing every other invention to date. The Internet is truly a common man’s tool, and the reason behind is the cheap price at which this service can be bought. Prices for internet use to be very expensive when they were first introduced not so now. All that it takes to have access to internet is a couple of hundred dollars, a computer, and some free software. I use a cheap Xfinity internet connection for my home use. But cheap internet doesn’t mean low on features; they have speed and reliability that one could hardly have imagined even a few years before.

It might be both a wonder and surprise for some people to understand how it is possible to connect the millions of computers around the world, and in such precision and accuracy to make them so useful. Nevertheless they do happen and here is how they are accomplished.

a.The ...
... most basic of all is the internet backbone. It is very much like the spinal cord in humans that is at the core of human nervous system. Like the nervous system they help to transport data and information precisely and at speeds that are unimaginable. The backbone is basically a network of optical fiber cables that are capable of transferring data at very high speeds. Technically they are called optical carriers and there are many varieties to it. A high end optical carrier can transport 2,488 Mbps data.
b.Next to the backbone is the hierarch of networks. Imagine you have half a dozen computers in your home and they are internet connected. That makes it a network. Next if you want to connect to the internet you will probably order an internet connection from an internet service provider who in turn will connect to a bigger network, which in turn may be connect to the backbone. In its simplest form, the internet is nothing but a network of networks. In fact even your home network is technically a part of the internet when you are connected through your ISP.
c.Understanding routers is important to understanding how information is precisely routed to the right computer when millions of them are working at the same time. The router is actually a computer in itself. Its main function is to identify the computer or another network to which information is to be transported. Did you know that when you type an URL you are actually providing information to the router to pass on the data to the appropriate computer to fetch what you want? It may surprise you to know that all the time it takes to route your information half way through the globe takes just seconds.
d.Understanding what URL is the key to understanding how routers achieve their objectives. Just as we identify our home with mailing address that post offices use for delivering mail, the internet uses the URL to locate the right computer on the internet. An URL is sometimes also called an IP (Internet Protocol) address and has four sets of numbers. People who want IP address have to apply for and get their address registered (Domain Registration) and it is usually for a limited period. They are renewed periodically. Thus an unused IP can change hands if not renewed from time to time by paying a fee to domain registrants.
Nathan Brown is a freelance writer. Watching TV channels is one of his favorite, especially those that are informative like the one he got from Cheap Xfinity Internet recently.