How Does Internet Work ?

What is Internet

Internet, a system architecture that has revolutionized communications and methods of commerce by allowing various computer networks around the world to interconnect. Sometimes referred to as a “network of networks,” the Internet emerged in the United States in the 1970s but did not become visible to the general public until the early 1990s. By 2020, approximately 4.5 billion people, or more than half of the world’s population, were estimated to have access to the Internet.

The first computer networks were dedicated special-purpose systems such as SABRE (an airline reservation system) and AUTODIN I (a defense command-and-control system), both designed and implemented in the late 1950s and early 1960s. By the early 1960s computer manufacturers had begun to use semiconductor technology in commercial products, and both conventional batch-processing and time-sharing systems were in place in many large, technologically advanced companies.

How Does Internet Work

In networking, a packet is a small segment of a larger message. Each packet contains both data and information about that data. The information about the packet's contents is known as the "header," and it goes at the front of the packet so that the receiving machine knows what to do with the packet. 

To understand the purpose of a packet header, think of how some consumer products come with assembly instructions. 

When data gets sent over the Internet, it is first broken up into smaller packets, which are then translated into bits. 

The packets get routed to their destination by various networking devices such as routers and switches. When the packets arrive at their destination, the receiving device reassembles the packets in order and can then use or display the data.

Step 1: 

Your PC or device is connected to the web through a modem or router. Together, these devices allow you to connect to other networks around the globe [6]. Your router enables multiple computers to join the same network while a modem connects to your ISP (Internet Service Provider) which provides you with either cable or DSL internet. 

Step 2:

Type in a web address, known as a URL (Uniform Resource Locator). Each website has its own unique URL that signals to your ISP where you want to go. 

Step 3: 

Your query is pushed to your ISP which connects to several servers which store and send data like a NAP Server (Network Access Protection) and a DNS (Domain Name Server). Next, your browser looks up the IP address for the domain name you typed into your search engine through DNS. DNS then translates the text-based domain name you type into the browser into the number-based IP address. Example: Google.com becomes 64.233.191.255 

Step 4: 

Your browser sends a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) request to the target server to send a copy of the website to the client using TCP/IP. 

Step 5: 

The server then approves request and sends a “200 OK” message to your computer. Then, the server sends website files to the browser in the form of data packets. 

Step 6: 

As your browser reassembles the data packets, the website loads allowing you to learn, shop, browse, and engage.