In order to understand how does the Internet work, we must first understand what the internet is. The internet is a series of networks that are connected to one another and form a web-like structure that spans all over the world. These interconnected networks are from the “internet.” Computers can access this network by connecting with other computers on it. All these connections make up what’s called the “internet protocol” or IP for short. The main thing you need in order to use the Internet is your home computer, but as long as you have an address (a unique string of numbers), then anyone – even if they’re in Antarctica – can email you or chat message!
Many people know how to use the internet from their computers and mobile phones and other devices through LAN or Wi-Fi, you might be wondering what is internet and how it works, in this article, we will try to make you understand a few things about the internet, and it’s working. You might already have some knowledge on the internet because you are reading this article on the internet from your internet access device, and also you may have noticed how the internet has developed and transformed the world to this level, which allows us to instantly interact with anyone on the planet and get any information within seconds.
Let’s Know About Basics Of Network:
Before we go in deep, we need to understand what is a network and how images, videos, information got onto our phones. A network is nothing but a group of connected systems, every device that is linked with this network is called a node. Many networks have Nodes like:
- Switches
- Router
- Network Interface Cards / Network Adapters
- Wireless Access Point
Switches:
Network switches can act as managers of the network which forward messages between nodes in the same network by deleting and creating connection points and maintain the flow of data in both LAN and WAP.
Router:
A router is an electric device that is used to connect two are more individual networks to transfer data to other routers of other networks until the data has reached its destination.
Network Interface Cards:
Network Interface Cards are the hardware components that are pre-installed in devices like computers, laptops, gaming consoles, and streaming devices that can be used as adapters that join electronic devices and computers as a node.
Wireless Access Points:
WAP is used as a mediating device that enables us to connect the network wirelessly, it is also called Wi-Fi. These nodes allow us to connect to a network without any physical wires which need some credentials to access the network.
To increase the wireless ability multiple WAPs are used which widen the range of the network depends on the space of the building. WAPs are not essential to connect even it is completely hardwired we can still access the network.
Wi-Fi Connection vs. Internet Connection:
Wi-Fi connection and Internet connection are completely different, Wi-Fi is only used as a medium to connect the internet and strengthen the signals also help you to connect true wirelessly. Internet connection is nothing but a Local Area Network (LAN) that measures the strength of the internet connection from the router. We can see the strong signals from the Wi-Fi with no internet connection and vice versa.
The Origin of the Internet:
In the early 1970s, the U.S. Defense department created a network which is known as ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network). This network is created to connect several departments of research and development labs in the U.S. Department of Defense. Many universities, labs, companies that are working on several defense projects are connected in this ARPANET. ARPANET is developed in different ways and many other networks have joined where the internet has begun to take this shape.
So, What Is the Internet?
Internet is nothing but a worldwide collection of networks that communicate using internet protocols. Nowadays, we have different new technologies and devices that have created different approaches to connect the internet, they are:
- Wired Internet:
This is the most common and efficient way to have an internet connection. Wired internet has thousands of kilometers of wires that are connecting the entire world ranging from phone lines to fiber optic cables. In the fiber optic cables, the data can travel at light speed that’s the reason why we are getting information in seconds
To prevent degradation of these cables the wires are laid underwater or underground, sometimes they are also traveling on the roads to the destined location. This network line can span thousands of miles which connects one continent to another continent like Canada and the U.S.A. to Europe.
2. Satellite Internet:
For a wired internet connection, you don’t have to take stress simply attach the wire to your desktop or laptop to access the internet, if you want to access the internet directly from the satellite you need to attach a dish on the roof of your home. This internet is used in extremely remote areas where no wired connections are available.
Satellite internet is a little slower than the wired internet due to the long-distance transmission of data.
3. Cellular Internet:
Nowadays, we can access the internet through our mobile phones by connecting to cell towers. This network is also a kind of huge Wireless Access Point, but only accessible from mobile phones or data-enabled devices. Many cell phones these days can also be used as wireless routers because of the hotspot option which we can connect to other cell phones or computer devices.
How Does the Internet Work?
If you receive an email you’ll get a notification on your screen then you will open your email. You are interacting with your email through a graphical user interface that is provided by your email provider like Gmail, Yahoo, etc. from your device’s Network Interface Card with WAP by your local Wi-Fi. The WAP will send the request to the local router through a LAN cable, the local router take the request and forward it to another router, which is then sent to another router, and then so on, through this chain of routers the data will travel all the way to the United States through transatlantic communication cables.
Finally, If you use Gmail, it will reach to Google data center. Then the request will be processed and get the information of your mail by Google, and then it creates a package called “response” and sent it back to the same address from where the request has been received.
The internet is a network of networks that allows people and businesses to communicate over long distances. It’s important to understand how the internet works in order for you or your business to find success online. How does the Internet work? Does it use radio waves, satellites, microwaves, fiber optic cables? What about Wi-Fi? We will take a look at all these technologies and answer questions like this one so that you can get an understanding of what’s happening behind the scenes when we’re communicating with each other on social media sites or shopping online. Understanding how the internet works aren’t just for geeks anymore!
