How does the Internet work?

The Internet is a vast network that allows the computers in the world to communicate and share information, huge amounts of information in the form of words, images, sounds, and computer software are transmitted through the internet. The internet links computers mainly by the telephone system through copper wires, optical fiber, cables, or radio waves. Access to the Internet begins with the computer link to the telephone lines through a device called a Modem. Special software’s needed to convert computer files into the type of signals that can travel through telephone wires and signals then launched into the phone lines through the modem. The phone lines lead to an Internet Service Provider or a Commercial Online Service which acts as a conduit to the Internet. Computers break the message up into Packets, clusters of 40 to around 1500 characters. Each packet individually mark with its destination is then sent to a series of computers called Routers that directs the path of the packet. Each router examines the packet to see where it’s headed and sends it along the best path to its destination. Packets from the same message may take different routes to reach the same destination. The packets will eventually arrive at the same place and the packets will form again into its original message.
Data packets
When information is being sent from one computer to another it is broken down into small bits of data called 'packets'. Each packet includes information about where the data is going to, where it is from and how to reassemble it.
IP address
Computers use an IP address (Internet Protocol address) to identify each other. It's a bit like a postcode that is unique to each computer connected to the internet. An IP address is a set of numbers that might look like this: 195.188.87.10.
Switch
A smart device that connects together many different devices so they can act as a network. Sometimes simpler devices called 'hubs' are used.
Router
A smart device that directs or routes information around the internet. When a data packet arrives the router reads the IP address information and sends the packet along the best route to its destination.
DNS
The DNS (Domain Name System) is a set of standards for how computers exchange data on the Internet. The DNS turns a user-friendly domain names like bbc.co.uk into an Internet Protocol (IP) address.



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