THE INTERNET

The internet is a network of networks that links billions of devices together around the globe. The internet came about to be many years ago, in the early 1970s Vint Cerf and Bob Kahn worked on the internet which was born off the result of another experiment call the APRANET(Advanced Research Project Agency Network). They designed the internet's protocols and architecture. The internet is made up of a large number of independently operated networks that ship information in form of bits (0s and 1s) i.e atoms of information). Key notes about the internet:

  1. Bandwidth - maximum transmission capacity of a device. It is measured by bit rate which is the number of bits that can be sent over a given period of time. Latency is the time it takes for a bit to travel from one place to another. Bits are sent over long distance using fiber optic cables and wireless networks.

2.IP Address and DNS - IP addresses are organized in a hierarchy, traditional IP addresses(of the IPv4 design) are 32 bits long with each part being 8bit long. The earlier numbers identify the country and regional network of the device, the subnetwork and address of said device are represented by later numbers. Newer devices will use IPv6 design which uses 128bits per address and cover 340 undecillion addresses.

  1. Packets - The computer send information(for example pics, music, videos) broken down as packets which are hundred and thousand of smaller parts. Routers keep these packets moving through the internet smoothly while Transmission control protocol(TCP) manages the sending and receiving of these packets of data. The TCP and router systems are scalable.

  2. HTTP(Hyper Text Transfer Protocol) - The secure socket layer(SSL) and Transport Layer Security (TLS) are a layer of security wrapped around communications to protect them from tampering. They are signified by the lock icon that appears in the browser address bar close to the HTTPS.

    The internet has no single centralized governance and it is dynamic in its functions. In November 2006, the Internet was included on USA Today's list of New Seven Wonders. The internet is truly a gift that keeps on giving.