How Exactly Does The Internet Work?

I was wondering a few things about the Internet. How are things put onto the net? What is the net? How did I get here?

I'm not looking for, "uploading, a place for cheap porn and Comcast" as answers either.

I mean, there isn't a huge database with everything on the net stored at once. We don't all upload everything into one thing. How do people host files that go on the net? People as in providers.

Are they stored on computers or what? Sorry if this sounds confusing, I know it does, but I'm really tired. Hehe..

Hi Ess Why Kay!

One of the advantages of the Internet is be able to do searches, say with Google or your favourite search engine.

Entering keywords, like this "The Internet" will give lots of information about it. You can also use boolean search techniques eg Boolean search to refine what you're looking for (we can do the same on ATS through the search facility.

I hope that helps you? The Internet is a truly wonderful thing! Happy - and successful! - searching!

DANG Genya, you beat me to it :p

I was about to post the exact same link from google!!

Originally posted by thematrix
DANG Genya, you beat me to it :p

I was about to post the exact same link from google!!

A case of "Great minds thinking alike", eh, tm?!! The Internet really *is* a wonderful thing, though - so much out there - and growing by the second!!

Here is a more specifc link from HowStuffWorks.com computer.howstuffworks.com...

It does a pretty good job of explaning how the internet functions and such, along with nifty animations to reinforce concepts. The HSW site has alot of good bits on tech, and is almost worth keeping bookmarked.

First stop answer shop: www.howstuffworks.com...

YOU BEAT ME TO IT ALTERNATEHEAVEN!

HSW: Internet Infrastructure

One of the greatest things about the Internet is that nobody really owns it. It is a global collection of networks, both big and small. These networks connect together in many different ways to form the single entity that we know as the Internet. In fact, the very name comes from this idea of interconnected networks.

Since its beginning in 1969, the Internet has grown from four host computer systems to tens of millions. However, just because nobody owns the Internet, it doesn't mean it is not monitored and maintained in different ways. The Internet Society, a non-profit group established in 1992, oversees the formation of the policies and protocols that define how we use and interact with the Internet.

In this article, you will learn about the basic underlying structure of the Internet. You will learn about domain name servers, network access points and backbones. But first you will learn about how your computer connects to others. (cont)

I'll never forget pre search function days. Getting all excited when someone gave you a new bulliten board address where you could upload a 2 hour slow drip chess program to earn BB time from the host to download useless crap like random number generators for D&D.

It used to be real work.


[edit on 12-8-2004 by RANT]

There's a brilliant book called How The Internet Works.

It's a picture book, almost like a children's book but manages to explain everything from ActiveX to Wireless networking. I've always been quite techy, but I'd never had a clue how it all strung together in practice until I'd read this.

I keep a copy in the loo for when I find myself with 10 minutes spare reading time!. great book!


[edit on 12/8/04 by muppet]

Originally posted by RANT

I'll never forget pre search function days. Getting all excited when someone gave you a new bulliten board address where you could upload a 2 hour slow drip chess program to earn BB time from the host to download useless crap like random number generators for D&D.

It used to be real work.

Hi RANT!!

That takes me back too: BBS, 286 processors, green text VDU's - and 9.6kb/s modems were state of the art....

I remember entering the "real" search days with mosaic around ten years ago - WOW!! Ten years is a long time in computing terms!!

And what of the future....?? Whatever's in store is certain to be interesting!!

Originally posted by Genya
I remember entering the "real" search days with mosaic around ten years ago - WOW!! Ten years is a long time in computing terms!!

And what of the future....?? Whatever's in store is certain to be interesting!!

My first experience of the internet was gopher and archie. I remember when the www came along, and a text browser called lynx. I was pretty lucky, we had a 9600 baud permanent internet connection in each halls/dorm room at uni, and this was 1992!

also..you couldn't beat old school IRC.

i remember back in 83 i had this commodore 64 and it was hot # because it had so much memory heheh. and to think i wrote a 28 team baseball season simulation with a draft and different player abilities that year damn i shoulda sold that (but that didnt occur to me since i was in high school)

.
I think you could describe it as a distributed data collection with a network of connections to pass data back and forth.

It is a set of server/host computers that have sites (data) on them. You click your browser software, a message to access the linked page is routed to the host/server with that site(data), that host gets the message and routes all the files and information that your browser needs to display that 'site' on your computer.

To get your own web page you have to arrange with a server owner and they will let you store a 'site' (data) on their computer, where anyone connected to the internet can access it. [You could turn your own computer into a server, but Im pretty sure that takes a lot of work and probably some expense too]
.

You cannot underestimate the fact that the early ARPA or now DARPA internet model was originally designed to survive nuclear war.

So it is reasonable to consider it greatly resilient today, since it is by comparison huge. It is a collection of networks that does not fall apart due to any "weak links," in the system

I forgot I made this thread. I appreciate the replies. If I remember correctly, I made this thread after being up for a long time, so naturally I forgot to use search functions before making a thread. No harm done. Thanks again!