Author: Shuhan Yu
Editors: Miriam Heikal, Justin Tai
Artist: Felicia Chen
Have you ever wondered how data travels instantly across the globe? The Internet– our vast, interconnected network– powers global communication, but its inner workings remain a mystery to most. Let’s uncover the secrets behind this essential technology.
Connecting networks:
A computing network consists of interconnected devices that can receive and distribute data. While most think of computing devices as smartphones or laptops , it can refer to any device that can run programs. For example, a smart alarm can function as a computing device. Building a network requires at least two devices, with the most common networks being LAN (Local Area Network) and WAN (Wide Area Network). As the names suggest, these two networks support your regular internet usage from area to area. LAN are networks that cover a specific region, such as a school or a home.
On the other hand, the largest form of network, the WAN, is made up of multiple LANs because it is difficult for a single organization to own all local networks. It spans across a broad geographical area where all these networks are linked via a physical wireless or wireless connection. Typically, wired connections can carry messages as far as 50 miles, but wireless connections can only send data up to 100 feet. Ethernet cables are used in LANs and WANs. Fiber-optic cables transfer data as light and have more bandwidth (up to 26 Tbps) than copper lines. Wireless connections use radio waves to transmit data, but their range is limited. Data is usually expressed using binary (1s and 0s). Line coding sends binary data to time-based signals. The bit rate measures the speed of data transmission, whereas bandwidth specifies the maximum bit rate that a connection can support. The time it takes for a communication to be sent and received is known as latency.
IP address and packets
The Internet protocol is the basic layer of the Internet; a protocol is a collection of rules that users must follow when connecting to a network, and all devices adhere to the Internet protocol. The protocol mandates that each device have a unique IP address that may be used to identify the devices that are also required while communicating with one another. When sending a message, you must mention both your own and the recipient's IP addresses. The initial IP version, IPv4, allowed for 4.3 billion unique addresses. The solution brought out the use of IPv6, which instead of 32 bits uses 128 bits. In essence, we moved from approximately 340 undecillion different addresses that can hold a tremendous amount of devices. With this tremendous pool of addresses, everyone can connect without any concerns of running out of IP addresses, while network organization improves, routing improves, and overall performance improves on the network.
When devices send a message to one another, there is a limit to the size of the message, thus large messages must be broken into parts that are known as packets. The Internet Protocol (IP) explains how communications are routed from one machine to another on a network. Each communication is broken down into packets, which travel from router to router on their way to their destination. The route of the message is not predetermined, but rather the message hops from one working device to another. In a simple network that connects major cities, data packets can travel several paths. Let's assume we have routers in Oakland, Austin, New York, and Tampa. Here's how they are connected:
Direct route: Start in Oakland, go to Austin, and then head to New York City.
Alternative route: Begin in Oakland, travel to Austin, then go to Tampa, and finally make your way to New York City.
You can also travel from Austin to New York, from Austin to Tampa, or from New York to Tampa.
If the straight path from Austin to New York is closed (for example, if due to a fire), the packet can still reach its destination via Tampa. This backup alternative is critical for ensuring the network's reliability and efficiency. On the other hand, redundancy helps to keep the network working properly. If one link fails, data can still be transmitted via other accessible pathways. This is a major reason why the Internet works so well; it has many distinct routes, so even if one fails, it continues to function.
Binary numbers
Binary code is the basis for sending and storing information over the internet, through combinations of 0s and 1s. Every time you access the internet, information flows in packets of data, with binary parts such as headers to route them. This information is conveyed across the media as light in fiber optics or as electrical impulses over copper representing binary digits: a "1" as a high signal and a "0" as a low signal. For pictures, the color of each pixel is composed of red, green, and blue combinations. These are stored in binary format through file types like JPEG or PNG; both of these use different approaches to compressing files and making them smaller. Similarly, audio recordings are digitized by taking samples of the sound waves, and each sample is documented as a binary number, either in a format like MP3 or WAV, for good storage and playing. All information, whether visual or auditory, is stored on the devices in binary to facilitate its quick processing and retrieval. This calls for every interaction over the internet a view of a photo to streaming of music-to rely on seamless conversion and manipulation of information in binary.
Overall, the Internet's design, with its unique addressing system and many paths via wired and wireless hyperlinks, results in an efficient network that can adapt to interruptions. This basic structure has helped the Internet evolve into the large, complicated network we rely on today.
Citations:
How Does the Internet Work?, https://web.stanford.edu/class/msande91si/www-
spr04/readings/week1/InternetWhitepaper.htm. Accessed 2 November 2024.
“Internet : What is the Internet? | How Does the Internet Work.” Lenovo,
https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/glossary/what-is-internet/. Accessed 2 November 2024.
Strickland, Jonathan, et al. “How does the Internet work? | HowStuffWorks.” Computer |
HowStuffWorks, 17 May 2024,
November 2024.
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