Computer Networking ― Crash Course

Every day, 2.5 quintillion bytes of data (that’s 2.5 followed by 18 zeros) is sent throughout the global network.

But have you ever wondered how computer code turns into text or an image within a second, just so you can observe it?

This is the OSI model, otherwise known as the?Open Systems Interconnection?and it’s dissected into seven levels –?or layers if you want to imagine it as an onion.

At the very bottom of the level is what we call the?‘physical’?layer, literally where light travels to send information to the very top of the level, the?‘application’?layer – the end result, what we see.

Rewinding back to the bottom level

The?‘data link’?is up next and this layer established your connection, whether you’re using Wi-Fi or Ethernet. The?‘network’?layer follows suit using your Internet Protocol –?or IP?– to send packets. Packets are what we call the smaller chunks of data.

Incoming, the?‘transport’?level, the Transmission Control Protocol –?TCP?– is what the name suggests, it transports these packets. Following is the?‘session’?level, which is easily explained as an authorisation layer, determining whether you have access to certain sites or software. Then, the beautiful 'presentation' level, where it translates all of the packets into readable pixels, bundles them up into text or images and then we’re at the top again, seeing the final result.

Quite poetic.

All of this is happening in less than a second.

It’s how you’re reading this right now.

And the amount of data sent daily will only?increase,?but can your broadband handle it? Here at ylo, we offer 1GB full-fibre broadband –?100% futureproofed?– for residential and businesses.?Find out whether your area is available with our?unique postcode checker.