How Does The Internet Works

?? Demystifying the Internet: Understanding How the Internet Works ??

This article that you are reading now is my first internship projcet.

As a developer, it is important to have a solid understanding of what the internet is and how it works. It is the foundation upon which most modern software applications are built. In order to build effective, secure, and scalable applications and services, you need to have a solid understanding of how the internet works and how to leverage its power and connectivity.

Here's a summary of the key points covered:

1. Networks: A network is a collection of interconnected computers and devices that exchange data. When these networks are interconnected, they form the Internet.
2. Data Transmission: Data is transmitted over the Internet through a network of optical fiber cables, rather than satellites. These cables connect data centers, where servers store and deliver requested content.
3. IP Addresses: Every device connected to the Internet has a unique IP address, which serves as its identifier. IP addresses are assigned by Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and are used to route data to the appropriate devices.
4. Domain Names: Instead of using lengthy IP addresses, we use domain names (e.g., youtube.com) to access websites. Domain names are translated to IP addresses using the Domain Name System (DNS), which acts as a phone book for the Internet.
5. Data Flow: When you enter a domain name in your browser, it sends a request to the DNS server to obtain the corresponding IP address. Once obtained, the request is forwarded to the data center's server hosting the website.
6. Optical Fiber Cables: Data is transmitted digitally using optical fiber cables that carry light pulses. These cables stretch across the seabed and challenging terrains, connecting data centers to routers and ultimately to devices.
7. Internet Backbone: Global companies are responsible for laying and maintaining the network of optical fiber cables, which form the backbone of the Internet. They ensure the connectivity and data transmission across vast distances.
8. Cellular Data: If accessing the Internet via cellular data, the signal is transmitted from the optical cable to a cell tower and then to the device as electromagnetic waves.
9. ICANN: The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) oversees tasks such as IP address assignment and domain name registration to ensure the smooth operation of the Internet worldwide.
10. Data Transmission Efficiency: Data on the Internet is transmitted in the form of packets, which are smaller units of binary data. Packets are independently routed and reassembled at the destination device. Protocols govern the process and ensure efficient communication by maintaining order and standardization.

let's start:

To grasp the concept of the Internet, it is imperative to first comprehend the nature of a network. A network refers to a collection of computers or other devices that are interlinked with the primary objective of exchanging data. For instance, within the confines of your own home, you may have a network comprising various computers and devices. Similarly, your friend residing in a neighboring locality, another state, or even a different country may possess a similar network of devices. When these networks are interconnected, they form what we commonly refer to as the Internet.

Let's move to understand how does the internet work:

As you read this article, it's worth considering the remarkable journey it has embarked upon to reach you. From the depths of the Google data center, data traverses thousands of miles, defying distance and connecting us all.

Imagine your article resting securely within a data center, possibly located thousands of miles away from your current position. But here's the fascinating question: How does this valuable data make its way from the distant data center to your very own mobile phone or laptop? Let's explore the mechanisms behind this captivating process.

Contrary to what you might expect, the transportation of this data does not rely on satellites. Instead, a sophisticated network of optical fiber cables serves as the critical link between the data center and your device. While your phone can connect to the internet through cellular data or Wi-Fi routers, it eventually taps into this expansive network of optical fiber cables, enabling seamless data transmission.

As mentioned earlier, the article you are currently engaged with is securely housed within a data center. Specifically, it resides in a solid-state device (SSD) that serves as the internal memory of a server. These servers, which can be likened to powerful computers, are responsible for delivering the requested articles, web pages, or other stored content to users like yourself.

Now the challenge is how to transfer the data stored in the data center specifically to your device via the complex network of optical fiber cables???

Let's see how this is done :

Before we proceed, it is crucial to grasp an essential concept - the notion of an IP address. An IP address serves as a unique identifier for every device, be it a server, computer, or mobile phone, that is connected to the internet. It is represented by a series of numbers that distinguishes each device from one another.

Analogous to your home address, you can think of an IP address as the unique identifier for your device in the online realm. Just like any letter reaching you accurately due to your home address, an IP address serves as the shipping address for all information on the internet. It is assigned to your device by your ISP internet service provider, and you can easily view the IP address assigned to your mobile phone or laptop by your Internet Service Provider.

The server within the data center is assigned its own IP address. It stores various websites, allowing us to access them by knowing the server's IP address. However, remembering numerous IP addresses is challenging for individuals. To address this issue, domain names like youtube.com and facebook.com are used, which correspond to IP addresses and are easier to remember than lengthy sequences of numbers.

It's important to note that a server can store multiple websites, and not all websites can be accessed solely through the server's IP address. In such cases, additional information called host headers is utilized to uniquely identify each website.

For large websites like Facebook.com or Youtube.com, the entire infrastructure of a data center is dedicated to storing and managing that particular website. When accessing the internet, we commonly use domain names instead of complex IP address numbers.

But how does the internet obtain the IP addresses corresponding to our domain requests? This is where the Domain Name System (DNS) comes into play. Think of it as a vast phone book. Just as you can look up a person's name to find their telephone number, the DNS server performs a similar function for the internet. Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) or another organization manages the DNS server, ensuring the translation of domain names to their respective IP addresses.

Let's recap the entire operation:

When you enter a domain name, your browser sends a request to the DNS server to obtain the corresponding IP address. Once the IP address is obtained, your browser forwards the request to the data center, specifically to the respective server responsible for hosting the website.

Upon receiving the request, the server initiates the data flow. The data is transmitted in a digital format using optical fiber cables, which carry light pulses. These light pulses may need to travel extensive distances, spanning thousands of miles through the optical fiber cables. Along their journey, they encounter challenging terrains such as hilly areas or even undersea passages.

There are a few global companies, such as Orange, Google, AT&T, and Verizon, that are responsible for laying and maintaining these optical cable networks. This intricate network of optical fiber cables serves as the backbone of the internet. These cables, carrying light signals, are stretched across the seabed until they reach your location, where they are connected to a router. The router then converts the light signals into electrical signals. Finally, an Ethernet cable is utilized to transmit these electrical signals to your laptop.

However, if you are accessing the internet through cellular data, the signal needs to be transmitted from the optical cable to a cell tower. From the cell tower, it reaches your cell phone in the form of electromagnetic waves.

Due to the global nature of the internet, it has become crucial to have an organization that oversees tasks such as IP address assignment and domain name registration. This responsibility is entrusted to an institution known as ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers), which is headquartered in the USA. ICANN plays a vital role in managing and coordinating various aspects of the internet to ensure its smooth operation and accessibility worldwide.

The internet showcases remarkable efficiency in transmitting data, especially when compared to cellular and landline communication technologies. The article you are currently reading, originating from the Google Data Center, is delivered to you in the form of a vast collection of zeros and ones. The efficiency of data transfer on the internet lies in the process of dividing these binary streams into smaller units called packets.

Let's imagine that the continuous stream of zeros and ones is segmented into distinct packets by the server. Each packet contains six bits, along with the article data, as well as the sequence number and IP addresses of the server and your device. Using this information, the packets are directed towards your device. Notably, not all packets follow the same route, as each packet independently chooses the optimal path available at that moment. Upon reaching your device, the packets are reassembled based on their sequence numbers. In the event that some packets fail to reach your device, retransmission and acknowledgment mechanisms come into play to ensure data integrity.

Now, let's draw a comparison to a postal network that possesses a solid infrastructure, but lacks adherence to basic rules regarding destination addresses. In such a scenario, letters would fail to reach their intended recipients accurately. Similarly, on the internet, we rely on protocols to manage the intricate network of data packets.

Protocols establish the guidelines for converting data into packets, as well as attaching the necessary source and destination addresses to each packet. They also govern the rules followed by routers and other network components. Different applications on the internet employ distinct protocols tailored to their specific requirements. These protocols ensure smooth and efficient communication by maintaining order and standardization throughout the process.

I hope this article has given you a good understanding about how the internet works.

#Internet #networking #webdevelopment #ipaddressing #domainname #ISP

#protocolos