How Does The Internet Work?

Ever wondered how the data that you are searching for on the internet reached you? You will be fascinated to know about the intricacies of how the internet works. 

All the information that is at your expense traveled for over a thousand miles from the Google data center to reach your device. Understanding the internet requires us to understand the basics of internet network and how it is channelled between various devices. 

Here, I am going to guide you through how the Internet works and get you accustomed to components of the Internet as well. However, this is just a basic guide. I  strongly suggest joining a professional full-stack development bootcamp if you want to pursue a career in this field. 

What Makes The Internet?

Various components make up what we know as the Internet. They are as follows:

• End Systems: The devices that we use in our day-to-day life, like smartphones and laptops, to access the internet from the End System AKA. the Host Computers. It includes the data servers and the data centers that deliver the data to us via cabled connections. It basically forms the starting and the end point of a message route. 

• Routers: These devices play a key role which helps travel the data across the internet. There is something called the data packets. These are small units that carry your digital data that are divided into smaller components. These data packets reach the router where it is assembled into the complete data set. The router further uses the IP (Internet Protocol) to steer the data to its destination using the IP address. Note: Each IP address is the personalized address of a device. 

• Link-Layer Switches: These switches connect the end systems and the routers. Unlike routers, these do not cater the data to different networks and act at the data link layer, which is a protocol layer that forms the second layer of the OSI model. This ensures proper transmission of data in a shorter span of network known as the LAN (Local Area Network) via an electronic form. 

• Communication Links: These are the optical fibers or the physical connections between various devices across the internet that connect each of them over a mesh network. It also includes wireless connections such as the Wifi and cellular networks. Among all of these networks, the best one opted out is the optical fiber, since it has high-speed data catering across huge distances. 

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): Who/What They Are

As the name suggests ISPs are companies that provide internet to clients and organizations. ISPs have the control over a LAN to provide internet over a particular geographic area. 

Internet services come in various forms. I have discussed them below: 

Types of Transmission Media 

To easily explain the working of the internet, you need to learn about transmission media, namely, the pathway that data takes to travel. The numerous types of transmission media are classified as:

Guided Media

This is a narrow media channel where you get to see the data being transmitted through a narrow link. You get a high-speed, secure internet that covers little distance. There are three different types of guided media:

1. Twisted pair cable: Twisted pair cables are basically insulated copper wires twisted around each other. Several such twisted and insulated pairs are further bundled together in a common protective sheath. This is the most commonly used transmission media and it comes in two types: 

• Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP): UTPs are found to be made up of two copper wires which are twisted around each other and are insulated. UTPs can prevent interference without the necessity of any shielding.

• Shielded Twisted Pair (STP): In STPs, you get to see a special shield that helps it to prevent external interference.

2. Coaxial Cable: Coaxial cables come with two parallel conductors that are insulated with PVC or Teflon. It transmits data in two modes; Baseband Mode and Broadband Mode.

3. Optical Fibre Cable: If you are familiar with the theory of light refraction, the concept of data transmission via optical fibers will come easily. These cables have a core with a light plastic or glass cladding.

Unguided Media

This form of media does not require any physical mode to travel. It travels via electromagnetic signals. But the problem with this medium is, it is comparatively less secure than guided media. However, it travels over larger distances and the signal travels unhindered through the air. 

Let’s look at the three different types of signals that travel through unguided media:

1. Microwaves: This sort of transmission needs a line-of-sight form. Here the receiving antennas and the sender antennas are both aligned at a particular line of sight for proper transmission of signals. It follows a relationship of direct proportionality between the distance traversed by the signal and the height of the antenna. 

2. Radiowave: These are readily penetrable signals that do not require the sending and the receiving antennas to be at a particular line of sight like that of microwaves. We get to see two types of radiowaves namely, terrestrial radio waves and satellite radio waves.

3. Infrared: Unlike microwave and radio wave signals, infrared does not travel for longer distances. Also, unlike radio waves, these cannot penetrate through walls and obstacles. This is usually not involved in internet services and more specifically used for short-range connected devices like TV remotes, modems, etc.

Role of DNS and IP addresses

In the internet's history, the need for DNS became clear as the network expanded from a small group of computers to the global powerhouse it is today. Managing connections between computers was initially straightforward, but as the network grew, a manual system became impractical. DNS was the game-changer that allowed the internet to scale up, turning it from a limited network into the vast, accessible web we know today.

DNS works by identifying the exact location of your device by converting the hostname into a numerical address that the computer can easily identify, known as the IP address.

The Role of Cybersecurity  

The expansive nature of the Internet exposes sensitive data to cyber threats. This is where the role of cybersecurity comes in, especially to ensure proper functioning of the Internet. I’ve listed the types of cybersecurity threats below: 

• Malware: Well, to simply understand malware, imagine it as being software that somehow gets maliciously downloaded to the user’s device. Once it gets access to the device, it steals all the sensitive data and channels it to the hacker. Now to note some of the well-known malware are, Trojans, spy-wares, viruses, and the list goes on.

• Ransomware: Ransomware is a malware that gets downloaded into a user’s device and locks the system. By doing so, the hacker asks for money in return for unlocking the device system. 

• Insider threats: As the name suggests, these are cybercrimes committed by employees of a company or a business (insiders). This usually is a culmination of casualties and can be malicious.

• SQL-Injection: TSQL is a technique that hackers employ to get access to any user's device. They do so by injecting a string of malicious codes which helps them to gain access to a particular website the user has logged into, misuse the data, and carry out malicious statements. 

Ways to Prevent or Fight Cybersecurity Threats

You can overcome these cybersecurity threats by ensuring some of the following cybersecurity practices:

• Avoiding default suggestions for usernames and passwords: Hackers can decode default usernames and passwords. Hence, you should set a username and password of your own to protect your device from potential hackers.

• Install a firewall: There is a lot of unnecessary traffic that can contain malicious data that can enter a network that is not secure. Firewalls help to restrict such malicious content by screening out unnecessary traffic.

• Download a strong antivirus software: A strong antivirus software allows you to screen out potential malicious content out of the reach of your device’s network.

• Employ Multifactor Authentication (MFA): Use security checks like face-recognition, and fingerprint locks to minimize the chances of hackers accessing your device’s network.

Summing Up

Now that we have come to the end of this guide, I hope you have learned the nitty gritty of how the internet works step by step. 

As we progress to the new era, the next frontier of internet technology promises to be even faster and more reliable in terms of connectivity. We will get to see that through the advent of quantum computers and the expansion of the Internet of Things (IoT). Simultaneously, technological proficiency will become both an asset and a necessity. 

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Frequently Asked Questions

1. How does the Internet work step by step?

The Internet functions by connecting devices through networks. A device requests data, the request goes through networks to find the data's server, and the data is sent back to the device.

2. How does data travel over the Internet?

Data splits into packets, travels through networks to the destination, and is then recompiled.

3. What are IP addresses and how do they work?

An IP address is the home address for your device in the vast span network.

When you send or receive data online, your device’s IP address plays a crucial role in guiding this information directly to you, ensuring that the digital information flows smoothly and accurately.

4. What is HTTP and HTTPS?

HTTP, standing for Hyper Text Transfer Protocol, serves as the foundation for data exchange on the web. Its enhanced counterpart, HTTPS (HTTP Secure), incorporates encryption to safeguard data during transfer. By utilizing SSL/TLS encryption, HTTPS significantly enhances the security of web browsing, particularly when handling sensitive information.

5. How the internet generated?

The Internet is a collective of networks, not "generated" but built over time through connected infrastructure. 

6. Why is it called the Internet?

The term "Internet" comes from "interconnected network," highlighting its key feature: a vast network of networks where millions of computers globally are linked. It's like a spiderweb of connections, where each thread connects different points, making a vast, intricate web of communication paths. So, the "inter" part emphasizes interconnectedness, while "net" is short for network, illustrating this massive web of connections.

7. Who creates the internet?

The evolution of the Internet resulted from collective efforts by scholars, technical experts, and various global entities. It originated from initiatives such as ARPANET during the 1960s and has since developed through the input of academic circles, governmental bodies, and corporate sectors into the extensive, interlinked system that is integral to our current digital landscape.

8. What is Hotspot?

Locations equipped to provide wireless Internet access through a router connection to a service enabling online access are known as hotspots. These spots, often situated in venues frequented by the public such as cafes, book lending facilities, flight terminals, and lodging establishments, facilitate web connectivity for devices including mobile phones, digital tablets, and portable computer.