The Internet - How does it work?

[towntopic]

Ok, yes I know this seems like a pretty stupid question. I understand all the technologies, but how does it all piece together? I understand that the Internet is one network made up of thousands of networks and that backbones support this one main network. But what is the most underlying technology used to transmit the data? Is OC-48 the highest underlying data transmission technology used? Is it a combination of technologies such as microwave data transmission, standard phone line and cable data transmission? How does the data get from one city to another?

Just curious...

 

[thedaver]

The internet traffic is built upon the use of protocols for exchanging data. These protocols are special-purpose means of sending data. Some protocols are more focussed on speed, while others are focussed on the safety of the data in tow.

All of these protocols get written using a network transmission medium. These electric transmission impulses are carried by physical wires, wireless carriers, and satellite services working in cooperation (for-profit) to keep the data flowing. These carriers maintain a mesh of routing tables to ensure that data can move freely by one or more routes to its designated endpoint on the 'net.

All of this data flows through a super-secret mountain data center in the center of Peru where a massive team of hyper-intelligent white squirrels transcribe each and every bit of data into the exact form that you need to see it in and then deliver it directly to you via those stealthy black helicopters that you sometimes see overhead.

That's how the Internet works. I swear it.

Surfinbox.com Business Internet Services - National Dialup, DSL, T-1 and more.

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[towntopic]

I knew it was a bunch of squirrels...that explains why they are always on my roof. Are there dedicated squirrels for each Internet connection? Maybe that is IPv7.

thanks for the helpful info although I was looking for more of the technical carriers of the data, ie...when I send my packets of information (e-mail) to someone in china, what specific hardware would it go through after it leaves my computer. would it potentially go through the cable company lines to the phone companies fiber optic lines to satellite back to fiber optic to cable?

my squirrel is very skilled at looking throught the routing tables and makes the least skips possible...he is good, i know...but what specific hardware must he travel on.

fun, fun, fun...

 

[skotman]

to list the hardware your packets are moved over:
Your PC
Home firewall/router (if your on a network)
Cable/DSL modem
Over the phone/cable lines (this is where you see the data carrying squirrls running)
In to the cable/phone companies equipment (mainly routers and switches)
Dumped onto that large mountain in peru (ie the internet) where routers plot the best path for the Data Carring Squirrl or DQS to go.
And if it's email it sits on a server at the remote end waiting for your reciepients squirrls to get it where the data packets travel much the same way they did from your PC to the cable/DSL companies equipment, only in reverse.

Scott Heath

http://www.scottspad.com

AIM: orange7288