How the internet works?

We discussed what the internet is here, but let’s take a closer look at how it works.

The physical parts

The physical part of the internet consists of the cables, internet exchanges (IXP), servers, networking equipment and finally client devices (e.g. your computer, smartphone etc.). The internet is a network or a mesh of computers connected by servers and networking equipment found in IXPs.

The software side

The software side consists of the operating system (OS), browser and applications that you use. The operating system is the base that browsers and applications run on. Popular operating systems are Windows, Mac OS and Android. The browsers (Google chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer) are what you use to visit sites like https://nontechieguidett.blogspot.com and applications like WhatsApp are used to communicate with others. See Trinidad and Tobago most popular applications.

How they work together

So let’s look put it into context when you visit https://nontechieguidett.blogspot.com. It’s pretty much like travelling. Entering the site address (or url) is like saying your destination address (I want to go to the Avenue in Port-of-Spain).

Next, your computer sends this information to its network card which sends it to the modem that adds the destination address on it. So, this is like dropping a post card in a post box and having the post office people stamp it with added information. The post office can be considered the IXP.

The post people then deliver the post card. It may be walked over to be loaded onto a van (computer to network card), then the van could be driven to a postal hub (network card to modem), and from there loaded onto a plane (modem to IXP). Then the reverse happens.

The plane is offloaded and taken to a postal hub (IXP to modem), the post card is loaded onto a van to be delivered to a specific address in a neighbourhood (modem to network card) and finally dropped in the correct post box (network card to computer).

Now, that reading journey we’ve just completed in about 5 minutes, happens in milliseconds in real-life between computers. This is what allows us to video chat, stream movies or play games without the video and audio stuttering (we called it lag).

The next time you experience lag, now you know the process that occurs.



So, who is your favorite Internet Service Provider is and why?