A Review of Internet Technology - Part 2: Internet Infrastructure

In the first part of this review we went into heavy detail regarding client/server technology.  Unfortunately, none of that is really possible without the internet infrastructure that serves as the backbone.  Below is a snapshot of the major components of internet infrastructure:

So what is Internet Infrastructure?  When you think about the internet you should really be thinking "hardware and protocols" (or at least that's what I think of).  The internet is really made up of a series of interconnected devices all communicating with each other to bring about some type of result.

The internet was established in the late 1960's by the US Department of Defense.  The idea was to establish a network of communication.  Since then obviously, the internet has grown into a massive network of networks used for business, education, government, and personal purposes.  It's always on and in some instances "free" to access.

So how does it all work?  How is it that I type an address into my computer and get access to the internet?  Well first you need a connection to the internet itself (and not just your home network either, the actual full-blown internet).  This is done through an ISP (Internet Service Provider).  An ISP is a company that provides you with the service to connect to the internet.  They typically charge a flat monthly rate based on the speed tier you want (faster = more money).  In addition to an ISP, you will need a modem as well.  This device will allow your computer to connect to the internet via the ISP.  Now that the connection to the internet is established it's time to visit websites.  You pull up a web browser and type in an address.  A series of different "routers" are involved with transforming that address into content that you then view on your computer.  Refer to my blogpost here to get more information on how routers work.

One other thing to make note of is that the internet is made up of a series of protocols for communication.  The main one to focus on is TCP/IP.  All web addresses and all devices connect to the internet via an IP address.  The is the internet's language if you will.  When you type in http://www.google.com you are actually going to an IP address that looks something like 111.111.111.111.  There is something called a DNS server that translates the address to the numbers for ease of use (i.e.  it's much simpler to remember a web address than it is to remember all those numbers that make up an IP address).

The internet has grown leaps and bounds over the past decade.  More and more devices are getting connected and more and more websites are being created.  Mobile devices again are changing the landscape of how we access the internet.  We are at a point now where we are moving to a new version of the IP address (IPv6).  This is because IPv4 only handles a certain amount devices.  The number of devices connecting to the internet is growing exponentially and certain things have to change to accommodate that.

The internet infrastructure part of Internet Technology is often complex and the details of how it works is not necessary for the average user.  But for someone in the field of IT it is essential to know (at least at a high level) how this part functions.  It is a critical part of the web experience as without it there really wouldn't be one.

Reference information in this blog was obtained from the following sites:


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ARPANET
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet