How Does the Internet Work?
Wednesday, May 22, 2019 IST
Have You Ever Wondered...
-- How does the Internet work?
-- How does a computer know where to deliver email?
-- What is the World Wide Web?
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The Internet is made up of computers all over the world. Each of these computers is connected by phone lines or cables…or even wireless connections!
If your computer is connected to the Internet, it speaks a special language with other computers called TCP/IP. This language allows you to get information, send messages to friends, listen to music, watch videos, and visit Wonderopolis!
To get a practical understanding of how the Internet works, let's look at email. If you type an email to your friend, your computer, just like the post office, will want to know where to deliver the message. That is why you provide an email address.
Your computer uses the information in the email address to figure out where to send your message. Unlike a phone, which transmits your voice, the computer transmits your message in the language of the Internet.
You've probably heard of the World Wide Web by now. You may have even WONDERed what spiders are doing on the Internet! Fortunately, the "World Wide Web" has nothing to do with our eight-legged friends. The World Wide Web (WWW) is just a part of the internet that strings together bits of information to make them easier to find.
Let's pretend you're writing a report on the history of your hometown. You head to your public library to find some local history books. Imagine how long it would take you to find the information you needed if all the books in the library were thrown in a giant pile.
Thankfully, your library is logically organized into sections, and each section is clearly labeled. All you need to do is go to the non-fiction area, find the history shelf, and locate the local history section. Within minutes you have access to the information you need.
This is how the World Wide Web works, too. Instead of all the information on the Internet being thrown together in an electronic pile, the World Wide Web creates links between related information to help keep it organized.
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