Troubleshooting Internetz Connection, part 05: How does internetz work?
Internet is a series of interconnected computers. One or more computers that are belong into the same logical or physical group are called a network. Each “point” in the network is called a network node, and networks can be connected into larger networks. Super-network, connecting smaller and smaller networks into a whole is what we usually call “Internetz”. It all started as an idea with practical application back in the middle of the past century, but it really took off by the very end of the century, from 1995. till now. Most of the success came from the fact that IBM with other market leaders came up with Personal Computer platform, known today as PC, which offered personal computing appliances that have had standardized and inter-exchangeable parts. Such ability to quickly replace original parts with spares, not necessarily from the same manufacturer, lead to the industrial boom, which in turn led to a technological boom. Today, modern internetz consists of many nodes that talk the same, standardized “network languages” between themselves. Those languages are called protocols, and depending on your needs computers use them seamlessly to fetch you information and provide you with service.
Some of these computers are dedicated to specific services within network, and for some of these their characteristics have been changed in order to fulfill a specific role. In example, specifically designed computer used to direct traffic inside one busy network is called a Switch. Computers that direct traffic between networks and are optimized for that purpose are called Routers. Computers that store information and make it available on your demand, are called Servers. Those are distinguished usually by the protocol or purpose for which they serve, so we have DHCP servers, DNS servers, File Servers, Network Storage Servers, and many more. All of them are connected into networks as network nodes, communicating daily and nightly for your pleasure.
