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How does the Internet Work?

Internet concepts and how connections function

Key Terminology

Query

  • Text used to extract data. On the internet, the goal is for the screen on your computer,

or device to do something. The query is the thing that tells the computer to do something.

Packets

  • To complete a query packets travel through a network to retrieve the data.
  • Contains information about the destination computer to return to, and susceptible to picking

up cookies and trackers along the way.

  • It then reassembles and become the message you see on your screen.

Network

  • Any one computer, connected to another computer that data can pass through and to is

called a network.

Server

  • A computer that's purpose is to process requests as well as contain data to transmit to other

computers over a network.

DNS (Domain Name System)

  • This is the network of servers that your request goes through to get to the webpage you want
  • A decentralized name system used to convert people language into computer language and

back again.

IP Address

  • The unique identifier that anything that connects to the internet has associated with it.
  • You can think of it as your return address or P.O. Box

Net Neutrality

Equal treatment of all websites under Internet Service Providers.