FACTS ABOUT

THE INTERNET
BY: AJAY KUMAR

The Internet
was created
by Bob Kahn
and Vint Cerf

No one truly owns the

Internet

It is formed of many people

and companies who own
servers that own small parts
The main type of data that that create it.
the Internet uses is packets,
which are 8 bits of data. The
speed that the packets pass
through the cable is called
bitrate, and bandwidth is the
number of data that can be
transferred/processed in a
given amount of time. The 3
ways bits are send are
The names/identifiers of all the devices on
through wires, cables, and
the Internet are called IP addresses. There
Wi-Fi.
are 2 types of IP addresses - IPv4 and IPv6.
IPv6 is the newer protocol, and it has longer
IP addresses than IPv4 so that more devices
can be connected and the Internet can be
easily expanded. IP stands for Internet
protocol, which is the way packets are sent
IP addresses can be given aliases, which and recieved through the Internet.
are called domain names. Domain names
are websites such as www.google.com,
which makes it easier for people to type in
rather than a long IP address such as
12.34.567.890. The URL is just the entire
link, such as https://www.google.com. The
way you connect to the internet is through

WWW.
your modem. Your modem connects you to
ISP (Internet Service Provider) to provide
you with Internet connection. Latency is One thing that most websites
use is cookies, which are
the delay before a data transfer begins.
temporary files stored on your
The lower the latency, the faster the pages
web brower for your
load. The websites that are loading are
convienience. Cookies store
formatted in HTML (Hyper Text Formatting things such as passwords or
Language). R shopping carts, that way it saves
ea
d m and you don't have to re-enter
or the information every time you
e
click on a link on the website.
ab
ou

HTTP(S) stands for HyperText Transfer Protocol (Secure). When

t

you enter a URL in your browser, it sends a HTTP command to the

m

web server, which tells it to display the webpage. HTTPS is the

od

same thing as HTTP, but it is encrypted with TLS (Transport Layer

em

Security) or SSL (Secure Sockets Layer). When you type in a URL,

sh

your computer sends a request for the IP through the DNS

ere

(Domain Name System), which contains all the IP's corresponding

with certain domains. Unfortunately, due to the openness of the
!

system, hackers can change the IP that corresponds with a

domain to a fake website, where they can steal your information.
This is called DNS spoofing. This can be avoided by visiting only
HTTPS links.

Modems bring the Internet to your home or other

LAN (local area network) and WAN (Wide area
network) are 2 types of networks that connect
devices. LANs are for small areas, such as
houses, schools, etc., while WANs are for larger
areas, such as cities. LAN is much faster than
WAN, but WAN allows more connectivity
between devices all throughout the earth.
WANs are less secure because  of how
widespread they are. LANs are usually owned
by a single person or organization, while WANs
are owned by several people over long
distances.
area using an Ethernet cable to connect to the
ISP. Wi-Fi Routers create a LAN within the area,
which allows devices to connect wirelessly.
Routers also assign local IP addresses to devices. A
switch connects multiple devices together in the
same network. The main differences betweens
routers and switches is that switches can only
connect computers in a single network, switches
don't use IP addresses, and switches cannot be
wireless.

There are many protocols which make up the

<_
internet. DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration
Two kinds of requests used in
Protocol) is the protocol which assigns
the Internet are Get and Post
devices IP addresses. Without an IP address,
computers can't connect to the internet. Request
requests. Get requests are
Another protol is TCP (Transmission Control signals to the server to
Protocol). TCP connects two hosts and it
retrieve the webpage, while
makes sure that packets are recieved in the
same order that they were sent. post requests send data from
the user to the server. Get
requests are useful for loading
webpages properly, while post
requests are useful for things
such as filling out a form or
signing up for a website.
Certificate
Digital certificates are
attachments placed on
websites which verify that a
person is who he/she is
claiming to be, and that their
website is secure. To obtain a
digital certificate, one must
apply for one from a certificate
authority. Digital certificates
help prevent DNS spoofing
and other forms of hacking.

The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) is a "large open international

community of network designers, operators, vendors, and researchers
concerned with the evolution of the Internet." The IETF manages
Transmission Control Protocol and Internet Protocol, which are both vital to
the wellbeing of the Internet.