The Internet as Understandable

Tyson, J. (2001). How Internet infrastructure works. http://www.howstuffworks.com/internet-infrastructure.htm#

Jeff Tyson does an exceptional job of explaining the underlying framework of the Internet. Many, if not most, people perceive the term “Internet” as an amorphous collection of sounds that describes how one connected computer can somehow access information all over the world. Tyson presents in a clear and simple manner how the “interconnected networks” (1^st para.) that make up the Internet are organized and how they share and retrieve information. The article includes the physical infrastructure of computers, routers, modems and fiber optic cables, but also explains how each of these items contribute to the phenomenon users experience when using the Internet (for example, how do the computers find each other and exchange information so a user can view it?). Most remarkably, Tyson gives simple explanations that simultaneously enlighten, satisfy and link to other articles with more in-depth discussion. For example, in three paragraphs Tyson explains the basic functions of routers. The account is simple and clear. It is complete and does not leave the reader with unanswered questions, but it also encourages interest in more in-depth accounts and provides links to other articles with an increased level of explanation (in this example, the HowStuffWorks’ article “How Routers Work”).

Of particular note, Tyson provides a simple example that illustrates the roles of the Internet Service Provider (ISP), the Point of Presence (POP), Network Access Point (NAP), and even a local area network (LAN). Accompanied with images, this example provides a concrete means of understanding how all the computers accessing the Internet are connected. The presentation of the Internet’s high-speed backbones (with a striking speed comparison to a 56K modem) completes this picture of the physical infrastructure. Tyson then continues with the role of routers, Internet Protocol and HTTP. Internet Protocol includes a simple explanation of what an IP address is, why they are necessary, how computers acquire them, and how Domain Name System (DNS) servers make the retrieval of information simpler for the user. Tyson’s article is a must read for all Internet users!