How Does the Internet Work? A Beginner's Guide

TL;DR

The internet is fundamentally just cables spread all over the world, connecting devices through networks. A switch connects computers in the same location using copper or fiber optic cables to create a Local Area Network (LAN), while an access point does the same job wirelessly. When one computer sends a packet, the switch reads its destination and forwards it to the correct port.

Transcript

This course will help someone with no  technical knowledge. Understand how the   internet works in frost teaches this course  with tons of visuals, just like he has taught 1000s of people on Udemy. The internet is a part  of our daily life, and we use it constantly. But what is the internet? Have you ever really  thought about it? Have you ever won... Read More

Key Insights

• A switch is the device used to let computers in the same environment, such as an office, house, or workplace, communicate with each other over close distances by connecting them with cables.
• The internet is just cables spread all over the world, and everyone who uses it should understand basic features like the ISP and how devices connect together through networks.
• A Local Area Network (LAN) is a collection of devices connected together in one physical location such as a building, office, or home, and must be restricted in geographic area.
• Switches only work with cables and cannot connect computers wirelessly, so you must use a copper cable or fiber optic cable to link devices to a switch.
• An access point performs the same connection job as a switch but uses wireless technology instead of cables, making it an alternative for creating a network among computers in the same environment.
• Fiber optic cables transmit data generally much faster than copper cables, while among copper cables, cat six cables are faster than cat five, with 'cat' standing for category.
• Messages generated by computers are called packets or frames, and when a computer can send a packet to another computer, it means both are on the same network and can communicate.
• Ports on a switch are called LAN ports because connecting computers to them creates a LAN, and matching LAN ports exist on the backs of computers and sides of laptops.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is a switch and why do we need it?

A switch is the device used to enable computers in the same environment to communicate with each other. When you have multiple computers in an office, house, or workplace at close distance, the switch lets them interact. Computers connect to the switch using cables, and once connected they form a network so any computer can send messages to any other computer through the switch.

Q: How do you connect computers to a switch?

You connect computers to a switch using cables, because switches only work with cables and never wirelessly. You typically use copper cables, which can be cat five or cat six category cables in small environments, and some switches also support fiber optic cables. You plug one end into a LAN port on the switch and the other end into the LAN port on the computer or laptop to establish the connection.

Q: What is a LAN (Local Area Network)?

A Local Area Network, or LAN, is a collection of devices connected together in one physical location, such as a building, office, or home. When you connect computers to a switch using cables, all of them join the same network, which is called a LAN. The location must be restricted in area; you cannot create a LAN between computers located in different countries like the United States and Russia.

Q: What is the difference between a switch and an access point?

Both a switch and an access point enable computers in the same environment to communicate and form a network, and either one is acceptable for this purpose. The only difference is the technology they use to connect devices: a switch uses cables, requiring copper or fiber optic cables, while an access point uses wireless technology instead of cables to communicate with the devices.

Q: Why are copper and fiber optic cables different in speed?

Fiber optic cables are generally much faster than copper cables when it comes to data transmission, which makes this an important distinction to understand. Among copper cables themselves, cat six cables are faster than cat five cables, where 'cat' stands for category. In small home or office environments copper cat five or cat six cables are common, while some switches also support the faster fiber optic option.

Q: What is a packet in computer networking?

A packet is a message generated by a computer to send to another computer. Some people call these messages packets and some call them frames; both terms are acceptable. When computer one wants to communicate with computer six, it sends a packet that first goes to the switch. The switch looks inside the packet, learns its destination, and then forwards the packet to the correct destination computer.

Q: How does a switch send a packet to the right computer?

When a computer sends a packet, the packet first travels to the port on the switch that the sending computer is connected to. That port passes the packet to the hardware inside the switch. The switch then looks inside the packet to read its destination, gives the packet to the specific port connected to the destination computer, and finally sends the packet to that computer, completing the communication.

Q: What are LAN ports on a switch?

LAN ports are the ports on a switch that computers plug into, and they are named this way because connecting computers to them creates a LAN. The number of ports varies between switch models; some switches have ten ports while others have more, and more ports generally increases the price. Matching LAN ports also exist on the backs of computers and the sides of laptops for connecting cables.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Imagine being a system administrator asked to make several office computers communicate with each other. The solution is a switch, a device that connects computers in the same close-distance environment. Computers connect to the switch using cables, typically copper cat five or cat six cables, though some switches also support faster fiber optic cables.

• Connecting computers to a switch with cables creates a Local Area Network, or LAN, a collection of devices in one physical location like a building, office, or home. A LAN must cover a restricted area; you cannot form one between computers in different countries. Homes, neighbors' houses, and offices each represent their own LAN.

• When one computer sends a packet to another, it first travels to the switch, which reads the packet's destination and forwards it to the correct LAN port. Access points offer a wireless alternative to switches. The course continues by exploring how these computers actually connect to the wider internet.