4.1 The Internet

Part 1

• How did the internet come to life? It all began by these massive computers. They were isolated and very hard to work on. As a result, the idea of the internet came to life. It was to easily communicate between users and opened many gateways to digital communication.

• The internet is basically a way for computers to talk to each other using networks

• A packet is a small amount of data or information sent over a network that includes information about the sender and destination.

• A computer network is a group of computing devices interacting with each other in some sort of way

How do computers send data to each other?

• In a process called packet switching, a message(file) is broken up into packets which are reassembled by the receiver. It is often times converted into something the computer can understand like binary.

• A path is between the sender and receiver and the router will help find the path. For example, If you’re accessing a website, routers determine the optimal path for the data packets to traverse the internet (routing), following a series of interconnected devices (paths) to reach the web server.

• Routing is a process that finds a path from the sender to receiver

• Bandwidth is the maximum amount of data that can be sent in a computer network

Popcorn Hack 1

• What is the diagram showing?

1. Bandwidth
2. Computer Network
3. Packet Switching
4. Operating System

• Two possible answers

Answer

Part 2

• Protocols are sets of rules for the way data is transferred throughout the internet

• There are two acceptable models that show the layers that data is sent by protocols
  • OSI
  • TCP/IP
    • TCP/IP is more widely accepted but OSI is still used
• The OSI(Open Systems Interconnect) model shows the 7 layers you have to go throught to communicate between other computers

• TCP(Transmission Control Protocol) is a protocol for how to send messages between devices

Popcorn Hack 2

A request from the frontend to the backend is being made and the response returns JSON. What layer(s) did the data go through?

1. Application
2. Transport
3. Internet
4. Network Access
5. All layers

Answer

What is an example of the OSI/TCP Model

Network Access/Internet Layer

• The process usually starts with the Internet layer where the user’s computer is assigned a unique IP address so it can communicate with other computers or web servers
  • A DHCP(Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) assigns the computer its unique IP address

Application/Transport Layer

1. The user sends a request to a server or page
2. If the user wants to go to a website like amazon.com, it has its unique IP address but it isn’t readable by humans so a DNS(Domain Name Service), which stores the IP address inside of a database, sends it over the user
3. During this process, the user sent a TCP request for the IP of amazon.com to the DNS server and the DNS server sent a TCP response in the form of packets for the IP of amazon.com
4. Now, the user can send a request to the IP of the webpage like amazon.com
5. The last step is for a router to send the user to the correct destination of the IP. In this case, amazon.com.

Popcorn Hack 3

How does a user get the IP for a web page when they enter the url?

1. It goes through layers when the request is made to the webp
2. The DNS sends it to the user in the form of a TCP response
3. There is no need for the user to know the ip when going to the url
4. The user automatically knows

Answer

Protocols used here are:

• HTTP - Hyper Text Transfer Protocol
  • HTTP is a protocol that says how data is transferred over the internet
  • Used for sending requests from a user and receiving a response in the form of HTML or JSON from the server.
  • In last trimester, you made a request to the backend from the frontend using HTTP and it sent a response in the form of JSON
• HTTPS
  • HTTPS is HTTP with security. In last trimester’s final project, the devops person used certbot to make the HTTP requests to the backend secure.

• TCP/IP - Transmission Control Protocol, Internet Protocol
  • TCP/IP is important because HTTP requests and responses depend on a TCP connection between the client and server
  • Once a TCP connction is made, HTTP requests are carried in TCP packets
  • IP sends the TCP packets to the correct location
  • When you made the HTTP request from the frontend to the backend, your request was broken up into TCP packets and sent to the correct location by IP

Homework

Bandwidth:

1. In the context of computer networks, elaborate on the concept of bandwidth. Discuss how bandwidth influences the speed and efficiency of data transfer. Provide examples of scenarios where both high and low bandwidth can impact the performance of internet connected devices.

Computer Network:

1. Explore computer networks by detailing the key components and their interplay. Discuss the significance of scalability, security, and reliability in designing computer networks. Provide real-world examples of how different types of computer networks, such as local area networks (LANs) and wide area networks (WANs), serve distinct purposes in various settings.

Packet Switching:

1. Investigate packet switching and its role in modern communication systems. Compare and contrast packet switching with alternative methods, such as circuit switching, highlighting the advantages that packet switching brings to data transmission. Describe the journey of a data packet through a network.

Homework Answer

1. Bandwidth in computer networks is the data transfer rate, influencing how fast information travels. High bandwidth means quicker data transmission, improving experiences like streaming or downloading large files. Conversely, low bandwidth leads to delays, buffering, and dropped connections. For instance, a high-bandwidth connection suits a household with multiple devices streaming, ensuring smooth performance, while low bandwidth hampers such activities, causing frustration with interruptions and slower data retrieval.

2. Computer networks consist of key components like routers, switches, and servers, working together to facilitate communication. Scalability ensures networks can expand efficiently, adapting to growing demands. Security is crucial to safeguard data from unauthorized access or cyber threats, and reliability ensures consistent and uninterrupted connectivity.

In real-world examples, LANs are ideal for small-scale setups like offices, providing fast communication within a limited area. WANs, on the other hand, connect geographically dispersed locations, such as a company with offices worldwide, enabling seamless data exchange. The design must balance scalability, security, and reliability to meet the specific needs of each network type and its context.

1. Packet switching, a key element in modern communication, breaks data into packets for efficient transmission. Unlike circuit switching, it doesn’t require a dedicated path, optimizing network resources. It allows for better scalability, as packets can take different routes to reach their destination, enhancing reliability. In contrast, circuit switching establishes a dedicated path for the entire communication, which can be less flexible and resource-efficient.

In packet switching, data packets travel independently through the network, each taking the most efficient route. They may be briefly stored and forwarded at different nodes, ensuring optimal use of network resources. This method enables simultaneous data transmission, reducing delays and enhancing overall efficiency in data communication.

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