It is not an exaggeration to say that the internet has had a more profound effect on the modern world than any other technological innovation before it. Everything we knew prior to its introduction has been changed by it.
That being the case, it is easy to understand why so many people perceive the internet as being complicated. In reality, it’s not as complicated as you might thing. With the right analogies, anyone can understand it.
This post will explain the internet in simple terms. As you read, keep in mind that we offer rural internet service in markets across the U.S. It is rural high-speed internet, mind you, not slow dial-up or spotty satellite service.
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The Internet Is a Highway
The best place to start our explanation is with a highway. Cities and towns across the country are connected by interstates. Likewise, the interstates are connected to state highways, county highways, and local roads. You can literally pull out of your driveway and travel to the other side of the country without ever leaving pavement.
This is essentially what the internet is. But instead of cars driving on pavement, it is computer data traveling through networks – both wired and wireless. The networks are similar to paved roads while the data is like so many cars on the highway.
ISPs and Internet Access
Now, imagine the internet being one giant toll road. In order to use that toll road, you have to drive up an entrance ramp and go through a toll booth. You can only proceed after paying your toll and letting the barrier blocking your way rise. Your internet service provider (ISP) is the internet equivalent of a toll booth. Your computer gets onto the internet highway by going through that tollbooth.
Websites on the Internet
The last part of this analogy explains the many websites you visit. Imagine each website being a building in a major city. You drive down the interstate, get off at your exit, drive up a local street, and pull into the building’s parking lot. Now you can access whatever is in the building.
Websites are like those buildings. Signals from your computer travel down the internet highway, get off the right exit, and go right to the website you want to see. How does it manage? Through what are known as IP addresses.
Like Your Home Address
An IP address is like your home address. Think of your mail. How does the mail carrier get mail to you? By reading the address stamped on the envelope and delivering it to your house. The internet works the same way. Every website, server, etc. has an IP address. Computer networks use something known as a domain name server (DNS) to locate addresses. A DNS is a lot like a map.
The DNS tells your ISP where to locate the website you want to visit. Your DNS finds the address then sends the signals from your computer to that address. The website on the other end returns data and the process reverses itself.
A Lot of Technology
It takes a lot of technology to make the internet work. That technology is complicated. As for the internet itself, it works a lot like a highway system. Put in those terms, the internet is pretty simple to understand.