WEB RESOURCES:

The Internet works in a similar manner. It comprises computer networks linked through telephone lines that carry information in the form of electronic signals. When you log on to the Internet, what you first do is dial your Internet Service Provider (ISP).

Using your telephone line and modem, the computer connects to the ISP's server. Once there, the ISP acts as a gateway connecting you to any computer hooked to the World Wide Web, using browsers like Internet Explorer or Netscape.

Next, you type in a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) - such as www.rediff.com. The computer translates this into a number - the IP address - that is unique to every web page and computer, making it possible for machines to recognise each other. The machines then 'talk' to each other using 'languages' called protocols. Specifically, the protocol in question is TCP/IP, which allows computers to describe data to one another over a network.

Every computer on the WWW understands these two protocols, and can therefore communicate amicably. TCP/IP is actually two different things. TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) takes the information you want to send over the Internet, and breaks it into small chunks of data called 'packets' that can include programming, text, pictures, sound or video in various combinations. IP (Internet Protocol) takes over and routes those packets through computers to get them to their destination.

When the packets arrive at the destination computer, TCP reassembles them into what you finally see as a web page on your computer screen. TCP/IP is further broken down into specialised protocols like STMP (which works with email), Ftp (for simple file transfers) and the omnipresent 'http://' (Hypertext Transfer Protocol), which is how Web browsers work.

Sounds a bit intimidating? Just remember: you have gone through each of these steps every time you have logged on to the Internet! Even Bubbles, my pet parrot, finds it fascinating.

ADDITIONAL LINKS:

How does the Internet work? | Big Dummy's guide to the Internet | How Stuff Works

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