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Network Networks And The Internet

Decent Essays

Without the modern router, the internet as we know it today would not be possible. Routers interconnect smaller network segments known as LANs (Local Area Networks) by filtering and passing small packets of data to other routers outside of the LAN across a series of physical media. This topology, where multiple LANs are physically connected, is referred to as a WAN or Wide Area Network. This basic operation of packet forwarding forms the foundation of the internet.

Originally the Internet began as the ARPANET (A project, funded by the Advanced Research Projects Agency, to maintain lines of communication in case of nuclear war) and routers were known as IMPs or Interface Message Processors. IMPs were the first of their kind to be able to connect networks of different types. These devices were a major breakthrough at the time even though they still did not contain the robust functionality of modern router or even the reliability of TCP/IP which had not been invented yet. The next significant breakthrough occurred when the next generation of routers were developed by researchers at MIT and Stanford Universities in the early 80’s. These routers incorporated multi-protocol compatibility which allowed different vendor networks to be able to communicate which each other. This was significant at the time because not all networks used TCP/IP, in fact very few even did. This development caused a boom in the industry and essentially started the rise of the digital age.

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