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.
Modern
The Internet is a worldwide, publicly accessible series of interconnected computer networks that transmit data by packet switching using the standard Internet Protocol (IP).
J.C.R. Licklider first developed the idea of the Internet in a series of papers published in 1962. However, the infrastructure that would eventually become the Internet was developed by the United States government in the late Sixties. This network, called the ARPANET, sent its first bits of data in 1969. However, as the network got larger, the packets of data were becoming increasingly difficult for the network to handle. Therefore, protocols were developed to help facilitate smooth transfers of data. These evolved into TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol), which are the basis on which the modern Internet runs. TCP/IP made it easy to integrate new networks, thus allowing for an increasing infrastructure on which the Internet
It is important to know the history of the internet. The internet is a worldwide network of computer systems that are connected to each other by cables (Howe, 2012). The internet first started out as a military experiment. In 1957, the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) was created by the United States department of Defense (Computer History Museum, 2004). The project was started after the Russians launched a satellite into space for communication reasons. The satellite was called SPUTNIK (Computer History Museum, 2004). It was rumored that President Eisenhower got worried and decided to get the United States to launch its own satellite. They recruited Dr. Joseph C. Licklider of MIT, was made head of the Information Processing Techniques Office (IPTO)(Computer History Museum, 2004). Their purpose of the project was to focus on improving the military use of computer information.
A Wide Area Network ( WAN) is a computer network covering multiple distance areas, which may spread across the entire world. WANs often connect
A router is a network device, typically connected to a variety of LAN and WAN interfaces, that forwards packets based on their destination IP addresses.
The Internet is, quite literally, a network of networks. It is comprised of ten thousands of interconnected networks spanning the globe. The computers that form the Internet range from huge mainframes in research establishments to modest PCs in people's homes and offices. Despite the recent hype, the Internet is not a new phenomenon. Its roots lie in a collection of computers that were linked together in the 1970s to form the US Department of Defense's communications systems. Fearing the consequences of nuclear attack, there was no central computer holding vast amounts of data, rather the information was dispersed across thousands of machines. A set of rules, of protocols, known as TCP/IP was
Over the course of the next twenty years it was mainly utilized by the United States military and government to communicate with each other during the “cold war” with the Soviet Union, and the allies of the United States. By 1982 the concept and use of the Internet had been reshaped by the Internet Protocol Suite (IPS). (CNN.org) The idea eventually evolved and was adapted by the United States in 1986, when the Internet Protocol Suite expanded and began to provide access to supercomputer sites for research and educational organizations. The internet further evolved by the mid-1990’s into the mass commercial use we see today, with many early use restrictions lifted. Since then the Internet has continued to expand and continues to advance. (Wikipedia.org)
A router is a network device that routes packets to networks other than its own. Routers are almost like a bridge between networks. Most home use routers to connect their local network (their LAN) to the Internet (which is a wide-area network) with all-in-one devices with routers, modems and wireless access points built in.
The internet started as a project funded by the Advanced Research Project Agency (ARPA), this agency is a branch of the military. Initially, the internet was used to connect the University of Utah with three other institutions in California. The reason for this connection was to make effective use of the very expensive computers that these institutions housed by having them share information, this network system came to be known as ARPANET. One of the first applications used through this network was Telnet, which allowed researchers to remotely control the computers connected to the ARPANET.
The early 1990s is when the modern day began. In 1992, and Oxford University computer scientists named Tim Berners-Lee developed the World Wide Web. This was a data sharing space that anyone with an internet connection can access. Not just government research centers and scientists with access to top of the of the line equipment. As the 1990’s continued, the Internet continued to globalize. In 1992, Erwise was the first successful Internet browser due to the graphical user interface software it supplied. Erwise paved the way for Mosaic and eventually Netscape which accounted for 90 percent of all internet browsing activity. As the Internet started to grow faster, companies such America Online and Compuserve offered Internet through a dial-up network connection. This allowed anyone with a home phone line access to the Internet. The Internet was now expanding into residential homes and was expanding globally. In 1994, the use of the internet was expanding by 2,500 percent a year. Entrepreneurs such as Jeff Bezos
Communication is a major concern back in the old ages, letter was the commonly used medium of it until telegraph was invented in 1792, and this allowed messages to be delivered over a great distance. In the late 1800s the radio and the telephone both improved the means of communication, it brought communication to a higher level. Technology began to change tremendously in the 20th century. With the first supercomputer in 1940s, professionals began to experiment ways to bridge networks within these computers and this leads us to the bloom of the Internet Age. In 1969 “CompuServe” ignited the Internet age, it was one of the first the commercial Internet Providers in the United States. They used the dial-up connection to connect to the web. This
A computer network is interconnection of more computing systems and their hardwares for storing and transmitting the data. These networks can be connected either wires or wireless. Connecting the systems without wires is called wireless technology.
A computer network is any computer or group of computers that are linked to another computer or systems of computers so they can communicate. There are several careers that involve knowledge of computer networking. Each of these positions require a particular set of skills. While the positions may sound the same, they are not. For example, the network engineer manages and designs computer networks, upgrading them and tests their security while the network administrator keeps the network running. The network analyst is responsible for supporting the overall infrastructure of the computer network, writing software and other programs that are needed. The information systems administrator is responsible for designing, delivering, and maintaining the infrastructure that makes up the network, usually in an organization. The network technician is the one who sets up the network, troubleshoots problems and services the network to keep it running. The network information systems manager is responsible for the technicians, administrators, analysists and engineers while also planning for the network into the future (Computer Networking Majors Guide).
The internet would not be possible without computers which developed in the 1950s. With the question of, “How can we make communication happen faster around the world?” Originally the goal was to be able to enable networking using a bunch of memos to become the starting point of Social Media. The first project leader of this entire experiment was J.C.R. Licklider at MIT. He even wrote a discussion in 1962 talking about his “Galactic Network” concept. He was the one who came up with the idea to connect through computers using networks so people could access data as quickly as they can. He explained to his successors how important this concept was. And soon enough it became the start of the most important project ever to be done. The United States Department of Defense awarded contracts to computer science labs in the United States, United Kingdom, and in France to come up with making this question happen and also with the development of the ARPANET project. ARPANET is the first network to conclude the protocol suite. In 1969 Professor Leonard Kleinrock a
Ever since the internet has been formed, it has been a publicly funded and supported utility that has improved the lives of millions, if not billions of people around the world. However, like most public utilities, there are inefficiencies, political conflicts, and barriers that all government projects suffer from. Because the internet is not immune to these drawbacks of being a government utility, it has been privatized. This privatization has allowed the internet it explode in size, availability, and become more affordable to the masses. Now though, as large internet service providers (ISPs) merge together and ISPs make deals with local and state governments that effectively allow them to monopolize their services, an anti-competitive atmosphere has emerged, allowing them to effectively price gouge consumers. Due to these factors, net neutrality is needed to preserve competitiveness between the few ISPs left, allowing consumers to enjoy lower prices, better service, and minimal invasion to privacy.