Back in episode 18 of the CounterAgent podcast we were asked the above question: “How Does the Internet Work?”, by Tenzin. If you don’t like to read you can just listen to that episode of the podcast for the answer, however, I figured I’d also post the answer here for all to literate internet users with questions about the “tubes”. Here goes.

The simple answer is, it’s magic. The internet has a couple names that actually help explain how it works. The first being WWW, or World Wide Web. It refers to the internet as a spider’s web. Not only can a spider quickly create a complex series of web connections (one point to another), but all of the lines connect to each other in some way or another.

Another name you might be familiar with is the Information Super Highway. This refers to how the internet works the way a highway system works. Roads extend from one land to another, point to point. However, just like a spider web (although much uglier and complicated), highways also connect at various points in-between. This allows us to go to exactly where we want.

The internet works in a similar way. It all starts when you type in a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) in your browser’s address bar. The term URL has deprecated for the more correct term URI (Uniform Resource Identifier). If you’ve ever planned a road trip, this is the part where you choose where you want to go. Once you’ve entered your destination, the magic starts. The process starts by looking up the name you’ve entered and finding the associated IP (Internet Protocol) address. The way it does this is by pre-chewing your data, or breaking it up into tiny snack size morsels called packets, in a process call packet switching. Packet switching is a process in which packets (tiny blocks of data) are routed/sent between nodes, comes from a root word in latin meaning “knot” (a point in a network where lines intersect, this can be something like a computer terminal where packets are created, received, or sent). In each network node, the packets are queued or buffered (kinda like a traffic light), resulting in, well traffic, and delays. That’s why sometimes, even when you may have a fast connection, the site you’re trying to visit doesn’t, and you have to wait for them to catch up. Packets don’t travel alone. They have a bunch of friends. Once it gets to it’s destination, each packet waits for it’s friends. Then Voltron style, they join back together to form some usable data, such as a query, or in this case, the IP address you’re trying to reach.

Once everything is put back together at it’s destination, the process is started all over again, but this time in reverse. Now that the data has asked it’s question and received it’s answer, it begins it’s trip back home to where it all started. The data is broken back up into packets and sent back home, to your browser.

And that’s how babies are made.

Boom!

You can now add an avatar, or icon, or whatever you want to call it to your profile. That way any time you comment it will show up next to your comment and people will see it and love you. I know this isn’t anything new to most sites, but we’ve just added it to ours. That means it’s new. I’m still sick so this is the most I can do right now.

Hopefully I’ll be making some forums soon to help build out the community part of CounterAgent. I welcome any suggestions you might have. Let me know of the community type stuff you use or like. Just email me at: contact@counteragent.com or use the link up top^.

I went ahead and recorded a little video to demonstrate how to use the new feature. You probably won’t need to watch it, but I’m posting it anyway.

Boom! *Cough*

I’m often asked that question. Many people still don’t know what a Podcast is.

A podcast is simply a radio or video style talk show provided as a downloadable file. That way you can listen to it whenever and wherever you want. Sometimes you don’t even need to download the podcast to listen to it. Many people have media players built into their sites.

Do you have to use an iPod for a Podcast? No. Although if you have an iPod or similar media/mp3 player you can enjoy most of these podcast’s on the go.

This has been the first installment of N00B School. Hope it helped clear up some simple tech misunderstandings.

Need to know more on this or more. Let us know and send us suggestions. Send us an email at Contact@CounterAgent.com or use our Contact page up top.

Boom!