The Evolution of the Internet
The internet was born from an incredible idea: messages could be split up into chunks and sent through the network as a series of transmissions. Messages would be reassembled at the destination computers. American engineer Paul Baran and Welsh scientist Donald W. Davies are credited with originating the concept. These scientists and engineers were recruited by the Pentagon’s Advanced Research Projects Agency to create this revolutionary technology. As time passed, internet use grew at an exponential rate.
The internet was initially controlled by the government, but has since gradually shifted to private custody. In the United States, the Internet Engineering Task Force, an informal group of interested individuals, participates in a grassroots development process for internet standards. The Internet Society is an international nonprofit with headquarters in Reston, Virginia. ICANN, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, is another private nonprofit organization that oversees domain name policy. The Internet has changed the way people communicate.
The evolution of Internet access has increased the number of devices and services available to consumers. Before the Internet, only home computers and a dial-up modem were the only devices that were connected to the Internet. Today, wireless Internet access has enabled the development of applications that were previously uneconomical. Global positioning systems (GPS) combined with wireless Internet access allow mobile users to locate alternate routes, generate accurate accident reports, initiate recovery services, and improve traffic management and congestion control.
Developed during the Cold War, the Internet was initially referred to as ARPANET. Military leaders were concerned about foreign nations taking out U.S. communications. Consequently, the U.S. government contracted with various universities and companies to develop network technologies. The result was ARPATECH, which linked the major supercomputers in the country. This wide-scale network allowed users to share and transfer information. The ARPANET eventually split into two sections, MILNET for government use and ARPANET for academic research.
Currently, the Internet is composed of two main components: hardware and software. Network protocols present the rules that machines must follow. Without these rules, machines cannot exchange information. Protocols translate alphabetic text into electronic signals and back to alphabetic text. Hardware comprises the computer, smartphone, or other device used to access the Internet. Additional types of hardware include cell phone towers, satellites, routers, and radios. This article will explore the difference between these two major components of the Internet.
The IP address is an important component of the Internet model. It helps establish the Internet and enable Internetworking. IP addresses are fixed-length numbers that are assigned to each computer connected to the network. These are either automatically assigned by DHCP or manually assigned. By assigning an IP address to a computer, the IP address is used for that device’s network infrastructure. Once assigned, IP addresses are used by the Internet infrastructure to identify the computers on the network.
The Internet has many positive and negative aspects. Some people argue that it increases social isolation, alienation, and withdrawal from society. Others argue that the internet increases sociability and intimacy. It is impossible to quantify all the effects of the Internet. But whatever its effects are, it will always be important to evaluate the social impact of the Internet. It is important to note that the internet is a tool for both individuals and businesses. So what do we know about the future of the Internet?
