Computer Networking 001 -- What is the Internet?

Components Point of View

Hosts

Hosts = end systems = all connected computing devices

• e.g. PC, Servers, Laptops, Smart watches, etc.

Clients

Tends to be smaller machines like desktop and mobile PCs

Servers

More powerful machines that store and distribute data. Usually reside in large data centers.

Communication links & Packets

End systems are connected together by a network of communication links and packet switches

Communication links

• Communication links are made up of physical media like: coaxial cable, copper wire, optical fiber, and radio spectrum.
• Different type of links have different transmission rate, in B/sec, known as bandwidth.

Packets & Packet switch

• When data is transmitted from one end system to another, data is transmitted in segments known as packets, the packets are then reassembled into the original data at the destination.
• Packet switches serves as an intermidiate, which receives arrived packets (from one communication link) and pass on the packet to an outgoing communication link.
  • Routers are typically used in the network core
  • Thin layer switches are typically used in access networks

ISP (Internet Service Provider)

The ISP is the link between end systems and all the other "servers" on the Internet. i.e. Companies providing internet connection.

• Different types of ISPs: cellphone providers, local cable providers, corporate internet providers, etc.
• Each ISP is in itself a network of packet switches and communication links
• ISPs have different tiers, and all of them have different protocols

Internet Protocols

Rules that control the sending and receiving of information within the Internet, run by all end systems, packet switches, and other pieces of the Internet.

• IP: a protocol that specifies the format of the packets that are sent and received among routers and end systems

Internet Standards

Documents that defines all protocols, such as IETF.

• IETF = Internet Engineering Task Force
• IETF standards documents are called requests for comments (RFCs) 
• RFC defines protocols such as TCP, IP, HTTP (for the Web), and SMTP (for e-mail)

Services Point of View

Internet is an infrastructure that provides services to applications

Distributed Applications

All internet applications that run on multiple end systems that exchange data with each other.

Socket Interface

An interface specifies how a program running on one end system asks the Internet infrastructure to deliver data to a specific destination program running on another end system 

• A set of rules end systems must follow in order to communicate on the internet (好比物流公司的寄件要求)
• When you develop an Internet application, you too must choose one of the Internet’s services for your application

Protocols

Protocols define format, order of messages sent and received among network entities, and actions taken on message transmission, receipt

• All activity in the Internet that involves two or more communicating remote entities is governed by a protocol