Loading Page Content...
Preparing courses, live labs, and learning resources.सामग्री लोड हो रही है, कृपया प्रतीक्षा करें...
Preparing courses, live labs, and learning resources.सामग्री लोड हो रही है, कृपया प्रतीक्षा करें...
Today, we take instant messaging, online video streaming, and digital banking for granted. But what exactly is the Internet, how does the World Wide Web (WWW) work, and how do billions of connected devices identify one another?
Click to ZoomThe Internet (short for Interconnected Networks) is a colossal, worldwide global network of billions of computers, servers, mobile phones, and smart devices communicating using standard rules called Protocols.
Many people mistakenly think the Internet and the Web are the exact same thing. In computer science:
Just as your home requires a postal address to receive courier parcels, every device connected to the Internet (laptop, smartphone, smart TV) is assigned a unique numerical label called an IP Address (Internet Protocol Address).
There are two major versions of IP addresses:
+-----------------------+-----------------------------+-----------------------------+
| Feature | IPv4 (Version 4) | IPv6 (Version 6) |
+-----------------------+-----------------------------+-----------------------------+
| Address Length | **32 Bits** (4 Bytes) | **128 Bits** (16 Bytes) |
| Notation Format | Decimal numbers separated by| Hexadecimal separated by |
| | dots (.) | colons (:) |
| Example | `192.168.1.1` | `2001:0db8:85a3::8a2e:0370`|
| Total Addresses | Approx. 4.3 Billion ($2^{32}$)| Undecillion ($2^{128}$ - infinite!)|
+-----------------------+-----------------------------+-----------------------------+Computers only understand numbers (IP addresses like 142.250.190.46). But humans cannot memorize dozens of random 10-digit numbers to visit websites!
The DNS (Domain Name System) acts as the Phonebook of the Internet:
www.google.com or www.mskinstitute.com) into machine-readable numerical IP addresses.Continue learning with hands-on practice, examples, and exercises in the upcoming topic.
| Previous Lesson | Next Lesson |
|---|---|
| Basics of Computer Networks (LAN, WAN, Topology) | Modes of Internet Connection (WiFi, Broadband, Mobile) |
Test your understanding of this lesson with 5 questions. Each question has one correct answer.