Have you ever find yourself searching for something online? How long does it take to get a response from your search? You search for something online and get a response back in no time.

This is made possible because two devices connect and communicate via a wired or wireless network. You can connect multiple devices to this network, but this becomes complicated very quickly, as each device needs to connect to every other device to communicate effectively.

This problem is solved by a network switch that connects multiple devices and allows them to communicate with each other. The network switch can connect to other switches, and now two networks can join. These network switches then link to more switches until you have an interconnected network.

When we use websites or video streaming services on the internet, these are provided by computers called servers. A server is a computer program or device that provides a service to another computer program and its user, also known as the client. A server has a static IP address that does not change.

Have you ever had a video call with someone on another continent? That video data travel through large undersea cables connecting the world's networks. These cables can transfer huge volumes of data per second. Fun fact about the internet 'Internet connects the entire world.

Clients connect to a server at a specific IP address and on a particular port number. When you visit any web page through the internet, let's say you're on the hashnode.com website reading this article, you're accessing the webpage from your device be it a laptop or mobile. These devices are known as the client, and the client, your devices make request to some server basically another computer through the internet to acquire the pages you see on client device or machine

IP address - An IP address is a unique address that identifies a device on the internet or a local network. IP stands for "Internet Protocol," which is the set of rules governing the format of data sent via the internet or local network.

IP addresses are expressed as four numbers — an example address might be 192.158.1.38. Each number in the set can range from 0 to 255. So, the full IP addressing range goes from 0.0.0.0 to 255.255.255.255.

Port number - A port number is a way to identify a specific process to which an internet or other network message is to be forwarded when it arrives at a server

For example, if you are running a web browser on your device, it attempts to talk to the web server on the server machine, not the email server. This is known as the client-server model.

Here are some of the internet terminologies and the roles they play on the internet.

DNS - Domain name system is responsible for translating domain names into a specific IP address so that the initiating client can load the requested Internet resources. The domain name system works much like a phone book where users can search for a requested person and retrieve their phone number.

ISP - Internet service provider( ISP), a company that provides access to the internet. ISPs may also provide software packages (such as browsers), e-mail accounts, and a personal website or home page. ISPs can host websites for businesses and can also build the websites themselves.

HTTP - Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) is a method for encoding and transporting information between a client (such as a web browser) and a web server. HTTP is the primary protocol for the transmission of information across the Internet.

Packet - Packets are the basic units of communication over a TCP/IP network. Devices on a TCP/IP network divide data into small pieces, allowing the network to accommodate various bandwidths, allow for multiple routes to a destination, and to retransmit the pieces of data which are interrupted or lost.

TCP - TCP stands for Transmission Control Protocol a communications standard that enables application programs and computing devices to exchange messages over a network. It is designed to send packets across the internet and ensure the successful delivery of data and messages over networks.

LAN - LAN enables users to connect to internal servers, websites, and other LANs that belong to the same wide area network (WAN).

WAN - A wide area network (also known as WAN), is a large network of information that is not tied to a single location. WANs can facilitate communication, the sharing of information, and much more between devices from around the world through a WAN provider.

FTP - File transfer protocol is a way to download, upload, and transfer files from one location to another on the internet and between computer systems. FTP enables the transfer of files back and forth between computers or through the cloud. Users require an internet connection in order to execute FTP transfers.

Intranet - An intranet site is an internal website (or portal) that helps employees stay up-to-date with their company. It serves as a website, communications channel, knowledge management tool, and collaboration platform.

Extranet - An extranet is a private network similar to an intranet, but typically open to external parties, such as business partners, suppliers, key customers, etc. The main purpose of an extranet is to allow users to exchange data and applications and share information.

Conclusion

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