What exactly is the internet, and how do you manage to create something like it?

Question

What exactly is the internet, and how do you manage to create something like it?

Answer 1

Simplified version of johntrottier's excellent definition (above):

Internet = "inter network", aka between different networks.

Today's internet as john has defined perfectly is a collection of millions of computers, that are within different networks.

Contrary to the first few answers you received, you can create your own "internet" - obviously not in the same sense as the public Internet as we know it today, but given the definition of "inter network" yes, you sure can:

At the simplest level/example:

- You have your own home wireless network, where each member of the family has a PC of their own. Let's call it network A, your family's group of PCs.

- Your neighbor has their own home wireless network. Let's call that network B, your neighbors group of PCs.

If you can find a way for these 2 networks to "talk" to each other, while still being distinct networks (not combining Networks A & B into one), then voila! A small home town "internet" is born!

Expand on the simple example to include all the homes in a community, well, you've got one cool "community internet".

In fact, there is an "Internet 2" that isn't well-known. Its specifically a high-speed network between universities...an "educational institution internet" so to speak.

Absolutely not a dumb question! Real knowledge is power. Bravo!

Answer 2

what are u .. nuts?  you dont create the internet

Answer 3

The Internet as we know it today is a collection of millions of computers networked together

The Internet's backbone are the fiber optic communication lines that run around the world connecting the servers and routers which direct all messages, including this message, to computers around the world.

This infrastructure has been built, expanded and overhauled for  over 30 years since things first started up in the old days of DARPA

DARPA started the connections between computers to help build better nuclear bombs. Since that time it has grown to what it is today through the contributions of thousands of engineers, many companies, universities, and a lot of countries. No one person created all of it, and for the most part it just grew, as different people saw things that they could do. Sometimes they were motivated by profit potential, sometimes by wanting to do something to help others, sometimes by the possibility of stealing someones money and sometimes just to be unique.

But it's all fun

PS - In response to the previous posts, the only stupid question is the one you don't ask

Answer 4

You are really stupid you cant make the internet. its the transfer of files over a network using servers