How Computers Communicate To

Provide Internet Services to Users

Jon Goldberg
27. October 2014
Leslie Mateer

(F1)

Audience and Purpose

Internet technology is progressing due to the increasingly critical role of the web
in both business and personal spheres. Thus, the ability to choose an ideal web
service from an internet service provider and
Internet Service Provider (ISP): The company
that provides access to the internet for a
interact with this corporation to ensure the
consumer with an established infrastructure.
highest quality experience is invaluable.
The purpose of this document is to give an internet consumer enough technical
knowledge to both make an informed choice regarding internet services and
have the ability to speak to ISP representatives about that service if problems
arise. Thus, while members of the audience understand basic computer
vocabulary, they would not have knowledge of technical terms regarding
internet infrastructure.

Introduction

The internet is the global network of interconnected computers that allows billions of internet
-enabled devices to communicate. There are dozens of major internet service providers that
provide hundreds of unique services to corporations and personal users that are used for
various purposes. Below are examples of such services, major ISPs, and manners in which the
internet is utilized. After reviewing these lists, it becomes apparent why knowing some
technicalities of the internet would benefit users.
Examples of Internet Services

Major Internet Service Providers

Examples of Ways the Internet is Used

Dialup

Comcast

Email Communication

Cable

Verizon

Surfing the World Wide Web

Fiber

Google

Video Games

Satellite

Time Warner Cable

Web Conferencing

AOL

Content submission

Earthlink

*All of these terms will be defined in the document

A Quick Overview of Internet Infrastructure

At its core, the infrastructure of the internet
is comprised of an incredibly large pool of
computers that are physically connected
through various mediums. The process is
complex, however, as data from a device
travels through several stages in order to
reach its destination. A simplified version
of this process is modeled in the graphic to
the right. Each of the steps shown will be
explained in this document.

(F2)

The Information Stream Process

First Step: The End User
The end user is the consumer who uses the internet to access information or send
data. Examples of an end user would be someone utilizing a search engine or a
company that uses email services. When end users wants to communicate with the
internet, their device sends their data or request for information to a router, which is
a device that simply filters information to a specific point. In this case, information is
routed to the users modem through a network or LAN connection. The modem then
sends the information to the next step in the process.

Second Step: Internet Service Provider

After processing the end users information, the modem directs data through a
specific medium to the end users ISP. After receiving data from the user, it is filtered
further with ISP routers and sent to the ISPs modems. Depending on the size of the
provider, the data is then sent to its final destination on either the ISPs backbone, or
that of a NAP/Internet Exchange Point.

Third Step: The Final Destination

The final destination of information depends on what application the end user is utilizing. For instance, an email would be routed in the process described above to an
email server, which is a computer that coordinates emails associated with a specific
email address (for example @gmail.com emails are sent to Google email servers).
An attempt to access a website is sent to the host of the website, which is a
computer that contains the website contents. After the information is received by the
destination computer, data can then be returned to the end user via the same
internet infrastructure that was used to get it there in the first place.

Modem: A device that converts digital

information originating from internet connected
device to signals compatible with the method of
internet connection used by the user. For
example, a conventional modem would convert
digital data to phone signals, and a cable
modem converts digital data to cable waves.
LAN: Short for Local Area Network, a LAN is a
system of connecting computers in an isolated,
independent environment. The network then
can communicate through the Internet. For
instance, a company could host a LAN in order
to enable company computers to directly and
securely interact without having to run through
the outside web.
Mediums: In the early stages of the internet,
this information would be sent via telephone
lines; however, due to the speed limitations of
telephone wires, most modern end users use
either television cable or fiber optic lines (such
as Verizon FIOS) to connect to the internet
Internet Backbone: If an internet service is very
large, they can afford to have direct lines to
other ISPs to route the information to its final
destination. Otherwise, they would connect to a
Network Access Point or Internet Exchange
Point. This large network between ISPs is the
backbone of the Internet.
Network Access Point or Internet Exchange
Point: A large company that an ISP would
connect to in order to route its information to
its final destination.

Major Methods ISPs Use to Transfer Data

As explained in the definition of an internet medium, Internet service providers can use several
different technologies to receive information from end users. The type of technology that is chosen has
several major implications, most notably of which are the speed of data transfer and cost of the
service. Thus, it is important to understand which type of medium is used by ones ISP in order to make
an informed decision on what service is worth paying for.

Dialup

Cable

In this fairly antiquated system, end user data is sent to an

ISP via telephone lines. The modem converts digital data
into phone signals and directly dials into the phone
lines.

As its name suggests, cable internet service

transfers data to the internet service provider with
cable, which is wire originally intended to
propagate television signals.

This method is too slow for many users modern internet

usage (such as video
streaming or games), so
the majority of current
dialup users are the elderly
or users in regions that
Example of A Phone Line (F
have not been updated
with modern internet infrastructure lines such as cable
or fiber optics.

Large television service providers can use their

existing network of copper
or hybrid coaxial cables to
offer this high-speed
internet service.
Interestingly, television
A Major Cable Provider (F4)
cable is not typically
routed to commercial companies, so this service is
typically only available to residential users.

Major companies that offer dialup services include

America Online and Earthlink. This service is appropriate
for basic internet usage (email, surfing).

Major companies that offer cable internet services

include Comcast/Xfinity, Verizon, and Time Warner
Cable. This service can be used for modern needs
such as video conferencing and streaming.

Satellite

Direct Fiber
Fiber optic cable allows for incredibly high speed
communication, but unlike cable or telephone
lines, Fiber does not have a preexisting
infrastructure. Thus, ISPs that would like to offer
fiber services to
consumers need to lay
their own wire.
Due to the high cost of
directly linking a
Slice of a Fiber Optic Cable (F5)
consumer to a fiber
optic system, fiber is only offered to highly
developed regions by solely the largest ISPs.
Notable providers of fiber connections include
Verizon (FIOS service) and Google (Google Fiber).
This service can be used for the same purpose as
cable, but typically at a higher speed.

Satellite internet services work by broadcasting

internet data over wireless signals propagated by
devices in the Earths orbit.

A Satellite in Orbit (F6)

In its current state, the

technology is very limited, as
the signal is not strong enough
to penetrate thick forests and
similarly to satellite cable
services, inclement weather
disrupts the signal.

Despite these shortcomings, a large sum of money

is being spent on improving the technology to
allow for remote areas that are not covered by
cable or fiber wires to access high speed services.
Companies in this market include DirectTV and
Excede. At its current stage, this service should not
be relied upon for demanding usage like video
streaming.

How Data is Processed for Popular Internet Uses

Packets
Regardless of the type of data being communicated, data
sent over the internet infrastructure is broken up into
small, easily communicable pieces known as Packets. The
rate at which packets flow through a given medium
corresponds to the speed of that service. Along with
information from the corresponding application, a packet
contains headers that identify where to send the Packet
and also how to reconfigure it into usable information.

The Elements of a Packet (F7)

Domain Name Servers

Every device or website connected the internet is assigned a unique Internet Protocol Address, or IP address
for short. It is the job of an ISPs domain name servers
(DNS) to associate websites IP address with its commonly
known name (called a Domain Name) and route the user
who typed in the domain name to the correct server. For
instance, an end user would type in google.com into an
internet browser, which accesses a DNS server that would
direct the packets to the IP address 74.125.226.73. Due to
this processs importance, it is pivotal for an ISP to have
reliable DNS servers.

Each Computer has a Unique IP Address (F8)

Internet Protocols
In order for packets to be properly created from desired information, and then be reassembled when
they reach their destination, Internet Protocols are utilized. As an end user, it is helpful to know how
data is converted for trouble shooting purposes. Highly used internet uses and their corresponding
protocols follow:
Application

Protocol

Voice Communication

Voice Over IP

Email

POP and SMTP

Data Transfer on the World Wide Web

TCP

Accessing Websites on the World Wide Web

IP and ICMP
(F9)

Conclusion
The internet is becoming a pivotal tool for countless personal and business users, and as an
active user, it is important to understand how data is transferred in order to both make
informed decisions regarding appropriate ISPs and services and also speak with ISP
representative as an informed consumer to troubleshoot problems. With the information
from this document, one can attain this knowledge.

Works Cited
Information for the Report:
Shuler, Ros. "How Does the Internet Work?" How Does the Internet Work? Stanford University, 2002.
Web. 26 Oct. 2014.
Strickland, Jonathan. "How Does the Internet Work?" Internet Basics. HowStuffWorks, 7 May 2010.
Web. 26 Oct. 2014.
Tanenbaum, Andrew, and David Wetherall. "9. Transport Layer." Computer Networks Companion Site.
Prentice Hall, 7 Oct. 2010. Web. 26 Oct. 2014.
Ueland, Sig. "20 Top Internet Service Providers." Practical Ecommerce. N.p., 12 Dec. 2011. Web. 26
Oct. 2014.
"What Is an Internet Service Provider?" How You Connect to the World. What Is My IP Address, n.d.
Web. 26 Oct. 2014.
*Note: I drew some information from personal experience as the son of an owner of a seventeen year old
ISP

Graphics and Figures:

F1) "Top 10 Best Internet Browsers." Techo Sky. N.p., 2 June 2013. Web. 26 Oct. 2014.
F2) Tyson, Jeff. "Computer Network Hierarchy." The Internet. HowStuffWorks, n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2014.
F3) "Pigeons Flying Application Process." EZT Group, n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2014.
F4) "Time Warner Cable Logo." Free Logos. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2014.
F5)"Fiber Optics." ICS Voice Data Fiber Optics. Intelligence Communications Systems, n.d. Web.
26 Oct. 2014.
F6) "The Ultimate Solution For High Speed Is Satellite Internet." N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2014.
<http://www.nafii.com/wp-content/ uploads/2011/01/1-Giove-A.jpg>.
F7 and F8) Shuler, Ros. "How Does the Internet Work?" How Does the Internet Work? Stanford University,
2002. Web. 26 Oct. 2014.
F9) Self Produced
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