If you’re able to read this article, you have access to the internet and likely, just like most of us, make use of the internet every day whether it be sending emails and attending virtual meetings, or streaming shows and scrolling through social media platforms. But have you ever stopped to wonder how any of this works? In this article we’ll focus on explaining how the internet works from a Telecom’s perspective in a way that’s clear and simple.
Step 1: Your Device Connects to a Network
Whatever device you’re using whether it’s a smartphone, tablet, laptop or smart TV, it needs to connect to a network. This can be through Wi-Fi and mobile data or through a wired connection like an ethernet cable. If you’re using Wi-Fi, this first connection goes through a router. If you’re using a mobile device, it’ll be through a cell tower. These access points send your data to your internet service provider (ISP).
Step 2: Your Request Travels Through Telecom’s Infrastructure
When you try to access a web address, like www.telesacomms.com, your request doesn’t go straight to the website. First it travels through physical Telecom’s infrastructure like switches, routers and fiber-optic cables. These physical parts work together to route your data across the internet.
Step 3: DNS
Before the request mentioned in Step 2 even reaches a website, it must determine where it needs to go first, and DNS (Domain Name System) helps it out. Your computer doesn’t understand names but it does understand numbers which are called IP addresses. DNS translates the web address from letters to numbers so that your request can be sent to the right server.
Step 4: Data Exchange with the Website’s Server
When your request reaches the right server (which maybe be on the other side of the world), that server then sends data back to you in the form of text, images, videos and so on that’s necessary to load the webpage. This data travels from the serve, to your ISP’s Telecom’s infrastructure, to your router or cell tower and then back to your device in a couple of milliseconds.
Step 5: Continuous Communication
From that point on, every time you scroll on a webpage, click on something or watch a video, there are constant data packets flowing back and forth from your device and the various servers being used.
The internet might feel like magic, but it’s actually a brilliant harmony of Telecom’s infrastructure, protocols and services working together.
