How the Internet Works, Eighth Edition

Introduction

In the course of cruising the World Wide Web and clicking a link, have you ever wondered, “How does that work?” Or perhaps this question popped into your mind while you were transferring a file to your computer via FTP, or reading a newsgroup message, or when you first heard about technologies such as spam, cookies, and firewalls. Maybe you’ve wondered how a message sent from your computer travels through the vastness of cyberspace and ends up in the right email box halfway across the world. Have you ever wanted to know how search tools find the exact piece of information you want out of the millions of pieces of information on the whole Internet? How can you listen to music and view animations while surfing the Web?

This ...