Information helpful for the GSUSA Cybersecurity badges.
How the Internet Works
We know the internet is where computers anywhere in the world can connect with each other. We also know there are wireless devices, so things do not need to be wired together to connect.
But can a computer in America connect to a computer in Asia wirelessly? Not quite. Your wireless device has to be in range of a wireless receiver. The wireless receiver is plugged in. The data goes from your device to the receiver wirelessly and then travels by wire over to Asia. There are actually wires that cross the ocean, called “undersea cables”. Some think they are a myth, but that is how data travels across continents. In Asia the wires might connect to another wireless receiver, and it sends the data wirelessly to another device. That is how two wireless devices can connect across the world.
- Visit the NY Times website to see the undersea cables and how they are made.
- Dive deep into how the internet works by visiting the ProgKids website.
How Networks Work
A computer network is a group of connected devices. A device could be a computer (desktop or laptop) or a handheld device (tablet or phone). It could even be a sensory device (electronic fridge, security alarm, thermostat, or smart watch).
The devices are all connected to a single router. At school, the computers are connected to the school router. People and organizations (like schools) pay companies to provide them with an internet connection. The school router is connected to those services in the city they are in. Those cities are all connected to the world wide web. This is a simple example of a network.
The communities we live in are also like a network. A citizen of the United States of America, lives in a city. The city is in a state. The states make up the United States of America.
A scout is part of a den or a troop. The troop or den is part of a volunteer run community. Those communities answer a scout council. The councils answer to the nationwide organization. Those nation-wide organizations are part of a world-wide organization of other scout organizations in different countries with similar values. The network is scout, den/troop, community, council, nationwide, and worldwide.
A sports player is usually a part of a team. The team is part of an organization that runs official games between teams. The organization has local regions and when a team has played and won the local tournament, they usually go on to a state championship tournament. Sometimes there is even a nationwide tournament for all the state champions. The network is: sports players, local region, state, and national.
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