Week 7 Readings (cont.)
Lowe, Networking for Dummies 
Book 4: Chapters 1-2 
The internet can be defined as a network of networks, individual networks that are connected to each other. The user connects to a network, which will then connect to other networks. This means that the users themselves do not connect. The anonymity makes it easier to make the connections. It also seems to be safer to me.
I found the story of how the current backbone of the internet was found to be interesting. When they were building supercomputers, they designed a backbone for that. Fast forward through time, and supercomputers aren't used anymore, but its backbone turned out to be perfect for the size and dynamic nature of the internet. It is still growing, but the backbone can support it.
The TCP/IP structure has two layers with the word "network" in it, but they are different. The network interface is easy to connect to, but is considered to be unreliable. The network is where data can be added, packaged, and then routed to the next node.
They reminded me about how binary works. Even better news: the computer does the math! It is good to know how it works, though. And the math seems to be pretty manageable, at least at the level we are talking at.
The IP connects networks. The different kinds of IPs are based on the size of what is being connected. That seems to be the way they distinguish between different kinds of everything having to do with the computer.

Tyson, How Internet Infrastructure Works
I watched a short video on the site. It was about the security, or lackthereof, of using public wireless hotspots. Apparently people who know what to look for can see pretty much everything on your computer when you use those. That's scary!
There was some new information on this site, that added to what I've been reading. One is what routers are and how they work. It's something that is often referred to and never explained, so I was glad to see it. It is a specialized computer that determines where to send the information before sending it. It connects computers but it also keeps them separate, both of which are important.
I read about backbones earlier. This site explained what a backbone actually is: it's fiberoptic cables that are kept together, making them faster and able to handle more data. The POP that large corporations use is a strong backbone for all the communicating and data work that it needs to do.