I'M A PERSON, NOT A NUMBER!
InterNet Access Network ( )
Fri, 23 Apr 1999 08:40:30 -0400
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>Free Internet Tip of the Day:
>
>I'M A PERSON, NOT A NUMBER!
>
> The Internet carries an amazing amount of data (email,
>web pages, etc...) around the world. When an email or a
>web page is traveling through the Internet to your computer
>it is intermingled with millions of bits of non-related data
>destined for other people's computers.
> Have you ever wondered how all the bits of data arrive at
>the right place? If you ask your browser to display a website
>that is on a computer in Egypt, how does the data know to go
>from Egypt to your computer and not to your neighbors?
> The answer is actually very simple. Whenever you get on
>the Internet, your computer is given a temporary identification
>number. These ID numbers are called IP addresses (IP is an
>acronym for Internet Protocol).
> An IP Address is just like the VIN on a car. As you
>probably know, every automobile has a number stamped
>into it. This number makes the car unique. Even if two cars
>were the same model, same year and same color, they could be
>easily identified by the Vehicle Identification Number.
> When your computer dials into your Internet Provider
>your Internet Provider's Computers assign you a temporary
>IP address. Until you disconnect, that IP address is yours and
>nobody else on the entire Internet has that unique number.
>When you disconnect, the IP address you were using is given
>to another person who wants to use the Internet.
> An IP address is four numbers separated by dots. Each
>number can be a value from 0 - 255. An example IP address
>would be:
>
>204.118.244.2
>
> Again, every time you log on to the Internet you are
>assigned a temporary IP address like the one above. If you
>use the Internet at work and your company has a permanent,
>full-time connection to the Internet, your work computer may
>have a permanent IP address that never changes.
> So, when you're on the Internet and you ask your web
>browser to display CNN's website, your web browser finds
>the CNN computer and says "Hi, I'm 204.118.244.2. Would
>you send me your web page?" The CNN computer then sends
>out the web page (data) and puts a big stamp on it that says
>"The destination of this web page is the computer with the IP
>address of 204.118.244.2."
> We've mentioned in the past that the Internet is a giant
>network of computers. This giant network is made up of
>many thousands of smaller, independently owned networks
>that are linked together.
> Each individual network is linked to the next network by
>an electronic device called a router. There are many thousands
>of routers on the Internet. You can think of a router as an
>electronic policeman that directs traffic. Just like officers
>of the law, each router knows the proper directions to each
>destination.
> Your data moves from router to router. Each router
>examines each piece of data and looks for the destination
>IP address. The router then directs the data down the correct
>path so it can reach its final destination, your computer.
>
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>
>Web Site of the Day:
>
>Would you like to see the IP address that is currently assigned
>to your computer? Visit the following website:
>
>http://www.terragon.com/ip.cgi
>
>Remember that if you dial into the Internet, you will probably
>receive a different IP address the next time you login.
>
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>
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>
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>
>(C) 1999 Terragon Media.
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Dayton, OH