1983–1990 / A NETWORK OF NETWORKS
A Common
Language.
Connecting computers was only the beginning. Different networks needed shared rules before they could become one larger internet.
A language for
many networks.
On January 1, 1983, ARPANET switched to the TCP/IP protocol suite, a milestone in the development of the internet. Instead of requiring every network to work in the same way internally, common protocols let different networks exchange information.
The Internet Protocol (IP) helps address and route packets between networks. The Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) can provide reliable, ordered delivery for applications that need it. Together, they made diverse networks interoperable.
The internet did not spring into existence in a single moment. Researchers, network operators, and institutions developed and adopted the standards over years.
CONCEPT / INTERNET PROTOCOLS
Different systems.
Shared rules.
A common protocol is like an agreed-upon way to address and deliver a letter. Networks can differ internally, yet still exchange packets because they recognize the same conventions.
Conceptual diagram created for this prototype; not a historical reproduction.
Names instead
of numbers.
As the network expanded, remembering numerical addresses became impractical. The Domain Name System (DNS), developed in the 1980s, created a distributed way to translate human-friendly names into network addresses.
By the end of the decade, the pieces were in place for a new layer of the connected world: a system for linking and navigating documents. That system would become the World Wide Web.
CHAPTER 03 COMPLETE
The pieces
come together.
Next: the web makes connected information easier for ordinary people to explore.