How the Internet Works

by Gralla, Preston

• ISBN13: 9780789736260
• ISBN10: 0789736268
• Edition: 8th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-11-21
• Publisher: Que Publishing

Summary

This is a stunning four-colour illustrated title that demystifies the Internet and the technologies that make it work.

Author Biography

Preston Gralla is the award-winning author of 20 books, including

How Wireless Works, How To Expand and Upgrade PCs, and The

Complete Idiot’s Guide to Protecting Yourself Online. He is an executive

editor and columnist for CNet and ZDNet; is a technology columnist

for the Dallas Morning News; and has written about technology

for many magazines and newspapers, including USA Today, PC

Magazine, the Los Angeles Times, Boston Magazine, PC/Computing,

Computerworld, and FamilyPC among many others. Gralla has won

several writing and editing awards, including one from the

Computer Press Association for the best feature article in a computer

magazine.

 

As a well-known expert on computers and the Internet, he has appeared

frequently on numerous TV and radio shows and networks,

including the CBS Early Show, CNN, National Public Radio’s All

Things Considered, MSNBC, CNBC, TechTV, and CNet Radio.

He was the founding managing editor of the well-known newspaper

PC Week and a founding editor of PC/Computing. Under his editorship,

PC/Computing was a finalist for General Excellence from the

National Magazine Awards.

Gralla lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with his wife Lydia, children

Gabriel and Mia, and a rabbit named Polichinelle. He also

writes the free Gralla’s Internet Insider email newsletter. To subscribe

to it for free, send an email to [e-mail] with the

words SUBSCRIBE NETINSIDER on the subject line.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Part 1: Understanding the Internet's Underlying Architecture	2	(40)
What Is the Internet?	6	(6)
How Computer Networks Send Data Across the Internet	12	(6)
How TCP/IP Works	18	(6)
Understanding the Internet's Software Structure	24	(4)
How Internet Addresses and Domains Work	28	(10)
How Routers Works	38	(4)
Part 2: Connecting to the Internet	42	(42)
How Computers Connect to the Internet	46	(10)
How Internet/Television Connections Work	56	(8)
How Wireless Connections and WiFI Work	64	(14)
How Home Networks Work	78	(6)
Part 3: Communicating on the Internet	84	(48)
How Email Works	88	(14)
How Email Spam Works	102	(6)
How Newsgroups Work	108	(4)
How Internet Chat and Instant Messaging Work	112	(8)
How Skype and VoIP Work	120	(6)
How Blogging and RSS Work	126	(6)
Part 4: How the World Wide Web Works	132	(56)
How Web Pages Work	136	(8)
How Web Browsers Work	144	(6)
How Markup Languages Work	150	(10)
How Hypertext Works	160	(4)
How URLs Work	164	(4)
How Image Maps and Interactive Forms Work	168	(4)
How Web Host Servers Work	172	(4)
How Websites Work with Databases	176	(4)
How .NET and Web Services Work	180	(4)
How Grid Computing Works	184	(4)
Part 5: Using the World Wide Web	188	(26)
How Internet Searching Works	192	(6)
How Google Works	198	(6)
How Map Sites Work	204	(6)
How Wikis and Wikipedia Work	210	(4)
Part 6: Using Common Internet Tools	214	(30)
How Telnet Works	218	(4)
How FTP Works	222	(6)
How Agents Work	228	(4)
How Java, ActiveX, and JavaScript Work	232	(8)
How CGI Scripting Works	240	(4)
Part 7: Enjoying Entertainment and Multimedia on the Internet	244	(42)
How Music and Audio Work on the Internet	248	(8)
How iPods, iTunes, and Podcasting Work	256	(8)
How Music Sharing and File Sharing Work	264	(6)
How Multicast IP and the MBone Work	270	(4)
How Virtual Reality Is Created by VRML	274	(4)
How Animation on the Web Works	278	(8)
Part 8: Shopping and Doing Business on the Internet	286	(18)
How Interanets Work	290	(6)
Shopping on the Internet	296	(8)
Part 9: Protecting Yourself on the Internet	304	(80)
How Firewalls Work	308	(8)
How Hackers Can Cripple, the Internet and Attack Your PC	316	(12)
The Dangers of Wireless Networking	328	(10)
How Viruses Work	338	(6)
How Internet Sites Can Invade Your Privacy	344	(10)
The Dangers of Spyware and Phishing	354	(12)
Cryptography, Privacy, and Digital Certificates	366	(6)
How Government and Workplace Surveillance Work	372	(8)
Parental Controls on the Internet	380	(4)
Glossary	384	(14)
Index	398