When you download a file from the internet, it doesn't arrive as one big chunk. How does it actually travel?

The file is split into many small packets, each routed independently across the network, then reassembled in the correct order at your device The file travels as one complete unit along a dedicated path reserved just for your download The file is stored in satellites and beamed down to your device in one transmission The file is compressed to a single bit and expanded back on your device

What is the difference between TCP and UDP protocols?

TCP guarantees delivery and ordering of all packets; UDP sends packets without guarantees — faster but some may be lost TCP is for text data; UDP is for video and audio data TCP is used on wireless connections; UDP on wired connections TCP is older and slower; UDP is the modern replacement for all internet traffic

What does a router do?

A router reads the destination IP address of each incoming packet and forwards it to the next best hop toward that destination A router converts digital signals to analog so they can travel over phone lines A router stores all website content locally so it can serve pages faster A router connects your computer to the internet by translating your requests into HTML

Why does your computer have two IP addresses — a private one (like 192.168.x.x) and a public one?

The private IP is for devices within your home network; the public IP is assigned by your ISP and is how the internet sees your whole household The private IP is for secure communications; the public IP is for regular browsing The private IP identifies your device brand; the public IP identifies its location You only have one IP address — the two you mentioned are actually the same

What is a 'protocol' in networking?

A standardized set of rules that defines how data is formatted, transmitted, and received between devices The physical cables and hardware used to connect computers A security procedure for verifying your identity online A record of all data transmitted over a network

What is the 'internet backbone'?

High-capacity fiber optic cables (many underwater) that carry the vast majority of internet traffic between cities, countries, and continents A network of satellites orbiting Earth that the internet runs through The central server in each country that stores its portion of the internet The physical buildings where all websites are hosted

When you connect to public Wi-Fi at a coffee shop, what risk does this create?

Other users on the same network can potentially intercept your unencrypted traffic — especially if you use HTTP instead of HTTPS The coffee shop can automatically install malware on your device Public Wi-Fi is limited in speed, so passwords are sent with characters missing Your device's IP address becomes permanently visible to all other coffee shop visitors

What is a CDN (Content Delivery Network) and why do large websites use them?

A network of servers distributed globally that stores copies of website content, serving users from the nearest server to reduce latency A system that compresses website data to make it load faster A government-controlled network for distributing secure content A network that filters out malicious websites before users visit them

Why did the internet need to move from IPv4 to IPv6 addresses?

IPv4 supports only about 4.3 billion addresses — far too few for the billions of devices now connected to the internet IPv6 is more secure than IPv4 — the old version had no encryption IPv4 was too slow for modern video streaming requirements IPv4 was vulnerable to hacking, so a completely new system was needed

What is a 'web server'?

A computer running software (like Apache or Nginx) that stores website files and responds to HTTP requests from browsers by sending those files A special computer at Google that indexes all websites on the internet The physical cable that connects a website to the internet A program that helps web developers write HTML more easily