Have you ever wanted to know how data travels from computer to computer, around the world? Have you ever wondered how Web sites can track users or how newsgroups work? How the Internet Works shows you how with easy-to-follow, four-color visual spreads tracking the path data flows and the hardware involved. Now entering its fourth year, How the Internet Works helps you understand the latest in Internet and networking technology from cookies and data tracking to Web sound and video. Its intelligent visual approach demystifies the technology in a format that appeals to readers of all levels. Content includes explanations of digital certificates, extranets, Internet telephony, and meta-searches and scripting languages such as XML and dynamic HTML.
In the course of cruising the World Wide Web and clicking a link, have you ever wondered, "How does that work?" Or perhaps this question popped into your mind while you were transferring a file to your computer via FTP, or reading a newsgroup message, or when you first heard about technologies such as spam, cookies, and firewalls. Maybe you've wondered how a message sent from your computer travels through the vastness of cyberspace and ends up in the right email box halfway across the world. Have you ever wanted to know how search tools find the exact piece of information you want out of the millions of pieces of information on the whole Internet? How can you listen to music and view animations while surfing the Web?
This book is designed for everyone interested in the Internet. Its guiding principle is this: No matter how much of a cyberpro you areor how much of a novicethere's a lot you don't understand about the Internet. Here's just one small example. I have a friend who has made his living with companies involved with the Internet for many years. He's a complete cyberpro who lives and breathes the Internet. One day, he almost whispered to me, "I don't like to admit this, but I don't know what a proxy server is. How does it work, anyway?"
He's not alone. The Internet changes so quickly and the technology advances so rapidly that it can seem almost impossible to keep up with all of it. If you're like just about everyone else involved in the Internet, your questions are similar to those of my friend. You'll find your answers here.
About the Author
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.
