How does the internet work?

The internet is a global network of computers.

All the computers that are connected to the internet can share information.

It is the biggest computer network in the world. It is sometimes referred to as a network of networks.

So that we can happily view our favourite webpages on the internet, we need these main parts.

• Servers - These contain and share information like where websites are located and the data that makes up webpages.
• Clients - These are the devices that you use to view webpages.
• Cables - These allow information to travel between the different devices connected to the internet.
• Routers - These make sure that the information goes to the right place on the internet.

You visit a new webpage when you click on a hyperlink, download an image or type in a URL.

This sends a message from your computer to a server. It asks for a copy of the webpage.

The information is too big to send in one go, so it is split up into smaller parts.

These are called data packets.

Routers make sure that all the data packets are sent to the right computer.

The data packets are all given a number before they are sent.

The computer uses these numbers to put the information back together in the right order.

Then, the web browser displays the webpage to you.