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Hopping
Across The Internet |
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Have you ever wondered why you
periodically can't get your email or a website doesn't come
up? What you probably didn't know is that every time you
make a request on the internet, it literally takes 30 to 40 hops
across the internet before you get the information.
Here's how it works:
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You
are sitting at your computer, you open a web or email
browser, and make a request for a website or to get your
email. |
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The
request goes out to your Internet Service Provider (ISP)
through your phone line, cable line, or wireless
connection. Your ISP has records in their servers that
tell it where that information is and it then sends out your
request in the direction of where it's located. |
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The
request hops from server to server to server across the
internet finding a route to the information you are looking
for. This hopping can literally go through 30 or more
servers. It doesn't always go in the most direct path
too. It can hop halfway around the world during this
process. Realize that from here in Flagstaff there's
one route down I-17 to Phoenix for this information, and
then it spans out across the world from there. |
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The
information is found on the server that holds it. |
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The
information then hops back from server to server to server
across the internet heading back in the direction of your
ISP. It also doesn't always take the most direct path
again. |
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The
information finds its way back to your ISP. |
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The
information comes back to your computer. |
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As you can see, there is actually a long
process whenever you type in a website address or request to get
your email. For us, it seems like it happens very quickly
(especially for those with high speed access). It is a lot of
steps electronically, but happens at such high speeds that we don't
realize it's hopping across the internet the way it
does.
So, the next time that you get a
"page not found" error, a website only loads halfway, your
email gives you an error message... think about how complicated the
process is. Wait a minute and try again! Often the error
simply occurred somewhere along the path and the second time you ask
it'll come in right away in the correct manner. The internet
is truly a "web" of servers and every time you use it
you're "hopping across the internet".
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Back to Computer
Tips |
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| Flagstaff Central is not liable for any damages or repairs due to our tech tip.
Things do happen whenever you work on a computer.
We recommend you be as careful as possible. If you prefer to not handle repairs or
clean up, we recommend you contact a professional.
Click here for a list of local computer repair companies. |
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