How does information travel through the Internet?

The Internet is based on packet-switched protocols. Information is carried in packets, which

can be imagined as small parcels being passed from computer to computer. Large chunks of

data are usually broken up into several smaller packets before being sent through the network.

The delivery mechanism, or protocol, that is used to encode the packet ensures safe transit, and

provides a way of reconstructing the data when it reaches its destination. The protocols used

on the Internet are referred to as TCP/IP, standing for Transmission Control Protocol / Internet

Protocol.

As a switched network, the physical connections between computers do not matter as far as

Internet traffic is concerned — the protocols ensure that guaranteed information delivery is more

important than speed or use of a particular route. This means that a sequence of packets might

arrive out of order, with some travelling through the net by a faster, shorter route than others.

TCP/IP provides the means for your software to piece together those packets into meaningful

data. The ability to take different routes through the network is a fundamental part of the original

design of TCP/IP, as it allows the Internet to route around damaged areas of the network.

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The Internet in the Academic World

The University has a permanent Internet connection, which connects it to the JANET (Joint

Academic NETwork). JANET is maintained by UKERNA (UK Education and Research

Networking Association), which in turn is part of JISC (the Joint Information Services

Committee).

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