At its core, a network is simply a collection of interconnected things—whether people, devices, or systems—sharing resources or information. Think of your social circle: you’re linked by shared interests, just like cities rely on transportation networks or power grids distribute electricity. Even everyday systems, like postal services or neighborhood interactions, function as networks.
Think of the Internet as a massive network built from countless smaller networks - much like Alice connecting her friends. When Alice introduces her new friends Zayn and Toby to Bob and Jim, she becomes their translator, bridging two groups who couldn't otherwise communicate. This simple connection forms a new, expanded network.
This mirrors how the Internet evolved. Its earliest version, ARPANET, emerged in the late 1960s through U.S. Defense Department research. But the Internet as we know it truly began in 1989 when Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web, transforming it into the global information hub we use today.
In technical terms:
Just as people need names to identify each other, devices use unique labels to communicate on networks
Just like humans, devices on a network need reliable ways to identify themselves. We have two identifiers: our name (which can change) and our fingerprints (which are unique). Similarly, devices use:
An IP address identifies a device on a network temporarily. Think of it as a digital name tag that can be passed between devices.
Key Facts:
Example: Two devices in a home network share the same public IP online but use private IPs to talk to each other locally.