networks/
The internet underneath: DNS, TCP/IP, TLS, latency and CDNs.
7 results
networks/nat-how-a-dozen-devices-share-one-internet-address.md
NAT: how a dozen devices share one internet address
Your home has one public internet address but a dozen devices. NAT is how your router lets them all share it and still get each reply to…
networks/cidr-and-subnets-what-the-24-in-192-168-1-0-24-means.md
CIDR and subnets: what the /24 in 192.168.1.0/24 means
What does the `/24` in `192.168.1.0/24` mean? It counts how many of an IPv4 address's 32 bits name the network, and how many are left to…
networks/dns-lookups-why-a-website-is-slower-the-first-time-you-visit.md
DNS lookups: why a website is slower the first time you visit
Typing a name like www.example.com sets off a short chain of questions: a resolver asks a root server, then a .com server, then the…
networks/latency-vs-bandwidth-why-a-faster-plan-can-t-speed-up-a-small-page.md
Latency vs bandwidth: why a faster plan can't speed up a small page
You upgraded to a much faster internet plan, yet a small web page loads just as slowly. Why? Network speed is two different numbers…
networks/packets-why-the-internet-cuts-your-message-into-numbered-pieces.md
Packets: why the internet cuts your message into numbered pieces
When you send a message online, it never travels as one block. The internet cuts it into small packets, each with a label saying where it…
networks/ip-addresses-and-ports-the-street-address-and-the-apartment-number.md
IP addresses and ports: the street address and the apartment number
Every message on a network needs two things to arrive: an IP address to find the right computer, and a port to find the right program on…
networks/how-does-example-com-turn-into-an-ip-address-dns-step-by-step.md
How does example.com turn into an IP address? DNS, step by step
Computers find each other by number, not by name. Before your browser can load example.com, it has to find the site's IP address, and…