Week 5 EOC: What is the octet?

According to Webster’s Online Dictionary this is the definition of octet: ‘Octet (computing), a group of 8 bits, often referred to as a byte. Often used in networks and RFC request for Comment pages by the IETF Internet Engineering Task Force.’ (http://www.websters-online-dictionary.org/).

So the octet in relation to the internet is how eight different components come together and function as what we know as the Internet. There are different networks and a process it must follow for information to be submitted via the internet.  There are organizations of different networks; this is because it cannot all function in only one network.  A big part of the internet is funding it, ‘Through agencies such as the National Science Foundation, the federal government pays for some high-speed backbones that carry Internet traffic across the country and the world.’  ‘The government has also funded the Internet2, a super-fast net-work that can transfer data at an astounding 2.4 gigabits per second, for use by universities.’ (How the Internet Works pg 8).  Closer to home we have the regional networks which provide internet access within a geographic area.  These regional networks are bonded together and broken into even smaller networks to provide a much better service. 

Another big component for the internet are the registrars, this is usually provided by much bigger companies that provide domain names for the public to either individuals or companies.  After you or your company has a domain you want others to find you on the internet, this is where the internet service providers come in, another part the octet group. The internet service providers are mainly known as backbone because for a monthly fee people can access the internet via their home or place of business.

The InterNIC tracks the connections between the IP addresses and domain names; this network is also responsible for maintaining the registered domain names through the registries.  Lastly but yet very important is ‘The Internet Society is a private nonprofit organization that makes technological and architectural recommendations that pertain to the Internet, such as how TCP/IP and other Internet protocols should work.’ (Book: How the Internet Works pg 9).  This is another important part of the Octet internet system because as the internet grows their recommendations are very important as they find ways to best meet the demands of a fast growing Internet.

As you can see the Internet cannot function with just one network there is collaboration between different networks and each one has a very important part in making the Internet functional.  So next time you visit a website, just think of all the different networks needed so you can enjoy viewing that website from the comfort of your own home.