internet Archives

Optical transceiver modules and fiber connectors beside a network switch.

Last Mile, Middle Mile, Long Haul: The Journey From Your Home to a Data Center

Your internet connection passes through several distinct kinds of networks on its way to a data center. Here is a tour of the last mile, middle...

Networking4 months ago

BGP Explained: The Routing System That Holds the Internet Together

The Border Gateway Protocol is how the internet's independent networks tell each other which addresses they can reach. Here is how it works and why it...

Explainer: What an AI Inference Stack Actually Does

Networking4 months ago

How DNS Works: The Internet’s Address Book in Plain English

The Domain Name System turns names like a website address into the numbers computers use. Here is how a DNS lookup works and why it matters...

Networking4 months ago

Peering vs. Transit: How Internet Networks Decide Who Pays Whom

Networks connect to each other through two basic arrangements, peering and transit. This explainer covers how each works, why networks choose one or the other and...

Technician inspecting an edge-computing cabinet beside a warehouse conveyor.

Networking4 months ago

Internet Exchange Points: Where Networks Meet and Swap Traffic

The internet is a network of networks, and internet exchange points are where many of them connect. Here is how an IXP works physically and why...

Networking4 months ago

How Content Delivery Networks Make the Internet Feel Fast

Content delivery networks store copies of popular content close to users. Here is how a CDN works, from caching to routing, and why nearly every major...