Infographic: An Inside Look on How the Internet Works

Made up of servers (the machines) and clients (the users), the Internet uses a common language called a protocol suite to help devices talk with each other via telephones and satellites. Every device that connects to the Internet, from laptops, smartphones or gaming systems, has an Internet Protocol or IP address. Using these addresses and the protocol suite, the Internet lets users upload, download, share and stream little packets of information – things like blog posts, videos, tweets, pins, slideshows, infographics, and more.

This infographic shows how the Internet sends these packets from one place to another – in other words, just exactly how the Internet works.