History of the Internet

Summary

This script traces the evolution of the Internet from its 1957 origins to the establishment of the modern Internet. It highlights the development of batch processing, time-sharing, and the impact of Sputnik 1 on the creation of ARPANET. The script also discusses the emergence of packet switching, the need for decentralized networks for resilience, and the development of protocols like TCP/IP that enabled network interoperability, culminating in the birth of the Internet by 1990.

Takeaways

• 🌐 The Internet as we know it today was unimaginable in 1957, with batch processing being the primary method of computer operation.
• 🛠️ In the early days, programming was labor-intensive and indirect, leading to inefficiencies and errors.
• 🔗 The concept of time-sharing emerged in 1957, allowing multiple users to share a single computer's processing power.
• 🌌 The launch of Sputnik 1 in 1957 spurred the creation of DARPA to maintain America's technological edge.
• 💡 DARPA envisioned a computer network to expedite knowledge transfer and prevent duplication of research, leading to ARPANET.
• 🏫 ARPANET development began in 1966, with universities initially hesitant to share their mainframe computers.
• 🔄 The Network Control Protocol (NCP) was developed for initial computer connections and was later replaced by TCP for more efficient file transfer verification.
• 📦 The concept of 'Packet Switching' was born in England to avoid congestion in commercial networks, dividing files into smaller packets.
• 🌐 The development of a decentralized network architecture was necessary to ensure network operability even after an attack.
• 🇫🇷 The French network 'Cyclades' introduced the term 'inter-net' and focused on communication between networks, leading to the end-to-end structure.
• 🔄 The X.25 protocol by phone companies and the OSI Reference Model by ISO aimed to standardize network communication and layers.
• 🔄 The TCP/IP protocol emerged as a standard for compatibility between networks, effectively creating the modern Internet.

Q & A

What was the state of computer usage before 1957?

Before 1957, computers operated on a batch processing system, working on one task at a time, which was quite ineffective.

What significant change occurred in the year 1957 in computer technology?

In 1957, the concept of time-sharing was introduced, allowing the processing power of one computer to be shared among multiple users.

Why was the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) established in 1958?

DARPA was founded to secure America's lead in technology and to accelerate knowledge transfer, in response to the launch of Sputnik 1 and the fear of a 'Missile Gap'.

What was the purpose of the ARPANET project?

The ARPANET project aimed to create a large-scale computer network to avoid duplication of research and to facilitate faster knowledge transfer.

What is the significance of the Interface Message Processor (IMP) in ARPANET?

The IMP served as an interface for the mainframe and controlled network activities, allowing the mainframe to focus on initializing programs and data files.

What protocol was initially developed for the first connections between computers in ARPANET?

The Network Control Protocol (NCP) was initially developed for the first connections, but was later replaced by the more efficient Transmission Control Protocol (TCP).

What is packet switching and how did it originate?

Packet switching is a method of dividing files into smaller packets for transmission to avoid congestion, which originated from the design of the NPL network in England.

Why was a decentralized network architecture necessary during the Cold War?

A decentralized architecture was needed to ensure the network's operability even if a node was lost during an attack, avoiding a complete breakdown of the information systems.

What was the role of the French network 'Cyclades' in the development of the Internet?

Cyclades introduced the concept of an 'inter-net' and focused on communication between networks, leading to the development of protocols that allowed for direct end-to-end connections.

What protocol enabled communication between different networks through phone company servers?

The X.25 protocol developed by phone companies allowed communication between different networks through their servers.

How did the TCP/IP protocol contribute to the creation of the Internet?

The TCP/IP protocol standardized network communication, ensuring compatibility between different networks and ultimately merging them to form the Internet.

What event marked the end of ARPANET and the beginning of the Internet?

On February 28, 1990, the ARPANET hardware was removed, signifying the transition from ARPANET to the Internet.