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.

Outlines

00:00

🌐 The Dawn of the Internet Era

The script begins by reflecting on the internet in 2009, highlighting its integral role in daily activities such as email, calls, discussions, and banking. It then takes a historical dive back to 1957, emphasizing the inefficiency of batch processing and the manual labor involved in programming. The year 1957 is noted as a turning point with the advent of remote connections and the concept of time-sharing. The script discusses the geopolitical context of the Cold War and the launch of Sputnik 1, leading to the establishment of DARPA in 1958. DARPA's vision for a computer network to expedite knowledge transfer is outlined, along with the development of three foundational concepts for the modern internet: military, commercial, and scientific networks. The Arpanet's development in 1966 and the role of the Interface Message Processor (IMP) are detailed, as well as the evolution of network protocols from NCP to TCP, which introduced file transfer verification. The script also touches on the concept of 'Packet Switching' and the need for a decentralized network architecture for resilience against attacks.

05:02

🚀 Advancing Networking with Cyclades and TCP/IP

This paragraph delves into the development of the French network 'Cyclades,' which, despite its limited budget, focused on inter-network communication, leading to the term 'inter-net.' The Cyclades network introduced an end-to-end structure with a protocol that allowed direct communication between sender and receiver without computer intervention. The script discusses the influence of Cyclades on the development of the X.25 protocol by phone companies and the significance of gateways in connecting different networks. It also mentions the OSI Reference Model's attempt to standardize network layers and the eventual assimilation of its preferences into the TCP/IP protocol, which ensured network compatibility and integration. The paragraph concludes with the decommissioning of ARPANET in 1990, marking the transition to the fully operational Internet.

Keywords

💡Internet

The Internet is a global network of interconnected computers that communicate with each other using standardized protocols. It is the foundation for modern digital communication and is central to the video's theme, illustrating the evolution from a vague idea to a ubiquitous utility. The script mentions the Internet's development from early concepts to the creation of a standardized protocol that allowed for compatibility and merging of various networks.

💡Batch Processing

Batch processing refers to a method of computing where tasks are processed in groups, or 'batches', rather than individually. In the context of the video, it is mentioned as an early, less efficient method of computer operation before the advent of time-sharing and multi-user systems, highlighting the limitations of early computing.

💡Time-sharing

Time-sharing is a method of sharing the processing power of a computer among multiple users simultaneously. The video explains that this concept was a significant development in 1957, allowing developers to work more efficiently by sharing computer resources, which is a precursor to the modern Internet.

💡Sputnik 1

Sputnik 1 was the first artificial Earth satellite, launched by the Soviet Union in 1957. The script uses Sputnik 1's launch as a historical marker that spurred the United States to advance its technology, leading to the creation of the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA), which in turn contributed to the development of the Internet.

💡DARPA

The Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) is a United States government agency responsible for the development of emerging technologies for military use. The video describes DARPA's role in planning a large-scale computer network, Arpanet, to accelerate knowledge transfer and avoid duplication of research, which is a key part of the Internet's history.

💡Arpanet

Arpanet, the precursor to the modern Internet, was a network developed by DARPA that connected universities and research institutions. The script details its development, the use of Interface Message Processors (IMPs), and the evolution of protocols like NCP and TCP, which are foundational to the Internet's infrastructure.

💡Packet Switching

Packet switching is a method of data transmission that breaks down information into smaller packets, which are then reassembled at the destination. The video explains how this concept was developed to avoid congestion in the NPL network, and it is a fundamental technology in the operation of the Internet.

💡Decentralized Network

A decentralized network is one where the infrastructure is distributed rather than centralized, increasing its resilience against attacks or failures. The video mentions the development of a decentralized architecture to ensure that communication systems would remain operational even if individual nodes were lost.

💡Cyclades

Cyclades was a French computer network project that emphasized communication between networks and the end-to-end structure of data transmission. The script highlights Cyclades' contribution to the concept of 'inter-net' and its influence on the development of protocols that enabled communication across different networks.

💡X.25 Protocol

The X.25 protocol is a standard for packet-switched data communication that was developed by telephone companies. The video describes how it enabled communication through their servers, which was a step towards the commercialization and widespread adoption of the Internet.

💡OSI Reference Model

The OSI Reference Model is a conceptual framework for understanding the communication between different types of computer systems. The video explains that the International Organization for Standardization designed this model to standardize network communication, which influenced the development of the TCP/IP protocol.

💡TCP/IP Protocol

The TCP/IP protocol is the suite of communication protocols used to connect host computers over the Internet. The video concludes with the development of the TCP/IP protocol, which ensured compatibility between different networks and marked the creation of the Internet as we know it today.

Highlights

In 2009, the Internet was used for emails, calls, discussions, and banking, but this was unimagined 50 years prior.

Before 1957, computers operated in batch processing, working on one task at a time, which was inefficient.

In 1957, remote connections and time-sharing concepts were introduced, allowing developers to work directly on computers.

Sputnik 1's launch in 1957 led to the creation of the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) in 1958 to secure America's technological lead.

DARPA planned the Arpanet to accelerate knowledge transfer and avoid duplication of research.

Three foundational concepts for the Internet were developed: the military network by RAND, the commercial network by NPL, and the scientific network Cyclades.

Arpanet development began in 1966, with Interface Message Processors (IMPs) controlling network activities and serving as mainframe interfaces.

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

The NPL network in England introduced packet switching to avoid congestion, dividing files into smaller packets for efficient transfer.

The Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 highlighted the need for a decentralized network architecture to withstand attacks.

The French network Cyclades focused on communication with other networks, introducing the term 'inter-net'.

Cyclades' protocol established an end-to-end structure with a physical layer for direct sender-receiver connection.

The X.25 protocol by phone companies enabled network communication through their servers for a monthly charge.

DARPA's TCP aimed to connect computers through gateways, while the OSI Reference Model standardized network layers for compatibility.

The TCP/IP protocol emerged as a standard ensuring network compatibility and merging them into the Internet.

By February 28, 1990, ARPANET was decommissioned, but the Internet continued to grow and evolve.

Transcripts

The Internet in the year 2009.

We send e-mails, make calls over the internet

and discuss topics we take an interest in.

Even our banking is going virtual.

But what we take for granted today

was only a vague idea fifty years ago.

In order to understand how we got this far

let's go back to 1957, when everything began.

Before 1957 computers only worked on one task at a time.

This is called batch processing.

Of course, this was quite ineffective.

With computers getting bigger and bigger

they had to be stored in special cooled rooms.

But then the developers couldn't work directly on the computers anymore –

specialists had to be called in to connect them.

Programming at that time meant a lot of manual work

and the indirect connection to the computers led to

a lot of bugs, wasting time and fraying the developers´ nerves.

The year 1957 marked a big change.

A remote connection had to be installed

so the developers could work directly on the computers.

At the same time the idea of time-sharing came up.

This is the first concept in computer technology

to share the processing power of one computer with multiple users.

On October 4th 1957, during the Cold War

the first unmanned satellite, Sputnik 1, was sent into orbit by the Soviet Union.

The fear of a "Missile Gap" emerged.

In order to secure America's lead in technology,

the US founded the "Defense Advanced Research Project Agency" in February 1958.

At that time, knowledge was only transferred by people.

The DARPA planned a large-scale computer network

in order to accelerate knowledge transfer and avoid the doubling up

of already existing research.

This network would become the Arpanet.

Furthermore three other concepts were to be developed,

which are fundamental for the history of the Internet:

The concept of a military network by the RAND Corporation in America.

The commercial network of the National Physical Laboratory in England.

And the scientific network, Cyclades, in France.

The scientific, military and commercial approaches of these concepts

are the foundations for our modern Internet.

Let's begin with the Arpanet, the most familiar of these networks.

Its development began in 1966.

Universities were generally quite cautious about sharing their computers.

Therefore small computers were put on front of the mainframe.

This computer, the Interface Message Processor, took over control of the network actvitities,

while the mainframe was only in charge of the initialization of programs and data files.

At the same time, the IMP also served as interface for the mainframe.

Since only the IMPs were interconnected in a network

this was also called IMP-subnet.

For the first connections between the computers

the Network Working Group developed the Network Control Protocol [Network Control Program].

Later on, the NCP was replaced by the more efficient Transmission Control Protocol.

The specific feature of the TCP is the verification of the file transfer.

Let's take a short detour to England.

Since the NPL network was designed on a commercial basis

a lot of users and file transfer were expected.

In order to avoid congestion of the lines, the sent files were divided into smaller packets

which were put together again at the receiver.

"Packet Switching" was born!

In 1962 American ferret aircrafts discovered middle and long range range missiles in Cuba,

which were able to reach the United States.

This stoked fear of an atomic conflict.

At that time information systems had a centralized network architecture.

To avoid the breakdown during an attack,

a decentralized network architecture had to be developed,

which in case of loss of a node would still be operative.

Communication still used to work through radio waves,

that would have caused problems in case of an atomic attack:

the ionosphere would be affected and the long-wave radio waves wouldn't work anymore.

Therefore they had to use direct waves, which, however, don't have a long range.

A better solution was the model of a distributed network.

Thus long distances could be covered with a minimum of interference.

Another milestone followed with the development of the French network "Cyclades".

Since Cyclades had a far smaller budget than Arpanet and thus also fewer nodes

the focus was layed on the communication with other networks.

In this way the term "inter-net" was born.

Moreover, Cyclades´ concept went further than ARPA's and the NPL's.

During communication between sender and receiver the computers were not to intervene anymore,

but simply serve as a transfer node.

Cyclades´ protocol went through all machines using a physical layer

that was implemented into the hardware,

providing a direct connection with the receiver – an end-to-end structure.

Inspired by the Cyclades network and driven by the incompatibility between the networks,

their connection gained in importance everywhere.

The phone companies developed the X.25 protocol which enabled communication

through their servers – in exchange for monthly basic charge of course.

DARPA's Transmission Control Protocol was to connect the computers through gateways...

and the International Organization for Standardization designed the OSI Reference Model.

The innovation of OSI was the attempt to standardize the network from its ends

and the channel's division into separate layers.

Finally, the TCP assimilated the preferences of the OSI Reference Model

and gave way to the TCP/IP protocol –

a standard which guaranteed compatibility between networks

and finally merged them, creating the Internet.

By February 28, 1990 the ARPANET hardware was removed, but the Internet...

... was up and running.

Subtitles by HackJack (aka StevXtreme)