The first big steps in building the internet stemmed from a project called ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network).
The United States Department of Defense (DoD) funded a project to build the technology that could support computer networks even if the computers connected to the network used different operating systems.
Before ARPANET, all computer networks were limited in size and homogenous, meaning all the machines connected to the network were identical.
The program manager for the ARPANET project was Larry Roberts, who was heavily involved in the system's design. An engineer named Mike Wingfield designed the interface that would allow a computer to link with an internet message processor (IMP), a device that allowed different computers to communicate across the same network.
Transmission Control Protocol and Internet Protocol
Hardware wasn't the only obstacle. Computer scientists had to figure out a way to make different machines understand one another through a common set of rules called protocols.
Two of the most important protocols were the transmission control protocol (TCP) and internet protocol (IP). These sets of rules replaced an earlier set called the Network Control Protocol. They're what ultimately allowed the ARPANET computers to connect to other networks.
The two people responsible for developing these protocols were Robert Kahn and Vinton Cerf.
Packet Switching Method
Three other people who contributed to the way the internet works were Paul Baran, Donald Davies and Leonard Kleinrock. These mathematicians designed packet switching, which is how computers send information over the internet.
Rather than send data as a giant file, computers divide files up into packets. It's possible, though not likely, that each packet associated with a single file could take a different pathway through a network to reach its destination. Once there, the receiving computer reassembles the file based on information included with each packet.
Other notable contributors were Ray Tomlinson, who invented e-mail, and Abhay Bhushan, who developed the original specifications for file transfer protocol (FTP).
The Domain Name System
In 1983, Paul Mockapetris invented something that's key to the way we interface with the internet: the Domain Name System. Devices connected to the internet all have addresses that are a series of numerals.
But most people aren't very good at remembering long strings of numbers. Mockapetris developed a way to let people type in word-based addresses that computers could cross-reference with a database of numerical addresses.
"Mfano wa mtandao wa mtandao wa Internet ulianzishwa mwaka wa 1960 na mradi wa ""Advanced Research Projects Agency Network (ARPANET) ""." Wizara ya Ulinzi ya Marekani (DoD) ilifadhili mradi wa kujenga teknolojia ambayo inaweza kusaidia mitandao ya kompyuta hata kama kompyuta zilizounganishwa kwenye mtandao zilitumia mifumo tofauti ya uendeshaji. Kabla ya ARPANET, mitandao yote ya kompyuta ilikuwa na ukubwa mdogo na ilikuwa sawa, ikimaanisha kwamba mashine zote zilizohusishwa na mtandao zilikuwa sawa. Msimamizi wa programu ya mradi wa ARPANET alikuwa Larry Roberts, ambaye alihusika sana katika kubuni mfumo. Mike Wingfield, mhandisi wa teknolojia, aliunda kiunganishi cha kompyuta na Internet Message Processor (IMP), kifaa ambacho kiliruhusu kompyuta tofauti kuwasiliana kwenye mtandao mmoja. Transmission Control Protocol na Internet Protocol Hardware haikuwa kizuizi pekee. Wanasayansi wa kompyuta walihitaji kutafuta njia ya kufanya mashine tofauti-tofauti zielewe kupitia sheria za kawaida zinazoitwa itifaki. Miongoni mwa kanuni hizo mbili ni TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) na IP (Internet Protocol). Seti hizi za sheria zilichukua nafasi ya seti ya awali inayoitwa Mkataba wa Udhibiti wa Mtandao. Ni nini hatimaye kuruhusiwa ARPANET kompyuta kuunganisha kwa mitandao mingine. Watu wawili waliohusika katika kuendeleza itifaki hizi walikuwa Robert Kahn na Vinton Cerf. Njia ya Kubadilisha Pakiti Watu wengine watatu ambao walichangia jinsi mtandao unavyofanya kazi walikuwa Paul Baran, Donald Davies na Leonard Kleinrock. Wanahisabati hawa walibuni kubadilishana kwa pakiti, ambayo ni jinsi kompyuta zinavyotuma habari kupitia mtandao. Badala ya kutuma habari kama faili kubwa, kompyuta hugawanya faili hizo katika pakiti. Inawezekana, ingawa si uwezekano, kwamba kila pakiti kuhusishwa na faili moja inaweza kuchukua njia tofauti kupitia mtandao kufikia marudio yake. Mara baada ya kufika huko, kompyuta inayopokea husawazisha tena faili hiyo kwa kutegemea habari iliyo katika kila pakiti. Ray Tomlinson, mtengenezaji wa barua pepe, na Abhay Bhushan, mtengenezaji wa FTP, walichangia sana kuunda mfumo wa mawasiliano ya kompyuta. "Domain Name System (DNS) ni mfumo wa jina la kikoa uliobuniwa na Paul Mockapetris mnamo 1983 na ambao unajulikana kama ""DNS"" (Domain Name System)." Vifaa vinavyounganishwa kwenye mtandao vyote vina anwani ambazo ni mfululizo wa tarakimu. Lakini watu wengi si wazuri sana katika kukumbuka safu ndefu za namba. Mockapetris aliunda njia ya kuruhusu watu kuandika anwani za maneno ambazo kompyuta zingeweza kuunganisha na hifadhidata ya anwani za tarakimu.