EXPLORING THE SPEED OF THE INTERNET

Exploring the speed of the internet

Exploring the speed of the internet

It is useful to discuss the technical structure of the Internet and identify where the access component of the Internet begins and ends. At first glance, a distinguishing feature of the Internet is its packet switching and “best effort service” architecture. Unlike the telephone network, which provides a dedicated circuit when a user initiates or receives a call, packet switched networks such as the Internet dynamically share telecommunications paths among multiple users (Griffin, 2003, 370).

The Internet is highly democratic in its treatment of the data that is being transmitted. Each packet is treated equally as it makes its way through the Internet switches, known as routers. If routers are busy, then the packets may be delayed and in some case are lost or dropped. Because service quality is not guaranteed, this has led to the distinction of best effort service with regard to Internet transmission; namely, one gets the best the Internet has to offer given the conditions on the network at that time.

The Internet connects millions of computers around the globe. These connections are achieved by interconnecting computer networks. The network of networks is loosely hierarchal. Figure 1 shows a simplified representation of the network hierarchy possible with the Internet. At the bottom of the pyramid are the Internet access facilities that attach end users to their ISP. These facilities include the PSTN (which the vast majority of residential customers use to dial up a connection to the Internet), cable TV company broadband networks that have been upgraded to provide data communication capacity, satellite systems, emerging fixed wireless systems, and dedicated facilities that connect businesses and college campuses to the Internet. One confusing aspect of the Internet arises from these access facilities. These facilities ...