Internet & DNS 101
Part 1
March 31, 2008
Topics Being Covered
• Background of the Internet
• Overview of how data gets from point "A" to point "B”
• What DNS, domain names, and IP Addresses are
and why they matter
What is the Internet?
“The Internet is the world's largest library. It's just that
all the books are on the floor.”
-John Allen Paulos
What is the Internet
• Network of Networks designed for redundancy
• Design is hierarchical
• Common Uses:
– Email
– WWW
– File Sharing
– VoIP
Brief History of the Internet
“I took the initiative in creating the Internet.”
-Sen. Al Gore (D-TN)
Brief History of the Internet
• Result of the military research project ARPANET
• First four nodes of ARPANET went online in 1970
• “Modern” Internet was launched January 1, 1983
• Commercial uses allowed in 1988
• WWW launched in 1989, became popular in 1994
Key Terms
• TCP/IP • Host
• Backbone • FQDN
• Client • TLD
• Server
• DNS
• Router
• Port
• ISP
• Packet
• Protocol
How Data Gets From Point “A” to Point “B”
“It’s a series of Tubes”
-Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK)
Moving Data
• The Internet is a Hierarchy of Networks
• Networks are connected to an ISP
• ISPs are connected to Backbones
Hierarchy Example
Moving Data
• Networks on the Internet are connected by routers
• Data is broken down into packets
• Protocols govern how the Internet operates
Moving Data
• Transmission Control Protocol – TCP
– Creates actual connection between hosts
– Breaks data down into packets
– Reassembles received packets into usable data
– Ensures data reliability
Moving Data
• Internet Protocol – IP
– Forward Packets between computers
– Knows nothing about packet contents
– Every computer is identified by a unique IP Address
• IP Addresses – IPv4
– Consist of 4 sets of numbers
– Written as [Link]
– Composed of the Network number and the computer
number
– Managed and assigned by ICANN
Moving Data
• Port
– Secondary address
– Usually 1-5 Digits
– Server applications usually have “well-known” port number
– Identifies sending and receiving process
Domain Name System - DNS
“The Internet is a telephone system that's gotten
uppity.”
-Clifford Stoll
Domain Name System - DNS
• Symbolic Name
• Created to eliminate the need to remember complex
IP Addresses
• Hierarchical, distributed database
• Servers that run DNS are called “Name Servers”
• Domain Name Example: [Link]
Domain Name System - DNS
• A Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN) uniquely
identifies the hosts position within the DNS
hierarchical tree by specifying a list of names
separated by dots in the path from the referenced
host to the root.
Domain Name System - DNS
DNS Domain
Hierarchy
Domain Name System - DNS
Some DNS Top Level Domains
Domain Name System - DNS
Example of a DNS Lookup 1. Client asks ISP’s name server for
[Link]
2. Client’s ISP asks ICANN for the root
name server for “.com”
3. ISP’s name server gets answer
4. ISP asks root name server for the IP of
the name server that controls [Link]
5. ISP’s name server gets answer
6. ISP asks [Link]’s name server for the
IP of [Link]
7. ISP’s name server gets answer
8. ISP asks the received IP if it is
[Link]
9. ISP’s name server gets answer
10. ISP’s name server gives client IP of
[Link]
11. Client requests web page hosted at the
received IP
Links
• DNS Lookup Utility
– [Link]
• Domain Owner Lookup (Whois)
– [Link]