digg

Join DiggAbout

How Does The Internet Work? Tennis Balls & Tubes Duh! watch!

managednetworks.co.uk — Ever wondered what happens when your computer sends a domain request to the internet? Well some guy whips out rubber gloves and stuffs messages into tennis balls then rolls them down a pipe labeled 'the internet'. Of course.

Bury
show profanity settings
expand all
  • lorisa, on 12/05/2007, -2/+46I did always hear that the internet was a series of tubes....
  • rgladstein, on 12/05/2007, -0/+59Very sensible of them to wear gloves while doing this -- just in case.
    • ScorpioPT, on 12/05/2007, -0/+27you never know when its a virus
    • Bobpaulson, on 12/05/2007, -1/+8You always have to use protection. The internet is serious business.
    • Xanaver, on 12/05/2007, -0/+9Eeeww!! I got google on my hands........
    • jaymzx, on 12/05/2007, -0/+3Handling that much porn, I'd wear gloves, too.
  • unicronband, on 12/05/2007, -1/+57I use a water-based tubericant to make my internets go faster.
  • jetnet, on 12/05/2007, -6/+53This video is inaccurate. I know I am being a stickler here, but when your PC wants to go to google.com, it first checks its host file, then its local dns cache. After that, it goes to its configured DNS servers and asks them. Thats as far as your computer takes DNS translation. It does not go to ICANN, or the registar of the domain, nor the domain names DNS servers for that matter.

    And if this video were looking at it from the DNS servers stand point, it gets the request in, checks its host file, then local DNS cache, if all else fails, it asks one of the main root servers where the name servers are for the domain, then asks one of those DNS servers to translate the request from the PC, then returns that informaion back to the PC. So the PC never talks strait to the root servers or DNS servers for that matter, and no where in here does it talk strait to ICANN / IANA (the root servers are not owned by ICANN nor are they controlled by them).

    Yes I know that this video was not trying to be accurate, but in a way, it was trying to be, it was just failing.
    • rogersj3, on 12/05/2007, -19/+5Yes, I know that commenter was not trying to be a pompous, arrogant jerk, but in a way he to totally is.
      • jdbausch, on 12/05/2007, -1/+8yeah, only an ass would correct a video that attempts to teach incorrect information. Damn college boy.
    • adooga, on 12/05/2007, -2/+7I agree jetnet, it's not at all accurate.
      Also the music is a little gay.
    • pentalive, on 12/05/2007, -1/+1But what if your local DNS server is set to do a recursive query instead of a iterative one?
      But you are right about one thing, hitting the root hints first is not correct.

      (ITT-Tech FTW)
  • falloutsyndrome, on 12/05/2007, -1/+3Tubericant is great for interblag porn.
  • Pake, on 12/05/2007, -0/+15So... basically Pac(ket)-man eats what you type in, rolls through the tube avoiding ghost, and returns with whatever it ate on the other side. Brilliant!
  • 1timeuser, on 12/05/2007, -1/+30It would be much more accurate if the tubes were clogged up with dirty pictures and penis enlargement ads.
  • johnbell, on 12/05/2007, -3/+6lame. i expected some marble madness type contraption.
  • sarge96, on 12/05/2007, -7/+1Linux!
  • skinrock, on 12/05/2007, -2/+15I think the EDGE network is still using this technology.
  • bernales, on 12/05/2007, -5/+8wow. the jazz. the yellow gloves. i dont like this video.
  • hoovcluck, on 12/05/2007, -1/+2I prefer the simpson version
    • jon30041, on 12/05/2007, -1/+2I sorta of remember that. Any links to a video?
  • Drakster, on 12/05/2007, -1/+2I'm sure that most of us could point out several flaws in that video, but nevertheless (being designed for newbies), it does a decent job. Bear in mind, it's not as simple as the video shows thought.
  • Frostman3D, on 12/05/2007, -7/+1stupid, too long, didn't watch, boring... but creative. over all, NOT DUGG.
    • seanc6610, on 12/05/2007, -2/+3you could've just clicked the "Bury as lame" button up there, you don't have to explain yourself.
      • Frostman3D, on 12/05/2007, -1/+1Well, see... there's this thing called freedom of speech, and I felt like saying it was stupid, so I did. Just as you said that ***** you said.
  • Me1000, on 12/05/2007, -2/+2At the end: the server doesnt give me the page!
    It gives me the HTML for my browser to render!
  • MunkeeBoy, on 12/05/2007, -3/+1ummmm.... how did the books get in teh tubes?
  • Takuro, on 12/05/2007, -3/+3Aside from illustrating the process of data transfer as transferring tennis balls, this didn't really enlighten me at all. I think the comprehension of transference back and forth is a relatively easy process that needs little explanation. But this video failed to illustrate any of the particulars of the significance of each sent and returned message.

    Where's Bill Nye the Science Guy when you need him. :/
    • sexybobo, on 12/05/2007, -2/+2obviously not meant for you. It is to help people understand what all the pc goes through when it tries to find a web page .
  • Metasquares, on 12/05/2007, -1/+1The thing is that you can go into pretty arbitrary detail when discussing networking protocols because what we refer to simply as "the Internet" is a very complex network. If the video were accurate to the level of detail that it attempted, it would be a good video, regardless of how many details were glossed over.
  • smurf22, on 12/05/2007, -1/+9Pros of a tube internet
    Faster response then dsl, and no adds.

    Cons
    You must wear gloves, and use tennis balls.
  • PinkoComrade, on 12/05/2007, -6/+1*Insert Ted Stevens quote here*
  • PatrickBrown, on 12/05/2007, -1/+3I realize this is for demonstration, but the tube is too small or the ball is too big. Make the tube several times larger and instead of a tennis ball use shotgun pellets.

    Hmm, those changes also help to illustrate IP as well.
  • Errdoth, on 12/05/2007, -3/+1Dugg for balls.

    Tennis ball make anything epic.
  • isaactwito, on 12/05/2007, -0/+4Buried because this joke isn't funny anymore.
  • dchaffin, on 12/05/2007, -2/+0http://www.purpletubes.com
  • travbrack, on 12/05/2007, -1/+3creative
  • antisthenex, on 12/05/2007, -1/+1What's sad is that my middle school's Computer Literacy showed a video with a very similar concept.

    Apparently, T1 has wider tubes than Dial-Up and can take multiple tennis balls simulataneously.
  • tehpyro, on 12/05/2007, -1/+2Ted Stevens would be proud "The internet... is a series of tubes!"
  • DiggRestrictsMe, on 12/05/2007, -4/+1This video is utter tripe. Sure, the joke is/was funny but the "internet" is far more than just HTTP. The fact that the site totes around such accomplishments as microsoft gold certified, IBM cisco, and ... of all things CITRIX sonicwall only facilitates the beliefs that these companies whole-heartedly believe their customer base is complete retards. OR they have absolutely no concept of reputable PR.

    Furthermore, it's a goddamn IT consultant company. Good god. How can a company be so ***** pompous as to piggy back a stupid internet meme just to boost their sales. I hope this company burries itself and the building burns to the ground for spreading such misinformation. There's already enough on CNN.
  • rspeed, on 12/05/2007, -1/+4The title should really be "How Does DNS Work?"
    • teh_techie, on 12/05/2007, -0/+1In reality though, it's not NOT how DNS works! Google it, and you'll see that your own PC never talks to ICANN or IANA to get ANYTHING... WTF?
      • rspeed, on 12/14/2007, -0/+1That's a very good point. Your DNS server takes care of that.
  • Fergy, on 12/05/2007, -1/+2It may be fun to use tennis balls but they are only reinforcing the belief of many ignorant people that the internet is a series of tubes that can get clogged. This is horrible because if they think that they vote for stupid laws that promise to free up the clogged internet.
  • Th3_anOmoLy, on 12/05/2007, -0/+2"Everyone understands tennis balls"
  • groinkster, on 12/05/2007, -0/+1Dude needs to tune his guitar
  • walshga, on 12/05/2007, -0/+0Only marginally helpful - doesn't explain how packets work.
  • blynder, on 12/05/2007, -0/+1Screw fiber optics, I want a tube.
  • Verytastycheese, on 12/05/2007, -1/+1THAT was LAME! That barely even shows what goes on from the user's end.. I was expecting to see tennis balls bouncing back and fourth around servers...
    Buried for FAIL and incorrect info.
  • psywiped, on 12/06/2007, -0/+2so my interweb slows down because my computer gets writers cramp?
  • kd1s, on 12/06/2007, -0/+3Overly simplistic but accurate video. If they really wanted to be thorough they'd have included the first step in the hierarchy, their ISP's DNS servers. Then of course they could have delved into how routers, gateways, etc. convert IP addresses to MAC addresses for the ethernet ports on the specific device, or how the information is packaged in a packet.
    But I guess that video will do for the unwashed masses.
  • falafelkiosken, on 12/09/2007, -0/+2I guess my old ISP used this technique
  • kickingback77, on 06/19/2008, -0/+1The music from that tennis video put me to sleep & why is the guy wearing yellow gloves, are the tennis balls disease infested or stinky?

    http://www.tennisplaza.com
  • avize, on 07/12/2008, -0/+0They really wanted to be thorough they'd have included the first step in the hierarchy, their ISP's DNS servers.
    It may be fun to use tennis balls.The ethernet ports on the specific device
    Thanks,
    http://www.onlineflashgames.org
    http://www.bid-directory.net
  •  

    Login or register to add a comment

    Create a new account or login to join in the conversation on Digg. You'll also be able to Digg stories to help promote things you like.


© Digg Inc. 2008 — Content posted by Digg users is dedicated to the public domain.
DIGG, DIGG IT, DUGG, DIGG THIS, Digg graphics, logos, designs, page headers, button icons, scripts, and other service names are the trademarks of Digg Inc.