🌐 Week 1 of My DevOps Journey: I Learned How the Internet Actually Works

👋 Introduction – From Curiosity to Connection

A week ago, I began something exciting: the #90DaysOfDevOps challenge. DevOps is the backbone of how modern software runs reliably — it's what helps Netflix stream smoothly and your banking app work at 2 AM.

But I realized, before diving into tools and automation, I needed to answer a more basic question:

💭 “How does the internet really work?”

I’d used the internet every day — Googled answers, watched YouTube, sent emails. But I had no idea what was happening in the background. So, this week was all about understanding the invisible threads that keep our digital world connected.

📅 Day 2: What Really Happens When You Hit “Enter” on Google?

I started with the big picture: how the internet works.

When you type something in Google and press enter, your device doesn’t just “find” the answer magically. Instead, it sends a request to a faraway computer (called a server). That server receives the request, processes it, and sends back a response.

Between your computer and that server, the data passes through:

Routers – traffic directors
Switches – smart connectors
IP addresses – like digital home addresses

Suddenly, I wasn’t just browsing. I was watching a secret handshake of computers across the globe.

🧱 Day 3: The Internet Has Layers — Like Cake 🍰

Next, I learned about the OSI and TCP/IP models — fancy names, but they simply describe how data travels.

Imagine sending a letter. You put it in an envelope, add an address, hand it to the postman, and wait for delivery. That’s what the internet does — but in 7 steps (or layers):

From turning your message into 1s and 0s (Physical Layer)
To understanding what app it's for (Application Layer)

These models help engineers find where something went wrong if your data doesn’t reach the other side.

🧠 It’s like a map for internet communication — from start to finish.

🔌 Day 4: Speaking the Internet’s Language – Protocols & Ports

On Day 4, I discovered that every online service has its own language (called a protocol) and a doorway (called a port).

HTTP (port 80) – for websites
HTTPS (port 443) – for secure websites
SSH (port 22) – for connecting to servers
DNS (port 53) – for finding addresses

It’s like each service has its own postbox and only certain letters can be delivered through them.

🖧 Day 5: MAC Address & DNS – The Digital Identity and Yellow Pages

I learned about the MAC address, which is your device’s permanent ID — like its fingerprint.

And then came the DNS, the internet’s phonebook. When you type google.com, your device asks a DNS server:

“Hey, what’s the IP address for this website?”

Without DNS, we’d be typing 142.250.64.78 instead of google.com. Imagine that!

🏢 Day 6: What Does a Data Center Look Like?

Ever wonder where all your data actually lives?

I looked into data centers — giant buildings filled with servers, switches, firewalls, and cables. These are the places where the internet breathes and lives.

I also learned about network topologies — the way computers connect:

Star: All devices connect to one central hub
Mesh: Every device connects to every other device
Ring, Bus: Old-school but still useful

Each design affects speed, reliability, and backup.

📦 Day 7: Behind-the-Scenes – Status Codes, Checksums, and UDP

This was the day for the “invisible things”:

Status Codes like 200 OK or 404 Not Found that tell you what happened with your request.
Checksums that verify whether data arrived uncorrupted.
UDP packets that prioritize speed over accuracy (used in games and video calls).

These tiny pieces make a huge difference in whether your message arrives safely and quickly.

🧠 My Takeaways from Week 1

Networking is everywhere — even if we don’t see it.
Behind every webpage, YouTube video, and email is a series of events involving hardware, software, and a lot of coordination.
DevOps isn’t just tools — it’s understanding the why and how behind them.

🔧 Resources I Used

📺 YouTube: TrainWithShubham

💬 Final Thoughts

Week 1 was just the beginning — but it already changed the way I see the digital world. Next week, I’ll dive into Linux basics, which power most DevOps tools and cloud systems.

If you’re curious like me and want to learn out loud, join me on this journey!

🤝 Connect With Me

📍 LinkedIn

🏷 Tags

#DevOps #Networking #LearnInPublic #90DaysOfDevOps #TrainWithShubham #DevOpsForBeginners

DevOps Network Explorer: My 90-Day Journey