🌐 How the Internet Actually Works — Explained for Cloud & DevOps Beginners

"It's not magic. It's engineering."

Ever wondered how you're able to load ChatGPT, stream YouTube, or scroll through LinkedIn—instantly—no matter where the servers are hosted?

In this blog, we’ll walk through:

• 💡 What the internet really is

• 🌎 How your data travels across the world

• 🔍 What happens when you open a site like ChatGPT

• 🌊 How submarine cables power your digital life

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💫 1. The Internet = A Global Network of Networks

The internet is not a signle system. It's a giant web of interconnected networks owned by telecoms, governments, and private companies.

These networks talk to eachother using TCP/IP:

• TCP (Transmission Control Protocol): Breaks your message into small "packets"

• IP (Internet Protocol): Assigns addresses and routes those packets

✉️ Like sending letters in envelopes (TCP) with GPS tracking (IP)

Whether it’s a WhatsApp ping or a file upload to the cloud—this journey happens every time.

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🏠 2. Who Connects You to the Internet? (ISP Tiers)

Your searched data does not go directly from you to Google to get reply.

It goes through 3 tiers of Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

🧳 Tier 1: Global Backbones

• Own massive ✨global infrastructure

• Examples: Tata Communications, NTT, Level 3

• Exchange traffic for free (peering)

🌍 Tier 2: Regional ISPs (Internet Service Providers)

• Buy bandwidth from Tier 1

• Serve countries or large regions

• Examples: Jio, Airtel, Vodafon

🏡 Tier 3: Local Providers

• Deliver internet to homes, cafes, offices

• Examples: ACT Fibernet, Spectra, Hathway

🚀 Your searched data goes through Tier 3 → Tier 2 → Tier 1 → Server... then back in reverse order to you with reply in miliseconds.

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🩻 3. Example: How ChatGPT Reaches You in Mumbai

You open ChatGPT. Here's what happens:

1. 📱 Phone connects to WiFi (LAN)

2. 📡 Router sends data to ACT (Tier 3)

3. 🏭 ACT sends to Airtel (Tier 2)

4. 🌐 Airtel passes to Tata Comm (Tier 1)

5. 🌊 Tata sends via submarine cable to a US server

6. ⏳ ChatGPT processes and responds

All this happens in under a second — thanks to global routing!

🌊 4. Submarine Cables = Internet's Ocean Superhighways

Contrary to what many believe...

📶 Satellites handle only <1% of global traffic!

📉 99% of global data flows through submarine fiber optic cables:

• Built under oceans

• Carry signals as light

• Connect all continents

Famous cables:

• SEA-ME-WE 6: Asia → Europe

• FASTER: US → Japan (by Google)

• IAX: India → Singapore

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📊 5. Networks Around You: PAN, LAN, MAN, WAN

Data hops from PAN → LAN → MAN → WAN — and comes back in reverse order with result.

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🎥 6. YouTube in Real Life

You tap a video on YouTube:

1. 📲 Phone → WiFi Router (LAN)

2. 🚪 ACT (Tier 3) → Airtel (Tier 2)

3. 🌍 Airtel → Tata (Tier 1) → US Data Center

4. 📼 YouTube Server → Content Delivery Network (CDN)

5. 📺 Stream reaches back — buffer-free!

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🔧 7. Why This Matters for Cloud & DevOps

Understanding the internet’s architecture helps you:

• ⚖️ Design reliable cloud apps

• 🔄 Troubleshoot latency or packet loss

• 📊 Architect scalable solutions

• 🌟 Think like a DevOps/Cloud engineer

DevOps isn't just CI/CD pipelines — it's knowing how your users reach your services.

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Conclusion

The internet isn’t a fluffy “cloud” somewhere. It’s a high-speed, globally connected infrastructure made of:

• 💡 Protocols (TCP/IP)

• 🧱 Layers of ISPs

• 🌊 Submarine fiber cables

• 📶 Network types (PAN → WAN)

Understanding this gives you superpowers as a cloud or DevOps engineer.

The next time your app feels slow or unreachable, you'll know where to look: maybe it's a local WiFi glitch… or maybe a transoceanic cable got cut.

Master the internet, and you master the cloud.