essay on history of computer network

Computer networking history

Ethernet cables connected to a network switch.

Listed below are the important events in history relating to a networking , including release dates for network technologies.

See our Internet history page for the history of hard drives.

The idea of ARPANET , one of the earliest computer networks, was proposed by Leonard Kleinrock in 1961, in his paper titled "Information Flow in Large Communication Nets."

The term " packet " was coined by Donald Davies in 1965, to describe data sent between computers over a network.

ARPANET was one of the first computer networks to use packet switching . Development of ARPANET started in 1966, and the first two nodes, UCLA and SRI (Standford Research Institute), were connected, officially starting ARPANET in 1969.

The first RFC surfaced in April 1969, as a document to define and provide information about computer communications, network protocols, and procedures.

The first network switch and IMP (Interface Message Processor) was sent to UCLA on August 29, 1969. It was used to send the first data transmission on ARPANET.

The Internet was officially born, with the first data transmission sent between UCLA and SRI on October 29, 1969, at 10:30 p.m.

Steve Crocker and a team at UCLA released NCP (NetWare Core Protocol) in 1970. NCP was a file sharing protocol for use with NetWare .

ALOHAnet, a UHF wireless packet network, was used in Hawaii to connect the islands together. Although it was not Wi-Fi , it helped lay the foundation for Wi-Fi.

Ethernet was developed by Robert Metcalfe in 1973 while working at Xerox PARC.

The first international network connection, called SATNET, was deployed in 1973 by ARPA .

An experimental VoIP call was made in 1973, officially introducing VoIP technology and capabilities. However, the first software allowing users to make VoIP calls was not available until 1995.

The first routers were used at Xerox in 1974. However, these first routers were not considered true IP routers.

Ginny Strazisar developed the first true IP router , originally called a gateway , in 1976.

Bob Kahn invented the TCP/IP protocol for networks and developed it, with help from Vint Cerf , in 1978.

Internet Protocol version 4, or IPv4 , was officially defined in RFC 791 in 1981. IPv4 was the first major version of the Internet protocol.

BITNET was created in 1981 as a network between IBM mainframe systems in the United States.

CSNET (Computer Science Network) was developed by the U.S. National Science Foundation in 1981.

ARPANET finished the transition to using TCP/IP in 1983.

Paul Mockapetris and Jon Postel implemented the first DNS in 1983.

The NSFNET (National Science Foundation Network) came online in 1986. It was a backbone for ARPANET, before eventually replacing ARPANET in the early 1990s.

BITNET II was created in 1986 to address bandwidth issues with the original BITNET.

The first T1 backbone was added to ARPANET in 1988.

WaveLAN network technology, the official precursor to Wi-Fi , was introduced to the market by AT&T , Lucent , and NCR in 1988.

Details about network firewall technology was published in 1988. The published paper discussed the first firewall, called a packet filter firewall, that was developed by Digital Equipment Corporation the same year.

Kalpana, a U.S. network hardware company, developed and introduced the first network switch in 1990.

IPv6 was introduced in 1996 as an improvement over IPv4, including a wider range of IP addresses, improved routing, and embedded encryption.

The first version of the 802.11 standard for Wi-Fi was introduced in June 1997, providing transmission speeds up to 2 Mbps .

The 802.11a standard for Wi-Fi was made official in 1999, designed to use the 5 GHz band and provide transmission speeds up to 25 Mbps .

802.11b devices were available to the public starting mid-1999, providing transmission speeds up to 11 Mbps .

The WEP encryption protocol for Wi-Fi was introduced in September 1999, for use with 802.11b.

802.11g devices were available to the public starting in January 2003, providing transmission speeds up to 20 Mbps .

The WPA encryption protocol for Wi-Fi was introduced in 2003, for use with 802.11g.

The WPA2 encryption protocol was introduced in 2004, as an improvement over and replacement for WPA. All Wi-Fi devices were required to be WPA2 certified by 2006.

Because of its many security vulnerabilities, the Wi-Fi Alliance retired WEP in 2004.

The 802.11n standard for Wi-Fi was made official in 2009. It provides higher transfer speeds over 802.11a and 802.11g, and it can operate on the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bandwidths.

The Wi-Fi Alliance introduced WPA3 encryption for Wi-Fi in January 2018, which includes security enhancements over WPA2.

Computer History

History of Computer Network

The world's current population is around 7.6 billion people, and the number of devices connected to the internet is estimated to be over 50 billion, implying that each person uses approximately 6 internet-connected devices. This number has been increasing since the day when the first network, ARPANET was made. In today's world, one can not imagine life without the internet. In this article, we will learn about how computer networks evolve with time.

What is Computer Networking?

A computer network is a collection of computers capable of transmitting , receiving , and exchanging voice , data , and video traffic . Because of the capability of computer networking, everything is becoming more automated and capable of communicating and managing itself.

If there is no computer network, you will not be able to read this article by simply conducting a search on the topic and getting results in a matter of milliseconds. Because of the internet's powerful network, you can use Google and YouTube and watch other information with just a few clicks. It is possible due to computer networks.

History Of Computer Network

The history of computer networks is vast, so we will discuss different generations of computer networks according to their timeline.

In his paper "Information Flow in Large Communication Nets" , Leonard Kleinrock introduced the notion of ARPANET (one of the early computer networks) in 1961 . The telephone network was the most powerful network on the planet at the time. The telephone network transmits data from a sender to a receiver using circuit switching , which is a suitable choice given that voice is transferred at a consistent pace between sender and receiver.
Leonard Kleinrock published the first work on packet switching methods. Kleinrock's work neatly illustrated the efficiency of the packet-switching strategy employing queuing theory for busy traffic sources. At the same time, Paul Baran began researching the use of packet switching for secure voice-over military networks at the Rand Institute .
In 1969 , the first packet-switched computer network and a direct ancestor of today's public internet ARPANET was first used. It was the first to use the TCP/IP protocol suite, which later evolved into the internet. The Advanced Research Projects Agency ( ARPA ), a US Department of Defence division, developed ARPANET . ARPANET initially had four nodes, i.e., the University of California at Los Angeles ( UCLA ), Stanford Research Institute ( SRI ), University of California at Santa Barbara ( UCSB ), and the University of Utah. The first communication between UCLA and SRI took place on October 29, 1969.

Roy Tomlinson invented email after UCLA was connected to Bolt Beranek and Newman, Inc. (BBN) in 1972 .

A test VoIP connection was made in 1973 to officially introduce VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) technology and its capabilities. In 1995, the first software allowed consumers to make such a call.
The first routers were deployed at Xerox in 1974 , although they were not real IP routers. The breakthrough in computer networking was made possible by gateway devices and the Interface Message Processor employed in the ARPANET . Bill Yeager , a Stanford University researcher, invented the multiprotocol router in the 1980s . Stanford IT personnel Leonard Bosack and Sandy Lerner recognized the business possibilities of this router technology. Leonard and Sandy built an updated version of Yeager's router, which led to the establishment of Cisco Systems in 1984 .

In 1973 , in a Xerox research center in Palo Alto, California, Robert Metcalfe and David Boggs created the first Ethernet prototype, which carried data at 2.94 Mbps .

In 1973 , Following further research, Xerox patented Ethernet in 1975. In 1979, the IEEE established a standards committee with the goal of pushing technology for widespread use. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the notion of a virtual LAN , or VLAN , was developed to address the problem of rising broadcast traffic on LANs with a significant number of connected devices. The IEEE 802.1Q standard was created to standardize VLANs and multi-VLAN trunking over network uplinks.
In 1974 , Telenet was the first commercial ARPANET adaption. This concept of an Internet Service Provider ( ISP ) was also introduced. An ISP's primary goal is to provide its clients with a reliable internet connection at a reasonable cost.
As the internet became increasingly commercialized, more networks sprang up worldwide. For communicating over the network, each network uses a separate protocol. This made it impossible to join many networks in a seamless manner. Tim Berners-Lee led a team of computer scientists at CERN in Switzerland in the 1980s to establish the World Wide Web( WWW ), a seamless network of various networks.

Timeline of Computer Networks

In 1957 , Advanced Research Project Agency was formed by the US.
In 1961 , the idea of ARPANET was proposed by Leonard Kleinrock.
In 1965 , the term packet was used by Donald Davies.
In 1969 , ARPANET became functional, and the internet was officially born, with the first data transmission sent between UCLA and SRI on October 29, 1969, at 10:30 p.m.
In 1971 , Ray Tomlinson sent the first email, and the foundation for Wi-Fi was laid with the use of ALOHAnet.
In 1973 , Robert Metcalfe developed Ethernet at Xerox PARC, and the first experimental VoIP call was made.
In 1976 , the first true IP router was developed by Ginny Strazisar.
In 1978 , Bob Kahn invented the TCP/IP protocol for networks developed.
In 1981 , Internet Protocol version 4, or IPv4, was officially defined in RFC 791 in 1981.
In 1983 , DNS was introduced by Paul Mockapetris.
In 1988 , details about network firewall technology were first published 1988.
In 1996 , IPv6 was introduced.
In 1997 , the first version of the 802.11 standards for Wi-Fi was introduced in June 1997, providing transmission speeds up to 2 Mbps.
In 2002-2004 , Web 2.0 was introduced.

Modern Computer Networks

From the first computer network, Arpanet, to the latest Web 3.0 , the computer network has evolved in speed , reliability , and user experience. In today's world, everything is Speed, and to increase the network's Speed. We are currently replacing copper coaxial cables with optical fiber cables. Some things that make the network better and better with time are described as follows.

Optical Fiber Cables

An optical fiber is a thin strand of pure glass that works as a long-distance waveguide for light. It works on the principle of total internal reflection . The core, which carries the actual light signal, and the cladding, a sheet of glass around the core, are the two layers of glass that make up the device. The refractive index of the cladding is lower than that of the core, and this results in TIR within the core. Two significant service providers that provide optical fiber-based internet are Reliance JIO and Indian Airtel Xstream Fiber . Both service providers claim to provide a speed of 1 GBPS, which is enormous.

LI-FI Technology

Li-Fi is light-based bi-directional , fully networked , wireless communication technology where the light source is used to transmit the data wirelessly. This is achieved by turning the LED ON and OFF very rapidly (Million times per second) so that the flicker is not observable by the human eye. In this way, the data is transferred between the two devices wirelessly. Features provided by the Li-Fi are:

Speed : Li-Fi can provide speeds up to 100 Gbps.
Security : Light can not cross the walls, so data cannot be hacked by outsiders, providing one more layer of security.
Safety : Unlike radio waves, light exposure is safer for humans.
Congestion-free : The bandwidth of the light spectrum is 1000 times more than the radio spectrum; hence, it is congestion-free and free of electromagnetic interference.
Efficiency : It uses LED for transmission, which minimizes the overall energy consumption.

Blockchain Technology

A blockchain is a database that holds encrypted data blocks and links them together to build a chronological single source of truth for the information. Blockchains are well known for their critical function in keeping a secure and decentralized record of transactions in cryptocurrency systems like Bitcoin. The blockchain's novelty is that it ensures the accuracy and security of a data record while also generating trust without the requirement for a trusted third party.

The third generation of web technologies is known as Web 3.0 (Web3). Web 3.0 is still evolving and being defined, and as such, there isn't a canonical, universally accepted definition. But one thing is certain: Web 3.0 will significantly emphasize decentralized applications and make considerable use of blockchain-based technologies. Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence (AI) will be used in Web 3.0 to help empower more intelligent and adaptive applications.

A firewall is a network security hardware or software application that monitors and filters incoming and outgoing network traffic according to a set of security rules. It serves as a firewall between internal private networks and public networks (such as the public internet). To route web traffic, firewalls generate 'choke points,' which are then examined against predefined parameters and acted upon accordingly. Some firewalls also keep track of traffic and connections in audit logs to see what is allowed and prohibited.

Become a networking guru with our Free Computer Networking course. Join now and learn to design, implement, and manage networks that power the digital world.

A computer network is a collection of computers capable of transmitting, receiving, and exchanging voice, data, and video traffic.
In 1969, the first packet-switched computer network and a direct ancestor of today's public internet ARPANET was first used.
In 1976 the first true IP router was developed by Ginny Strazisar.
In 1983 DNS was introduced by Paul Mockapetris.
In 1981 IPv4 was introduced, while IPv6 was in 1996.
The World Wide Web , which is a seamless network of various networks, was introduced in the 1980s by Tim Berners.

History of the Networking Technology Essay

As compared to what is happening today, information systems, physical aspect of networking, works cited.

The telegraph was perfected in the 1850s. Decades later, the telephone became a household fixture in the early 20 th century. But even with the radio and the telephone becoming household fixtures in most modern homes, the whole world and particularly the United Kingdom was not exactly moving at a frenetic pace. Phones made it easier but there is a significant delay when it comes to accessing information.

A person has to be on both ends of the line to communicate. This system is far outmoded when compared to Information Technology that has swept the globe. A person can access information 24 hours a day, all year round. This enhances the decision-making process. It radicalised the way people do business. However, these things could not have been possible without networking technology.

It has to be pointed out that even as late as the middle part of the e 20 th century, it was still very expensive to communicate across continents. Calling overseas is not a practical proposition unless the call is extremely urgent. During those days, many households in Europe did not even own a telephone.

But after the invention of the Internet in the latter part of the twentieth century, the world began to enter the Digital Age. As a result the way people communicate to each other went into overdrive. It can be argued that people are now living in a networked society.

Before going any further it is important to have a clear understanding of what a network is all about. A basic definition of a network is to have two or more computers that are linked together so that information can be exchanged between them. The development of computer networks is the answer to the urgent need of the modern day workplace to have the ability to receive and send information quickly and efficiently.

Robert Thierauf explains it this way, “Today’s worldwide marketplace provides not only more customers, suppliers, and competitors but also increased complexity for the decision-making process.

The speed of communication simultaneously makes the environment less stable and predictable and reduces the available time for examining business information, knowledge, and intelligence” (p. 65). There is therefore a need for a more sophisticated IT infrastructure that can help managers make the right decisions.

Shifting needs, rapid changes in technology and the increasing sophistication of the hackers are the major reasons why developers and creators of a company’s IT infrastructure are focused in creating systems that both efficient and secure. The number one challenge for modern management information systems is the creation of a seamless IT architecture that can ensure an error free e-business.

This is extremely difficult to do for an organisation that relies on internet and telecommunication networks in order to conduct businesses in multiple locations all over the world (Stevens, p.20). The solution is the creation of a highly-reliable, easy-to-use and secure Intranet as well as Extranet technology.

The Intranet is basically a network that is limited to internal usage within the company. This is its limitation because the system can only be used by the employees and all the staff that works in the said organization. However, the upside to this arrangement is the significant savings that it can bring when it comes to their communication needs. Aside from that the flow of information is significantly enhanced.

An Intranet will allow for the creation of a system that can handle large volumes of information and yet the company need not hire a hundreds of employees to maintain it. An airline company for instance can have an Intranet that is managed by a staff of just 16 IT professionals (Times Online, p.1). In the case of one airline company the use of the Intranet allows for the creation of cost-saving methods that enhanced the profitability of the said organisation. One study revealed the following:

cabin crew and check-in staff carry out a range of activities from booking annual leave to obtaining the weather reports needed for each flight. Engineering staff can get the details needed to maintain the aircraft … The crews come in , use the self-service terminals to print off everything they require, such as fuel reports, go to the aircraft and fly (Times Onine, p.1).

This is an efficient system indeed. However, it is severely limited when it comes to coverage because it has no use to their customers. Most of the time an Intranet is comprised of computer terminals and computer networks within the company headquarters. It can be accessed from a satellite office, from a remote location, however, it is still a closed system because only employees and staff can use it. This is the reason why the Extranet was developed.

If a company decides to use an Extranet then it has to be protected from hackers and corporate spies (Flouris & Oswald, p.68). Aside from security, there is also the need to create a user-friendly system that does not require extensive study in order for a customer to be familiar with it.

This will enable the company to create facilities that consumers can easily access. A business enterprise can create a website that can be accessed using a computer or even a hand-held devices such as newly-designed mobile phones that can access the World-Wide-Web.

This means that customers can purchase items online, make reservations, and browse company information in the comfort of their homes or through the use of mobile devices. They can make adjustments to their schedules as quickly and as efficiently as possible. This is an added reason as to why consumers will use the services of this company.

Due to the recent technological breakthroughs, consumers are demanding for more innovative products and services. With regards to the Internet and the high demand for multimedia services there is a need for an infrastructure that would be able to deliver high volume data at a much faster rate.

In this regard it is not only computer hardware and software that must be pushed to the next level but also the components that go into network construction. One of the most important parts of a networking system are the cables, it is used to transfer data back and forth, between servers and computers alike.

In the 21 st century there are two major types of cables that has become the standard for reliable networking and these are:

copper cables; and
fibre optics.

Copper cables have been around for quite some time now and have proven to be a very reliable component in any network. On the other hand the use of fibre optics is relatively new but already many are convinced that this is the future of networking as it pertains to IT infrastructure.

A basic definition of a network is two or more computers that are linked together so that information can be exchanged between them. The following are the basic components of a network:

a sending device;
a communication link; and
a receiving device (Habraken, p.31).

A sending device ca be a computer or server and the receiving device can be another computer, server or equipment such as printers etc. The communication link is where communication signals are transmitted. And the common types of link include copper wire and fibre optics.

Copper became the preferred material for the manufacture of metallic cables because it is a better conductor of electricity and is relatively economical (Building Industry Consulting Service International, p.1). There are four major groups of copper cables and these are:

twisted pairs;
coax (Building Industry Consulting Service International, p.1).

According to Habraken, “Although a number of different cable type can be used for LANs, copper-based twisted-pair wire has really become the standard … It is fairly inexpensive and easy to work with because it is flexible, it bends around corners” (p. 31). A twisted pair copper cabling is ideal for the following connections:

Telephone sets to PBX common equipment
Telephone sets to key systems common equipment
PCs to the wiring closet of a LAN
Homes to the nearest telephone company equipment (Dodd, p. 83).

However, there are limitations. According to experts, “The electrical properties of copper cabling create resistance and interference. Signals weaken the farther they are transmitted on copper wires. The electrical property of copper cabling is the key factor that limits its transmission speeds” (Dodd, p. 83).

This is the upside and the downside to using copper cables. The property that made copper cables a popular component in many network is the same property that made it undesirable.

As a result, “…copper cables are limited to 100 meters for almost all applications above 100 Mbps” (Trulove, p. 142). Furthermore, with regards to the metallic aspect of copper cables, it cannot be placed just about anywhere. It cannot be placed near elevator shafts or power lines. Also, there must also be “…adequate consideration of grounding and bonding” (Trulove, p. 34).

These limitations is really problematic in the 21 st century where there is a need for greater interconnectivity and the 100 meter limit is a serious problem when talking about creating a network in other places aside from the city. This is the reason why fibre optics are now used as the better alternative.

In the 19 th century an Englishman named John Tyndall was able to demonstrate that light can be bended (Sterling, p.4). This is a major breakthrough because in the past, conventional wisdom dictates that light travels through a straight line.

But Tyndall demonstrated that light could be bent around a corner as it travelled in a jet of pouring water, “water flowed through a horizontal spout near the bottom of a container … when Tyndall aimed a beam of light through the spout along the water, his audience saw the light follow a zigzag path inside the curved path of the water” (Sterling, p. 4).

Thus, Tyndall was credited with the discovery of a principle that would lead to the manufacture of fibre optics.

In the computer world the only language that can be understood by computers and servers is one that involves 1 and 0. Fibre optics technology was designed having this idea in mind. Steven Karris described how fibre optics works inside a typical network and he wrote, “Fibre optic cable transmits light pulses.

A laser at one device sends pulses of light through this cable to the other device. The presence of light pulse is translated into a logical 1 and its absence into a logical 0 at the receiver end” (p. 6.2) This explains why fibre optics are so efficient and can able to handle the transmission of large volumes of data at a faster rate compared to copper cables.

There is simply more that a fibre optic can do compared to the old copper cables. The following list shows what is in store for those who may want to shift from using copper cable to fibre optics:

Secure – does not emit electromagnetic signals; therefore the only way to tap into it is by physically breaking the cable and apply listening devices spliced into the break. This method is easily detected;
Small size – ideal for constructing a network underneath the city where underground conduit is at capacity;
High bandwidth – fibre optics are designed to handle upgrades in IT such as high speed transmissions and the use of terabit routers; and
Low attenuation – since fibre optics does not have metallic components, there is also less interference. For TV this mean a strong signal and quality feed. For computers and LAN this means a much faster movement of data from one point to the next. Furthermore, there is less fading or weakening of signals even over long distances (Dodd, p.85).

Nevertheless, even with the above-mentioned benefits from the use of fibre optics, there is a number of downside that must be considered before deciding to use this new technology. The first major setback is the cost of installing fibre optics.

According to experts, “Specialized equipment is required to install fibre cables within buildings, test and splice fibre and to convert electrical signals to light pulses and vice versa” (Dodd, p. 85). Moreover, fibre optics is not as flexible as copper cables. This has something to do with the material used to manufacture fibre optics.

For optical fibre communications the material required to create this medium is fused silica. Specialists working in this field assert that although other fibre materials are adequate, only high-quality glassy melt of silica-dioxide has the purity needed to make excellent fibre optics that can guarantee almost zero loss in terms of signal strength (Downing, p. 101). This explains why fibre optics can be limited in the area of flexibility when comparing to the sturdier metallic cable such as copper.

The use of networking technology to enhance the efficiency of an organisation is already beyond doubt. However, it is not easy to build and maintain a management information system. It is a tremendous challenge to build a system that can become obsolete before the year ends.

In the past, this mode of doing business, the need for constant innovation and upgrades is prohibitively expensive it is not practical. No one builds a warehouse and expects to tear it down after a year. But when it comes to networking technology and computers these changes and upgrades are just part of the cycle of doing business. Those who will not invest in security upgrades and other system enhancements may find their organisation vulnerable to external threats.

Gene Spafford, head of Purdue University’s IT department said that, “The only system that is truly secure is one that is switched off and unplugged, locked in titanium-lined safe, buried in a concrete bunker, and is surrounded by nerve gas and very highly paid armed guards. Even then, I wouldn’t stake my life on it” (Mason & Newcomb, p. 73). The hyperbole was meant to put in context the extreme difficulty in developing a tamper-proof and fail-safe system.

On the other hand the comment made by Professor Spafford can also serve as a starting point for designing a highly functional MIS and this means designing an architecture that balances the need for security and accessibility. A server unplugged and hidden in vault may be a secure system but it is worth nothing to a business enterprise. Thus, a company must invest in securing their systems from external threats.

The impact of a successful intrusion into the company’s data servers can be fully understood upon consideration that in the past the only way to gain access to the company’s secrets is to employ a corporate spy or to bribe an employee of the targeted business enterprise. If this does not work the last resort would be to hire someone that can break-in and steal a hard copy of blueprints and other valuable data.

Today, a professional hacker can achieve the same results without being phsically present and risk capture. They can mine it for valuable data with minimal risk of detection. All this can be done in a remote location and possibly executed using wireless technology. If the system has a porous security system then almost nothing can be done to prevent this from happening.

A vulnerable system is not acceptable in the fast-moving and highly connected business world. A company can lose more than money, it can lose its reputation. A customer need only to experience one incident of unreliable service before deciding that the risk of using a particular system is not worht the risk. This is why it pays to invest in upgrades. The cost of doing so can be easily offset by reducing the number of people that has to be employed to manage a business enterprise.

It is almost impossible to envision a 21 st century without networking technology. Information technology is very useful but without the capability provided by networking technology data cannot be effectively stored, accessed and sent to intended recipients. However, it is an expensive proposition and one that requires constant upgrades.

Nevertheless, business organisations can no longer afford to go back to the good old days dominated by telegraphs, radio and telephones. Today, personal computers and mobile devices are indispensable tools for work and play. The rapid interconnection and communication is only possible to the use of networking technology.

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A Brief History of Computer Networking

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Carl A. Sunshine 3

Part of the book series: Applications of Communications Theory ((ACTH))

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Computer networking as we know it today may be said to have gotten its start with the Arpanet development in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Prior to that time there were computer vendor “networks” designed primarily to connect terminals and remote job entry stations to a mainframe. But the notion of networking between computers viewing each other as equal peers to achieve “resource sharing” was fundamental to the arpanet design [1]. The other strong emphasis of the Arpanet work was its reliance on the then novel technique of packet switching to efficiently share communication resources among “bursty” users, instead of the more traditional message or circuit switching.

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Sunshine, C.A. (1989). A Brief History of Computer Networking. In: Sunshine, C.A. (eds) Computer Network Architectures and Protocols. Applications of Communications Theory. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-0809-6_1

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Evolution of Networks

Pre-requisites: History of Internet

A network additionally enables associated PCs to share documents and information and also equipment assets, i.e., scanners, plotters, projectors, and storage devices, making it simpler to gather and administer data, and enabling clients to work together. The system was simply not advanced in one day; rather took a long time to be an all the more incredible, productive, and dependable system. Advancement of systems administration began path back in 1969’s with the improvement of the first system called ARPANET, which prompted the improvement of the web. At that point, constant everyday upgradation occurs in the system innovation. The system has gone through a few phases which are described below:

ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network)

ARPANET was the network that became the basis for the Internet. It was the first network that came into existence in 1969, which was designed and named by the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) and the US Department of Defence (DoD). It was where a bunch of PCs was associated at various colleges and US DoD for sharing information and messages and playing long separation diversions and associating with individuals to share their perspectives.

NSFNET (National Science Federation Network)

In the mid-’80s another federal agency, NSFNET (National Science Federation Network) created a new network that was more capable than ARPANET and became the first backbone infrastructure for the commercial public Internet. Its main aim was to use networks only for academic research and not for any kind of private business activity. Later, many privately owned businesses with their very own private systems joined with ARPANET and NSFNET to make a more capable and wide network, the Internet.

ARPANET + NSFNET + PRIVATE NETWORKS = INTERNET

The Internet, which is a network of networks, came into existence. The internet has evolved from ARPANET. The internet is a globally connected network system that utilizes TCP/IP to transmit information. It allows computers of different types to exchange information and is known as the internet. The Internet is the financial communications method on the planet, in which the following services are instantly available:

Web-enabled audio/video conferencing services
Online movies and gaming
Data transfer/file-sharing, often through File Transfer Protocol (FTP)
Instant messaging
Internet forums
Social networking
Online shopping
Financial services

An interspace is a software that allows multiple users in a client-server environment to communicate with each other to send and receive data of various types such as data files, video, audio, and textual data. Interspace gives the most exceptional type form of communication available on the Internet today.

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A History of Computer Networking Technology

Introduction.

The computer has influenced the very fabric of modern society. As a stand-alone machine, it has proven itself a practical and highly efficient tool for education, commerce, science, and medicine. When attached to a network—the Internet for example—it becomes the nexus of opportunity, transforming our lives in ways that are both problematic and astonishing. Computer networks are the source for vast amounts of knowledge, which can predict the weather, identify organ donors and recipients, or analyze the complexity of the human genome (Shindler, 2002).

The linking of ideas across an information highway satisfies a primordial hunger humans have to belong and to communicate. Early civilizations, to satisfy this desire, created information highways of carrier pigeons (Palmer, 2006). The history of computer networking begins in the 19 th century with the invention of the telegraph, the telephone, and the radiotelegraph.

The first communications information highway based on electricity was created with the deployment of the telegraph. The telegraph itself is no more than an electromagnet connected to a battery, connected to a switch, connected to wire (Derfler & Freed, 2002). The telegraph operates very straightforwardly. To send a message (electric current), the telegrapher rapidly opens and closes the telegraph switch. The receiving telegraph uses the electric current to create a magnetic field, which causes an observable mechanical event (Calvert, 2004).

The first commercial telegraph was patented in Great Britain by Charles Wheatstone and William Cooke in 1837 (The Institution of Engineering and Technology, 2007). The Cooke-Wheatstone Telegraph required six wires and five magnetic needles. Messages were created when combinations of the needles were deflected left or right to indicate letters (Derfler & Freed, 2002).

Almost simultaneous to the Cooke-Wheatstone Telegraph was the Samuel F. B. Morse Telegraph in the United States in 1837 (Calvert, 2004). In comparison, the Morse Telegraph was decidedly different from its European counterpart. First, it was much simpler than the Cooke-Wheatstone Telegraph: to transmit messages, it used one wire instead of six. Second, it used a code and a sounder to send and receive messages instead of deflected needles (Derfler & Freed, 2002). The simplicity of the Morse Telegraph made it the worldwide standard.

The next major change in telegraphy occurred because of the efforts of French inventor Emile Baudot. Baudot’s first innovation replaced the telegrapher’s key with a typewriter like keyboard. His second innovation replaced the dots and dashes of Morse code with a five-unit or five-bit code—similar to American standard code for information interchange (ASCII) or extended binary coded decimal interchange code (EBCDIC)—he developed. Unlike Morse code, which relied upon a series of dots and dashes, each letter in the Baudot code contained a combination of five electrical pulses. Eventually all major telegraph companies converted to Baudot code, which eliminated the need for a skilled Morse code telegrapher (Derfler & Freed, 2002). Finally, Baudot, in 1894, invented a distributor which allowed his printing telegraph to multiplex its signals; as many as eight machines could send simultaneous messages over one telegraph circuit (Britannica Concise Encyclopedia, 2006). The Baudot printing telegraph paved the way for the Teletype and Telex (Derfler & Freed, 2002).

The second forerunner of modern computer networking was the telephone. It was a significant advancement over the telegraph for it personalized telecommunications, bringing the voices and emotions of the sender to the receiver. Unlike its predecessor the telegraph, telephone networks created virtual circuit to connect telephones to one another (Shindler, 2002).

Key Terms in this Chapter

Time Division Duplexing (TDD) : TDD is a second-generation wireless network technology used by HiperLAN2 and Bluetooth to support data transmission. To achieve TDD numerous frequencies are combined in a single channel and divided into separate time slots. The time slots are assigned to individual users and rotated at regular intervals. It simulates full duplex data transmission over a half duplex transmission link.

Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS) : DSSS is a modulation scheme that spreads a signal across a broad band of radio frequencies simultaneously. DSSS is described in the IEEE 802.11b standard for wireless computer networking.

CSMA/CA : Carrier sense multiple access with collision avoidance CSMA/CA is a contention management method where a client on a network station wishing to transmit first listens for an idle signal before it can be broadcasted. CSMA/CA is implemented when CSMA/CD is impractical. WLAN access methods are based on CSMA/CA calculation to avoid a packet collision described in IEEE 802.11.

Frequency Hoping Spread Spectrum : A modulation scheme regulated by the Federal Communications Commission that requires manufacturers to use 75 or more frequencies per transmission channel with a maximum dwell time of 400 milliseconds. FHSS standards are described in IEEE 802.11 networking standards and in 802.15 for Bluetooth.

Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) : OFDM is a wireless technology that works by transmitting parallel signals. In the OFDM scheme, the radio signal are split into multiple smaller subsignals that are then transmitted simultaneously at different frequencies to the receiver.

Bluetooth : A wireless technology that connects handheld devices, mobile phones, and mobile computers around an individual. Its standards are describe by the 802.15.

CSMA/CD : Carrier sense multiple access with collision detection is a network contention management method used in Ethernet to regulate the client transmission by sensing for the presence of packet collision. CSMA/CD is described in IEEE 802.3.

Token Ring : A LAN technology developed by the IBM Corporation where the computers are arranged in a circle. In the token ring scheme, a client computer cannot transmit data unless it has a token sent by the server on the network. Token ring topology standards are described in IEEE 802.5.

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History of Networking

The History of Networking since the early times of computers.

Computer Networking history

Because networking is such a broad and complex field, no single event represents its point of origin. We can think of the 1960s as the early period, however, because that’s when the digital computer began to significantly affect the lives of ordinary individuals and the operations of businesses and governments.

For example, during that decade the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) began to use mainframe computers to process tax returns. In this section, we’ll survey the development of networking and related communication technologies and standards from the 1960s through the 1990s.

Personal Computer: A Comprehensive Guide from Origins to Future

Explore the intricate world of Personal Computers. From their groundbreaking inception to their future, understand what truly makes a computer ‘personal.

The quality and reliability of the PSTN increased significantly in 1962 with the introduction of pulse code modulation (PCM), which converted analog voice signals into digital sequences of bits. Read more

In the 1980s, the growth of client/server LAN architectures continued while that of mainframe computing environments declined. The advent of the IBM PC in 1981 and the standardization and cloning of this system led to an explosion of PC-based LANs. Read more

While the 1960s were the decade of the mainframe, the 1970s gave rise to Ethernet, which today is by far the most popular LAN technology. Ethernet was born in 1973 in Xerox’s research lab. Read more

The 1990s were a busy decade in every aspect of networking, so we will only touch on the highlights here. Ethernet continued to dominate LAN technologies and largely eclipsed competing technologies such as Token Ring and FDDI. Read more

Where wizards stay up late: the origins of the internet

History of Computers

When we study the many aspects of computing and computers, it is important to know about the history of computers. Charles Babbage designed an Analytical Engine which was a general computer It helps us understand the growth and progress of technology through the times. It is also an important topic for competitive and banking exams.

Early Computing Devices

People used sticks, stones, and bones as counting tools before computers were invented. More computing devices were produced as technology advanced and the human intellect improved over time. Let us look at a few of the early-age computing devices used by mankind.

Abacus was invented by the Chinese around 4000 years ago. It’s a wooden rack with metal rods with beads attached to them. The abacus operator moves the beads according to certain guidelines to complete arithmetic computations.

Napier’s Bone

John Napier devised Napier’s Bones, a manually operated calculating apparatus. For calculating, this instrument used 9 separate ivory strips (bones) marked with numerals to multiply and divide. It was also the first machine to calculate using the decimal point system.

Pascaline was invented in 1642 by Biaise Pascal, a French mathematician and philosopher. It is thought to be the first mechanical and automated calculator. It was a wooden box with gears and wheels inside.

Stepped Reckoner or Leibniz wheel

In 1673, a German mathematician-philosopher named Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz improved on Pascal’s invention to create this apparatus. It was a digital mechanical calculator known as the stepped reckoner because it used fluted drums instead of gears.

Difference Engine

In the early 1820s, Charles Babbage created the Difference Engine. It was a mechanical computer that could do basic computations. It was a steam-powered calculating machine used to solve numerical tables such as logarithmic tables.

Analytical Engine

Charles Babbage created another calculating machine, the Analytical Engine, in 1830. It was a mechanical computer that took input from punch cards. It was capable of solving any mathematical problem and storing data in an indefinite memory.

Tabulating machine

An American Statistician – Herman Hollerith invented this machine in the year 1890. Tabulating Machine was a punch card-based mechanical tabulator. It could compute statistics and record or sort data or information. Hollerith began manufacturing these machines in his company, which ultimately became International Business Machines (IBM) in 1924.

Differential Analyzer

Vannevar Bush introduced the first electrical computer, the Differential Analyzer, in 1930. This machine is made up of vacuum tubes that switch electrical impulses in order to do calculations. It was capable of performing 25 calculations in a matter of minutes.

Howard Aiken planned to build a machine in 1937 that could conduct massive calculations or calculations using enormous numbers. The Mark I computer was constructed in 1944 as a collaboration between IBM and Harvard.

History of Computers Generation

The word ‘computer’ has a very interesting origin. It was first used in the 16th century for a person who used to compute, i.e. do calculations. The word was used in the same sense as a noun until the 20th century. Women were hired as human computers to carry out all forms of calculations and computations.

By the last part of the 19th century, the word was also used to describe machines that did calculations. The modern-day use of the word is generally to describe programmable digital devices that run on electricity.

Early History of Computer

Since the evolution of humans, devices have been used for calculations for thousands of years. One of the earliest and most well-known devices was an abacus. Then in 1822, the father of computers, Charles Babbage began developing what would be the first mechanical computer. And then in 1833 he actually designed an Analytical Engine which was a general-purpose computer. It contained an ALU, some basic flow chart principles and the concept of integrated memory.

Then more than a century later in the history of computers, we got our first electronic computer for general purpose. It was the ENIAC, which stands for Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer. The inventors of this computer were John W. Mauchly and J.Presper Eckert.

And with times the technology developed and the computers got smaller and the processing got faster. We got our first laptop in 1981 and it was introduced by Adam Osborne and EPSON.

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Practice Problems On Basics Of Computers

In the history of computers, we often refer to the advancements of modern computers as the generation of computers . We are currently on the fifth generation of computers. So let us look at the important features of these five generations of computers.

1st Generation: This was from the period of 1940 to 1955. This was when machine language was developed for the use of computers. They used vacuum tubes for the circuitry. For the purpose of memory, they used magnetic drums. These machines were complicated, large, and expensive. They were mostly reliant on batch operating systems and punch cards. As output and input devices, magnetic tape and paper tape were implemented. For example, ENIAC, UNIVAC-1, EDVAC, and so on.
2nd Generation: The years 1957-1963 were referred to as the “second generation of computers” at the time. In second-generation computers, COBOL and FORTRAN are employed as assembly languages and programming languages. Here they advanced from vacuum tubes to transistors. This made the computers smaller, faster and more energy-efficient. And they advanced from binary to assembly languages. For instance, IBM 1620, IBM 7094, CDC 1604, CDC 3600, and so forth.
3rd Generation: The hallmark of this period (1964-1971) was the development of the integrated circuit. A single integrated circuit (IC) is made up of many transistors, which increases the power of a computer while simultaneously lowering its cost. These computers were quicker, smaller, more reliable, and less expensive than their predecessors. High-level programming languages such as FORTRON-II to IV, COBOL, and PASCAL PL/1 were utilized. For example, the IBM-360 series, the Honeywell-6000 series, and the IBM-370/168.
4th Generation: The invention of the microprocessors brought along the fourth generation of computers. The years 1971-1980 were dominated by fourth generation computers. C, C++ and Java were the programming languages utilized in this generation of computers. For instance, the STAR 1000, PDP 11, CRAY-1, CRAY-X-MP, and Apple II. This was when we started producing computers for home use.
5th Generation: These computers have been utilized since 1980 and continue to be used now. This is the present and the future of the computer world. The defining aspect of this generation is artificial intelligence. The use of parallel processing and superconductors are making this a reality and provide a lot of scope for the future. Fifth-generation computers use ULSI (Ultra Large Scale Integration) technology. These are the most recent and sophisticated computers. C, C++, Java,.Net, and more programming languages are used. For instance, IBM, Pentium, Desktop, Laptop, Notebook, Ultrabook, and so on.

Brief History of Computers

The naive understanding of computation had to be overcome before the true power of computing could be realized. The inventors who worked tirelessly to bring the computer into the world had to realize that what they were creating was more than just a number cruncher or a calculator. They had to address all of the difficulties associated with inventing such a machine, implementing the design, and actually building the thing. The history of the computer is the history of these difficulties being solved.

19 th Century

1801 – Joseph Marie Jacquard, a weaver and businessman from France, devised a loom that employed punched wooden cards to automatically weave cloth designs.

1822 – Charles Babbage, a mathematician, invented the steam-powered calculating machine capable of calculating number tables. The “Difference Engine” idea failed owing to a lack of technology at the time.

1848 – The world’s first computer program was written by Ada Lovelace, an English mathematician. Lovelace also includes a step-by-step tutorial on how to compute Bernoulli numbers using Babbage’s machine.

1890 – Herman Hollerith, an inventor, creates the punch card technique used to calculate the 1880 U.S. census. He would go on to start the corporation that would become IBM.

Early 20 th Century

1930 – Differential Analyzer was the first large-scale automatic general-purpose mechanical analogue computer invented and built by Vannevar Bush.

1936 – Alan Turing had an idea for a universal machine, which he called the Turing machine, that could compute anything that could be computed.

1939 – Hewlett-Packard was discovered in a garage in Palo Alto, California by Bill Hewlett and David Packard.

1941 – Konrad Zuse, a German inventor and engineer, completed his Z3 machine, the world’s first digital computer. However, the machine was destroyed during a World War II bombing strike on Berlin.

1941 – J.V. Atanasoff and graduate student Clifford Berry devise a computer capable of solving 29 equations at the same time. The first time a computer can store data in its primary memory.

1945 – University of Pennsylvania academics John Mauchly and J. Presper Eckert create an Electronic Numerical Integrator and Calculator (ENIAC). It was Turing-complete and capable of solving “a vast class of numerical problems” by reprogramming, earning it the title of “Grandfather of computers.”

1946 – The UNIVAC I (Universal Automatic Computer) was the first general-purpose electronic digital computer designed in the United States for corporate applications.

1949 – The Electronic Delay Storage Automatic Calculator (EDSAC), developed by a team at the University of Cambridge, is the “first practical stored-program computer.”

1950 – The Standards Eastern Automatic Computer (SEAC) was built in Washington, DC, and it was the first stored-program computer completed in the United States.

Late 20 th Century

1953 – Grace Hopper, a computer scientist, creates the first computer language, which becomes known as COBOL, which stands for CO mmon, B usiness- O riented L anguage. It allowed a computer user to offer the computer instructions in English-like words rather than numbers.

1954 – John Backus and a team of IBM programmers created the FORTRAN programming language, an acronym for FOR mula TRAN slation. In addition, IBM developed the 650.

1958 – The integrated circuit, sometimes known as the computer chip, was created by Jack Kirby and Robert Noyce.

1962 – Atlas, the computer, makes its appearance. It was the fastest computer in the world at the time, and it pioneered the concept of “virtual memory.”

1964 – Douglas Engelbart proposes a modern computer prototype that combines a mouse and a graphical user interface (GUI).

1969 – Bell Labs developers, led by Ken Thompson and Dennis Ritchie, revealed UNIX, an operating system developed in the C programming language that addressed program compatibility difficulties.

1970 – The Intel 1103, the first Dynamic Access Memory (DRAM) chip, is unveiled by Intel.

1971 – The floppy disc was invented by Alan Shugart and a team of IBM engineers. In the same year, Xerox developed the first laser printer, which not only produced billions of dollars but also heralded the beginning of a new age in computer printing.

1973 – Robert Metcalfe, a member of Xerox’s research department, created Ethernet, which is used to connect many computers and other gear.

1974 – Personal computers were introduced into the market. The first were the Altair Scelbi & Mark-8, IBM 5100, and Radio Shack’s TRS-80.

1975 – Popular Electronics magazine touted the Altair 8800 as the world’s first minicomputer kit in January. Paul Allen and Bill Gates offer to build software in the BASIC language for the Altair.

1976 – Apple Computers is founded by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, who expose the world to the Apple I, the first computer with a single-circuit board.

1977 – At the first West Coast Computer Faire, Jobs and Wozniak announce the Apple II. It has colour graphics and a cassette drive for storing music.

1978 – The first computerized spreadsheet program, VisiCalc, is introduced.

1979 – WordStar, a word processing tool from MicroPro International, is released.

1981 – IBM unveils the Acorn, their first personal computer, which has an Intel CPU, two floppy drives, and a colour display. The MS-DOS operating system from Microsoft is used by Acorn.

1983 – The CD-ROM, which could carry 550 megabytes of pre-recorded data, hit the market. This year also saw the release of the Gavilan SC, the first portable computer with a flip-form design and the first to be offered as a “laptop.”

1984 – Apple launched Macintosh during the Superbowl XVIII commercial. It was priced at $2,500

1985 – Microsoft introduces Windows, which enables multitasking via a graphical user interface. In addition, the programming language C++ has been released.

1990 – Tim Berners-Lee, an English programmer and scientist, creates HyperText Markup Language, widely known as HTML. He also coined the term “WorldWideWeb.” It includes the first browser, a server, HTML, and URLs.

1993 – The Pentium CPU improves the usage of graphics and music on personal computers.

1995 – Microsoft’s Windows 95 operating system was released. A $300 million promotional campaign was launched to get the news out. Sun Microsystems introduces Java 1.0, followed by Netscape Communications’ JavaScript.

1996 – At Stanford University, Sergey Brin and Larry Page created the Google search engine.

1998 – Apple introduces the iMac, an all-in-one Macintosh desktop computer. These PCs cost $1,300 and came with a 4GB hard drive, 32MB RAM, a CD-ROM, and a 15-inch monitor.

1999 – Wi-Fi, an abbreviation for “wireless fidelity,” is created, originally covering a range of up to 300 feet.

21 st Century

2000 – The USB flash drive is first introduced in 2000. They were speedier and had more storage space than other storage media options when used for data storage.

2001 – Apple releases Mac OS X, later renamed OS X and eventually simply macOS, as the successor to its conventional Mac Operating System.

2003 – Customers could purchase AMD’s Athlon 64, the first 64-bit CPU for consumer computers.

2004 – Facebook began as a social networking website.

2005 – Google acquires Android, a mobile phone OS based on Linux.

2006 – Apple’s MacBook Pro was available. The Pro was the company’s first dual-core, Intel-based mobile computer.

Amazon Web Services, including Amazon Elastic Cloud 2 (EC2) and Amazon Simple Storage Service, were also launched (S3)

2007 – The first iPhone was produced by Apple, bringing many computer operations into the palm of our hands. Amazon also released the Kindle, one of the first electronic reading systems, in 2007.

2009 – Microsoft released Windows 7.

2011 – Google introduces the Chromebook, which runs Google Chrome OS.

2014 – The University of Michigan Micro Mote (M3), the world’s smallest computer, was constructed.

2015 – Apple introduces the Apple Watch. Windows 10 was also released by Microsoft.

2016 – The world’s first reprogrammable quantum computer is built.

Types of Computers

Analog Computers – Analog computers are built with various components such as gears and levers, with no electrical components. One advantage of analogue computation is that designing and building an analogue computer to tackle a specific problem can be quite straightforward.
Mainframe computers – It is a computer that is generally utilized by large enterprises for mission-critical activities such as massive data processing. Mainframe computers were distinguished by massive storage capacities, quick components, and powerful computational capabilities. Because they were complicated systems, they were managed by a team of systems programmers who had sole access to the computer. These machines are now referred to as servers rather than mainframes.
Supercomputers – The most powerful computers to date are commonly referred to as supercomputers. Supercomputers are enormous systems that are purpose-built to solve complicated scientific and industrial problems. Quantum mechanics, weather forecasting, oil and gas exploration, molecular modelling, physical simulations, aerodynamics, nuclear fusion research, and cryptoanalysis are all done on supercomputers.
Minicomputers – A minicomputer is a type of computer that has many of the same features and capabilities as a larger computer but is smaller in size. Minicomputers, which were relatively small and affordable, were often employed in a single department of an organization and were often dedicated to a specific task or shared by a small group.
Microcomputers – A microcomputer is a small computer that is based on a microprocessor integrated circuit, often known as a chip. A microcomputer is a system that incorporates at a minimum a microprocessor, program memory, data memory, and input-output system (I/O). A microcomputer is now commonly referred to as a personal computer (PC).
Embedded processors – These are miniature computers that control electrical and mechanical processes with basic microprocessors. Embedded processors are often simple in design, have limited processing capability and I/O capabilities, and need little power. Ordinary microprocessors and microcontrollers are the two primary types of embedded processors. Embedded processors are employed in systems that do not require the computing capability of traditional devices such as desktop computers, laptop computers, or workstations.

FAQs on History of Computers

Q: The principle of modern computers was proposed by ____

Adam Osborne
Alan Turing
Charles Babbage

Ans: The correct answer is C.

Q: Who introduced the first computer from home use in 1981?

Sun Technology

Ans: Answer is A. IBM made the first home-use personal computer.

Q: Third generation computers used which programming language ?

Machine language

Ans: The correct option is C.

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Essay on History of Computer

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100 Words Essay on History of Computer

Early beginnings.

Computers didn’t always look like the laptops or smartphones we use today. The first computer was the abacus, invented in 2400 BC. It used beads to help people calculate.

First Mechanical Computer

In 1822, Charles Babbage, a British mathematician, designed a mechanical computer called the “Difference Engine.” It was supposed to perform mathematical calculations.

The Birth of Modern Computers

The first modern computer was created in the 1930s. It was huge and filled an entire room. These computers used vacuum tubes to process information.

Personal Computers

In the 1970s, companies like Apple and IBM started making personal computers. This made it possible for people to have computers at home.

Remember, computers have come a long way and continue to evolve!

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Paragraph on History of Computer

250 Words Essay on History of Computer

Introduction.

The history of computers is a fascinating journey, tracing back several centuries. It illustrates human ingenuity and evolution from primitive calculators to complex computing systems.

Early Computers

The concept of computing dates back to antiquity. The abacus, developed in 2400 BC, is often considered the earliest computer. In the 19th century, Charles Babbage conceptualized and designed the first mechanical computer, the Analytical Engine, which used punch cards for instructions.

Birth of Modern Computers

The 20th century heralded the era of modern computing. The first programmable computer, the Z3, was built by Konrad Zuse in 1941. However, it was the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer (ENIAC), developed in 1946, that truly revolutionized computing with its electronic technology.

Personal Computers and the Internet

The 1970s and 1980s saw the advent of personal computers (PCs). The Apple II, introduced in 1977, and IBM’s PC, launched in 1981, brought computers to the masses. The 1990s marked the birth of the internet, transforming computers into communication devices and information gateways.

Present and Future

Today, computers have become an integral part of our lives, from smartphones to supercomputers. They are now moving towards quantum computing, promising unprecedented computational power.

In summary, the history of computers is a testament to human innovation, evolving from simple counting devices to powerful tools that shape our lives. As we look forward to the future, the potential for further advancements in computing technology is limitless.

500 Words Essay on History of Computer

The dawn of computing.

The history of computers dates back to antiquity with devices like the abacus, used for calculations. However, the concept of a programmable computer was first realized in the 19th century by Charles Babbage, an English mathematician. His design, known as the Analytical Engine, is considered the first general-purpose computer, although it was never built.

The first half of the 20th century saw the development of electro-mechanical computers. The most notable was the Mark I, developed by Howard Aiken at Harvard University in 1944. It was the first machine to automatically execute long computations.

During the same period, the ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer) was developed by John Mauchly and J. Presper Eckert at the University of Pennsylvania. Completed in 1945, it was the first general-purpose electronic computer. However, it was not programmable in the modern sense.

The Era of Transistors

The late 1940s marked the invention of the transistor, which revolutionized the computer industry. Transistors were faster, smaller, and more reliable than their vacuum tube counterparts. The first transistorized computer was built at the University of Manchester in 1953.

The 1950s and 1960s saw the development of mainframe computers, like IBM’s 700 series, which dominated the computing world for the next two decades. These machines were large and expensive, but they allowed multiple users to access the computer simultaneously through terminals.

Microprocessors and Personal Computers

The invention of the microprocessor in the 1970s marked the beginning of the personal computer era. The Intel 4004, released in 1971, was the first commercially available microprocessor. This development led to the creation of small, relatively inexpensive machines like the Apple II and the IBM PC, which made computing accessible to individuals and small businesses.

The Internet and Beyond

The 1980s and 1990s brought about the rise of the internet and the World Wide Web, expanding the use of computers into every aspect of modern life. The advent of graphical user interfaces, such as Microsoft’s Windows and Apple’s Mac OS, made computers even more user-friendly.

Today, computers have become ubiquitous in our society. They are embedded in everything from our phones to our cars, and they play a critical role in fields ranging from science to entertainment. The history of computers is a story of continuous innovation and progress, and it is clear that this trend will continue into the foreseeable future.

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History, Advantages and Types of Networking

Categories: Disadvantages of Technology Social Networking

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History of networking, advantages of networking, types of conventional wire based networking.

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History Of Internet Short Essay

The Internet has a long and complex history. Its origins can be traced back to the early days of computer networking in the 1950s. In the decades since then, the Internet has undergone numerous changes and developments, transforming from a simple network of computers into the global phenomenon we know today.

The Internet first came into existence in the late 1960s, with the development of a computer network called ARPANET. This network was designed to allow government agencies and universities to share information and resources. ARPANET quickly grew beyond its original purpose, and by the early 1970s it had become a major research tool for scientists all over the world.

In the 1980s, a new generation of computer networks emerged, based on the TCP/IP protocol. These networks, which included the Internet, allowed for greater communication and collaboration between users. The Internet soon became a popular tool for business and commerce, and by the 1990s it had become a staple of everyday life.

Today, the Internet is used by billions of people all over the world. It has become a vital part of our economy and our society, and shows no signs of slowing down. Thanks to its origins in ARPANET, the Internet is one of the most resilient and adaptable technologies ever created. Its future is bright, and we can expect to see even more amazing things from it in the years to come.

Within our culture, there has been a revolution that rivals that of the Industrial Revolution. The Technological Revolution is credited with launching this change. The Internet is at the forefront of this transformation. This information haven has all types of thrills, surprises, and even love for some people. Today, everyone in society knows what the Internet is and where it came from, yet for others it’s still unclear What is the Internet and how did it develop? A strange strategic problem arose thirty years ago for RAND Corp., America’s leading Cold War think-tank.

The solution they came up with was a ‘network of networks’, a concept that would eventually be known as the Internet. Although the Internet was originally designed for military purposes, it soon became apparent that this new technology had much wider applications.

In the early 1980s, US universities began to connect to the Internet, followed by research laboratories and government departments. By the end of the decade, there were over 100,000 computers connected to the Internet worldwide. The Internet had become a truly global phenomenon.

The Internet has come a long way since those early days. It is now possible to use the Internet for everything from booking airline tickets to listening to music and watching movies. The Internet has become an essential part of our lives, and it is hard to imagine a world without it.

The infrastructure required in a post-nuclear America would need to include a command-and-control network that was connected from city to city, state to state, and base to base. Regardless of how well that network is armored or protected, its switches and wiring will always be vulnerable to the effects of atomic bombs.

A nuclear assault would destroy any network imaginable. Also, how would the network be managed and directed? An aggressor’s missile would target any centre of authority, whether it is a central authority or a network headquarters. RAND considered this macabre conundrum in great military secrecy and devised an innovative answer.

They would create a distributed network, one that had no central authority and no single point of failure. This would be the world’s first information network—an idea that would later come to be known as the Internet. RAND’s engineers designed a distributed network based on a new technology called packet-switching.

In packet-switching, messages were chopped into small pieces, or packets, and sent through the network independently. This allowed messages to take any number of possible routes from sender to receiver, circumventing any damage that might be done to individual sections of the network.

The first test of RAND’s design was in 1957, when a team of graduate students at UCLA sent a message from one computer to another at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The message read simply: “Lo.” It was the first ever Internet communication.

In the 1960s, packet-switching technology was adopted by the U.S. Department of Defense for use in its own communications network, which came to be known as ARPANET. ARPANET’s original purpose was to link together military computers and share information between them. But as more and more universities and research laboratories were connected to ARPANET, it became clear that this new network had much wider implications. It was becoming a place where people could communicate and collaborate in ways never before possible.

In 1974, two computer scientists at Stanford University, Vint Cerf and Bob Kahn, laid the foundations for what would become the Internet’s governing protocol—the set of rules that allow different computer networks to talk to each other. Cerf and Kahn’s protocol, called TCP/IP, is still in use today.

In the 1980s, the Internet began to spread beyond the borders of the United States. Companies and individuals in other countries saw the potential of this new technology and started to build their own networks that connected to the Internet.

The 1990s saw a massive expansion of the Internet, as more and more people got online and new websites and services were created. The Internet was becoming a part of everyday life, used for everything from shopping to banking to staying in touch with friends and family.

The 21st century has seen even more dramatic changes, as the Internet has moved beyond the realm of computers and into the world of mobile devices. Nowadays, we access the Internet not just through our desktop or laptop computers, but also through our smartphones and tablets. And with the rise of social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, we’re using the Internet to share photos, videos, and thoughts with friends and family all over the world.

The Internet has come a long way since its humble beginnings in post-nuclear America. It’s been used for everything from military communication to online shopping to staying in touch with friends and family. And it’s only going to keep growing and evolving in the years to come. So whatever your favorite Internet activity is, there’s no doubt that it will be even better in the future. Thanks for being part of the Internet’s History!

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