Internet hardware and software

There is extraordinary interest in the Internet today, as a communications medium and as a potential vehicle for advertising and for electronic commerce in general. As a result, the Internet has enjoyed an explosive growth in popularity over the past few years. How does the Internet work? What makes it tick? Many readers will be familiar with the public face of the Internet, the view from the penthouse that is apparent when you cruise the 'Net using the WorldWide Web. This paper provides a different view-we take the stairway down to the basement, so to speak, in order to explore the plumbing from the perspective of the people who build the public Internet of today and tomorrow, the Internet service providers (ISPs).