大多数人认为互联网(Internet)和网络(Web)是一种“外面”的无形事物，但互联网在很大程度上是一个物理系统。它是人类有史以来建造的最大、最复杂的机器，一旦你了解了它的大小和复杂性，它似乎就是一个奇迹。
没有一个实体“拥有”互联网，但互联网的每一部分都属于某个人！使困惑？到本文结束时，您将不会！
Internet和Web之间的区别(Difference Between)
首先，我们需要澄清互联网和万维网(Web)是两个不同的东西。互联网是使全球网络正常工作的实际硬件和软件。 (work. )
另一方面，Web 是在 Internet 上运行的服务。(Web)大多数互联网不是网络(web)。Web和构成它的网站只是 Internet 技术最熟悉的公众形象，但其他服务（如FTP、电子邮件、视频流等）也通过同一系统流动。
在本文中，我们稍微松散地使用互联网和 Web 架构以使解释更简单，所以不要忘记更大的图景。
（非常(Very)）互联网(Internet)简史(Short History)_
有很多关于互联网历史的精彩文章，我们建议阅读互联网协会(Internet Society)的一篇，以完美融合细节和长度。
出于我们的目的，您需要知道的是，互联网最初是美国军方和公立大学之间的政府项目。他们开发了第一个允许计算机远距离联网的技术。
最重要的是，这个“互联网”将是去中心化的。因此，如果大部分数据被淘汰，数据仍然可以找到到达正确目的地的方法。它被称为互联网络，因为它是由其他网络组成的网络。其中一个网络实际上完全由您拥有和运营！
互联网始于家庭
没错，您遇到的第一个构成 Internet 的网络是您自己的本地家庭网络。您的路由器将通过以太网(Ethernet)或 WiFi 连接到它的所有设备联网。
即使您与 Internet 的连接中断，您的本地网络仍然可以正常工作。这就像您自己的个人家庭互联网，您实际上可以设置自己的流媒体服务器、网站和云存储，而无需任何外部网络。因此，这是您拥有的互联网的一部分。恭喜！
覆盖最后一英里
您的本地网络与整个 Internet 的连接是通过有时称为“最后一英里”连接的方式进行的。有多种不同的最后一英里技术。这些可以是有线的或无线的。常见(Common)的有线示例是光纤或基于铜线的DSL（数字用户(subscriber)线）连接。
无线互联网连接主要通过蜂窝网络，使用 5G、LTE和其他蜂窝数据传输标准。在极少数情况下，站点可能会通过特殊的远程WiFi连接进行连接。
不过，最后一英里的连接并没有将您直接插入整个互联网，这甚至没有任何概念意义。您实际连接的是您的互联网服务提供商。好吧，实际上(actually )您通常连接到几个不同的互联网服务提供商，尽管您并没有直接与所有这些提供商开展业务。别担心，很快就会清楚的。
三级服务商
假设您有光纤互联网，您可以向一家公司支付物理光纤互联网连接费用，然后向另一家公司支付实际互联网访问费用。与您有直接业务往来的公司可以是“三级(Tier 3)”互联网服务提供商(internet service providers)。他们运营和服务于您家中的最后一英里连接，并使用他们的客户支付给他们的钱来支付实际拥有更大网络基础设施的ISP(ISPs)来传输他们的数据。
这些被称为“第 2 层(Tier 2)”服务提供商。这些提供商还直接与客户开展业务，因此您的ISP实际上可能是第 2 层(Tier 2)公司。他们的网络足够大，可以与其他第 2 层(Tier 2)服务提供商协商“对等”协议。
有了这样的协议，这些网络就可以让互联网数据在整个系统中自由流动。由于涉及的所有第 2 层(Tier 2)网络都受益于这些对等安排，因此它们通常不会大惊小怪。尽管如此，没有一个单一的第 2 层(Tier 2)网络可以自己访问整个互联网，这就是为什么他们需要在更大类型的服务提供商网络上购买互联网接入。
“一级(Tier 1)”服务提供商处于食物链的顶端。这些公司拥有足够大的庞大网络，几乎可以覆盖互联网的每个角落，而在它们无法到达的地方，它们与其他第 1 层(Tier 1)网络进行对等安排以填补空白。
如您所见，互联网由这种网络层次结构组成。它有点像一棵巨大的树或动脉系统。最后一英里连接馈入本地交换机，后者馈入高速互联网骨干网络，然后连接到大型国际干线。你的互联网数据包必须通过那个极其复杂的迷宫，这样你才能在互联网上对一只有趣的猫轻笑。这点考虑一下吧。
适合所有人的数据中心
因此，我们称之为互联网的这个庞大的网络确保我们都已连接，但它实际上并没有我们想要互联网或网络首先获得的任何内容。互联网的内容（如网站、云存储(cloud storage)等）存在于网络节点上。您将图片上传到Instagram的计算机就是这样一个节点，托管您喜欢访问的网站的服务器也是如此。
虽然您可以在家中轻松运行自己的 Web 服务器，但如今绝大多数服务器（托管内容和服务的计算机）都位于大型数据中心内。这些建筑物拥有成千上万的特殊计算机，为互联网和在其上运行的所有服务提供动力。它们通常直接连接到第 2 层(Tier 2)或第 1 层(Tier 1)网络中的连接点，确保它们能够处理每天必须流入和流出的大量数据。
海底电缆(Cables)、卫星(Satellites)和其他大型互联网管道(Big Internet Tubes)
虽然我们已经涵盖了广泛的内容，但还有一些关于互联网基础设施的更精细的细节值得一提。虽然连续陆地上的网络连接并不那么有趣，但互联网覆盖了世界。陆地被巨大的水体隔开！
超高(Ultra)带宽海底电缆是填补这些空白的主要数据干线，但我们也开始看到新一代卫星系统，例如StarLink，它可以在天空中形成无线互联网网络。甚至正在研究使用量子物理学在远距离传输数据的新方法。
互联网是几乎所有国家合作的少数事物之一，因为它对我们所有人都有益。因此，虽然没有任何人或实体拥有互联网是事实，但可以说我们作为一个集体拥有它并没有错，虽然今天只有超过一半的人可以访问它，但在不久的将来它真的会连接每个人我们中的最后一个。
Who Owns the Internet? Web Architecture Explained
Most people think of the Internet and the Web as a sort of formless thing “out there”, but the internet is very much a physical system. It’s the largest and most complex machine humanity has ever built and once you understand its size and complexity it seems like a miracle it works at all.
No single entity “owns” the internet, but every single part of the internet belongs to someone! Confused? By the end of this article you won’t be!
The Difference Between the Internet and the Web
First, we need to clarify that the internet and the Web are two different things. The internet is the actual hardware and software that makes the global network, well, work.
The Web, on the other hand, is a service that runs over the internet. Most of the internet isn’t the web. The Web and the websites that form it are just the most familiar public face of internet technology, but other services like FTP, email, video streaming and many more also flow through the same system.
In this article we’re using internet and web architecture a little loosely to make the explanation simpler, so don’t forget about the bigger picture.
A (Very) Short History of the Internet
There are plenty of great articles dedicated to the history of the internet, we’d recommend reading the one by the Internet Society for a perfect blend of detail and length.
For our purposes here, what you need to know is that the internet began as a government project between the US military and public universities. They developed the first technologies that allowed computers to be networked together over long distances.
Most importantly, this “internetwork” would be decentralized. So if large parts of it were knocked out, data could still find a way to get to the right destination. It’s called an internetwork, because it’s a network made up of other networks. One of these networks is actually entirely owned and operated by you!
The Internet Starts at Home
That’s right, the first network you encounter that makes up part of the internet is your own local home network. Your router networks all of the devices connected to it via Ethernet or WiFi together.
Even if your connection to the internet goes down, your local network will still work. It’s like your own personal in-home internet and you can actually set up your own streaming servers, websites and cloud storage without any outside networking required. So, this is the part of the internet that you own. Congratulations!
Covering the Last Mile
Your local network’s connection to the internet at large happens through what’s sometimes known as the “last mile” connection. There are a variety of different last mile technologies. These can be wired or wireless. Common wired examples are optical fiber or copper-based DSL (digital subscriber line) connections.
Wireless internet connections are mostly through the cellular network, using 5G, LTE and other cellular data transmission standards. Rarely, sites might be connected by special long-range WiFi connections.
That last mile connection doesn’t plug you directly into the entire internet though, which doesn’t even make sense as a concept. What you’re actually connecting to is your internet service provider. Well, actually you’re usually connecting to several different internet service providers, although you’re not doing business directly with all of them. Don’t worry, it’ll soon be clear.
Three Tiers of Service Provider
Let’s say you have fiber internet, you may pay one company for the physical fiber internet connection and then pay another company for the actual internet access. The companies you do direct business with can be “Tier 3” internet service providers. They operate and service the last mile connection into your home and use the money their clients pay them to pay ISPs who actually own larger network infrastructure to carry their data.
These are known as “Tier 2” service providers. These providers also do business directly with customers, so your ISP may actually be a Tier 2 company. Their networks are large enough that they can negotiate “peering” agreements with other Tier 2 service providers.
With such agreements these networks let internet data flow freely across the system. Since all the Tier 2 networks involved benefit from these peering arrangements, they’re usually made with little fuss. Still, no single Tier 2 network can reach the entire internet on its own, which is why they need to buy internet access on an even larger type of service provider network.
“Tier 1” service providers are at the top of the food chain. These companies own massive networks that are large enough to reach nearly every corner of the internet and where they can’t, they have peering arrangements with other Tier 1 networks to fill in the gaps.
As you can see, the internet consists of this hierarchy of networks. It’s a bit like a massive tree or arterial system. Last mile connections feed into local exchanges, which feed into high speed internet backbone networks, which then connect to massive international trunks. Your internet packets have to navigate that insanely complicated labyrinth just so you can chuckle at a funny cat on the internet. Think about that for a second.
Data Centers for Everyone
So this massive network of networks we call the internet makes sure we’re all connected, but it doesn’t actually have any of the content that we want the internet or the web for in the first place. The content of the internet (such as websites, cloud storage, etc.) exist at network nodes. The computer from which you upload pictures to Instagram is such a node and so are the servers that host the websites you like to visit.
While you can easily run your own web server from home, these days the vast majority of servers (computers that host content and services) are inside massive data centers. These buildings hold thousands and thousands of special computers that power the internet and all of the services that run on them. They are often connected directly to nexus points in Tier 2 or Tier 1 networks, ensuring they can handle the massive amounts of data that have to flow in and out of them every day.
Undersea Cables, Satellites and Other Big Internet Tubes
While we’ve covered the broad strokes, there are some finer details about internet infrastructure worth mentioning. While network connections over continuous land aren’t that interesting, the internet covers the world. Where land masses are separated by massive bodies of water!
Ultra high-bandwidth undersea cables are the main data trunks that cover these gaps, but we’re also starting to see a new generation of satellite systems, such as StarLink, that can form a wireless internet web in the sky. There’s even ongoing research on new ways of transmitting data across vast distances using quantum physics.
The internet is one of the few things that almost all nations cooperate on, because it’s beneficial to all of us. So while it’s true that no one person or entity owns the internet, it’s not wrong to say that together we own it as a collective and, while just over half of humans have access to it today, in the near future it really will connect every last one of us.
