Which route should I take?

Hello again from Cyberspace!

Today lets talk about routers. Our class assignment was to listen to HowStuffWorks TechStuff #4 - What is a router?  and write a post about it, so here we are.  The only thing that impressed me more than this podcast was the amount of time it took me to find it.  Seriously,  I searched for three hours, and the podcast only lasted 30 minutes. ^_^;

Anyway, on to the good stuff.  This is my first listen to the HowStuffWorks TechStuff podcast, but I became a subscriber.  The two hosts (sorry, I didn't catch their names) were low-key an relaxed, and aside from some sizable and strange tangents, were knowledgeable and presented a nice in-depth article.

The story goes like this - computer connectivity is organized into layers.  The first layer is within the computer itself and the second is on a local area network.  Neither needs a router to operate.  The third level is the Internet level, which is where the router is required.  I won't spoil the podcast for you since this is where the real meat of the conversation is, but in a nutshell, the router finds the best way for you to connect to the desired computer out in cyberspace.

It amazed me to learn about packets, the Internet being a network of networks, and all sorts of other neat facts; I have a new-found appreciation for the Internet.  I keep looking at my computer, trying to gaze beyond the bits on the screen to where the router is passing packets out, checking if more are needed, and updating its routing table for the most optimized route.  What's more amazing is that this complicated piece of technology that is a fixture in my house only cost around $70, and practically installed itself.  I just plugged in all the cords, and now everything in my house can access the Internet.  Amazing!

I hope you grab it while the grabbing is good.  Never forget those wise words of Confucius: "Nothing is permanent in the Internet unless you make it so."  OK, not Confucius, but wise nonetheless.