Although most of the original network communications depended on the wired connections created for the telephone system, today’s Internet uses light and radio waves more than electricity to carry data across the connections. However, the background processes that allow users to share information easily through computers thousands of miles apart have not changed significantly since the 1990s.

In addition, although the TCP/IP protocol is required for devices to connect and share information over the Internet, TCP/IP today is actually a bundle of several different common protocols that are required for successful Internet communications. Gary Kessler’s document, An Overview of TCP/IP Protocols and the Internet, provides a great overview of TCP/IP protocols.