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	THE INTERNET The Internet is the worldwide "network of networks" that links millions of computers together via copper wires, fiber-optic cables, wireless connections, and other telecommunications channels. It is a massive network of networks, a networking infrastructure, forming a network in which any computer can communicate with any other computer as long as they are both connected to the Internet. Information that travels over the Internet does so via a variety of languages known as protocols.This publicly accessible network of interconnected computer networks communicate using a set of protocols and standards, the most basic of which are TCP/IP. TCP/IP consists of the Transmission Control Protocol in conjuntion with the Internet Protocol. Other protocols such as DHCP, DNS, FTP, HTTP, IRC, MIME, POP3, SMTP, SSH, TELNET, RTP and many more help hold the whole thing together. This learning resource will look mostly at the technical aspects of the Internet, but may eventually cover social, economic, historical and other aspects. A popular way to visualize the complexity of the Internet is to see it as a stack of layers known as the OSI model, short for Open Systems Interconnection model. OSI Layers: * Layer 7: Application Layer – the main interface for the user(s) to interact with the application and therefore the network * Layer 6: Presentation Layer – transforms data to provide a standard interface for the Application layer * Layer 5: Session Layer – controls the dialogues (sessions) between computers * Layer 4: Transport Layer – provides transparent transfer of data between end users and machines * Layer 3: Network Layer – provides the functional and procedural means of transferring variable length data sequences from a source to a destination via one or more networks * Layer 2: Data Link Layer – provides the functional and procedural means to transfer data between network entities and to detect and possibly correct errors that may occur in the physical layer * Layer 1: Physical Layer – defines all the electrical and physical specifications for devices and the communications media TRAVEL TO CALIFORNIA California (the Golden State) is a state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. It is the most populous U.S. state. Its four largest cities are Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, and San Francisco. It is known for its varied climate and geography as well as its diverse population. It is the third-largest U.S. state by land area, following Alaska and Texas. If it were a country, California would be the 59th largest in the world, between Iraq and Paraguay. Its geography ranges from the Pacific coast to the Sierra Nevada mountains in the east, to desert areas in the southeast and the forests of the northwest. The center of the state is dominated by the Central Valley, one of the most productive agricultural areas in the world. In the middle of the state lies the California Central Valley, bounded by the coastal mountain ranges in the west, the Sierra Nevada to the east, the Cascade Range in the north and the Tehachapi Mountains in the south. The Central Valley is California's agricultural heartland and grows approximately one-third of the nation's food. The Sierra Nevada (Spanish for "snowy range") include the highest peak in the contiguous forty-eight states, Mount Whitney, at 14,505 ft (4,421 m). The range embraces Yosemite Valley, famous for its glacially carved domes, and Sequoia National Park, home to the giant sequoia trees, the largest living organisms on Earth, and the deep freshwater lake, Lake Tahoe, the largest lake in the state by volume. The state is not only home to Mount Whitney, the highest point in the contiguous United States, but also Death Valley, the second lowest and hottest place in the Western Hemisphere. California is famous for earthquakes due to a number of faults, in particular the San Andreas Fault. It is vulnerable to tsunamis, floods, droughts, Santa Ana winds, wildfires, and landslides on steep terrain, and has several volcanoes. California's population is estimated at over 40 million, making it the most populated state and the 13th fastest-growing state! A wonderful vacation is always to be had in California. For more travel suggestions, please visit www.vacationsintheusa.com.