... a Point of Presence (POP). The POP is a place for local users to access the company's network. Amazing thing here is that there is no overall controlling network. Instead, there are several high-level networks connecting to each other through Network Access Points or NAPs. Equipment All of these networks rely on NAPs, backbones and routers to talk to each other. The routers determine where to send information from one computer to another. Routers are specialized computers that send your messages and those of every other Internet user speeding to their destinations along thousands of pathways. A router has two separate, but related, jobs: * It ensures that information doesn't go where it's not needed. This is crucial for keeping large volumes of data from clogging the connections of "innocent bystanders." * It makes sure that information does make it to the intended destination. In performing these two jobs, a router ...

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