How data moves
Packet switching and shared protocols made unlike computers able to exchange data.
1964 to the present
The Internet was built in layers.
Follow the ideas, protocols, businesses, and devices that turned a research network into everyday infrastructure. Select a signal for its story, why it mattered, and the record behind it.
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A useful way to read it
Every major shift changed one of four things.
How people find it
DNS, links, browsers, and search transformed addresses into navigable information.
Who can connect
Commercial networks, broadband, Wi‑Fi, and phones made access faster and more personal.
Where computing lives
Cloud platforms and modern web standards moved capability into distributed systems.
Further reading
Sources & original records
Links lead to standards documents, institutional archives, original proposals, and launch records. Dates identify public milestones; most changes took years of work.