Weird question

[kool_kat_os]

This is a dumb question but here I go,

If we pay an ISP to connect to the internet then how does the isp connect to the internet?

[-grubby]

er...well it's kinda just a bunch of connected servers and stuff that connect to each other.I suppose if you wanted to pay enough you could connect directly to the internet without an ISP

[kool_kat_os]

I want to research that, I used google but they did not answer my question, so does anyone have any good links on how to do that?

[Omnios]

Try www.wikipea.org

one of my favorit sites lol.

[popch]

Your ISP leases a line or lines (used to be copper, now can be glass) from someone who builds lines, such as your telco or the provider of the power grid. The line ends at the site of another data center which in turn does the same.

Call your local telco and ask for rates. Call any data center in your region.

The place where I work leases its lines from the telco and connects via the data center of the telco to the internet.

(telco: telephone company)

[p_quarles]

You see, the internet is a series of tubes, it's not like a delivery truck where . . . [/Ted Stevens]

There's really no such thing as a "direct" connection to the internet . . . after all, it's just a big network, and we're all part of it.

What you pay the ISP for is bandwidth. That involves infrastructure, and building and maintaining infrastructure means spending a lot of money.

[Lostincyberspace]

I have been meaning to find this out my self since I am on the utopia network and I know one of the developers for (my uncle).

[kool_kat_os]

whats a utopia network?

[Lostincyberspace]

Here is the Wikipedia page on it. But in short it is a pure fiber network in the Utah area.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utah_Telecommunication_Open_Infrastructure_Agency
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utah_Telecommunication_Open_Infrastructure_Agency)

[kool_kat_os]

I wished they had a service like that in Missouri

[fedex1993]

er...well it's kinda just a bunch of connected servers and stuff that connect to each other.I suppose if you wanted to pay enough you could connect directly to the internet without an ISP

actually if you think about the internet it is all laced together but not to one central place. Think of every website as being laced together with other websites thats my point on it