networks/latency-vs-bandwidth-why-a-faster-plan-can-t-speed-up-a-small-page.md
Latency vs bandwidth: why a faster plan can't speed up a small page
You upgraded to a much faster internet plan, yet a small web page loads just as slowly. Why? Network speed is two different numbers: bandwidth (how much data flows per second) and latency (how long one message takes to travel).
A page needs several round trips just to start, and light in fibre cannot beat distance. Drag a server around the world and see where the time really goes.

$ ls networks/
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networks/packets-why-the-internet-cuts-your-message-into-numbered-pieces.md
Packets: why the internet cuts your message into numbered pieces
When you send a message online, it never travels as one block. The internet cuts it into small packets, each with a label saying where it…
networks/ip-addresses-and-ports-the-street-address-and-the-apartment-number.md
IP addresses and ports: the street address and the apartment number
Every message on a network needs two things to arrive: an IP address to find the right computer, and a port to find the right program on…
networks/how-does-example-com-turn-into-an-ip-address-dns-step-by-step.md
How does example.com turn into an IP address? DNS, step by step
Computers find each other by number, not by name. Before your browser can load example.com, it has to find the site's IP address, and…