Eli5: how can a single data cable supply so many homes with different data at once, like for internet connections? Isn’t everything basically just 0s and 1s? If that’s the case how is it being organized and sent to the right place?

Question

Thanks for the answers! My biggest takeaway is about how bits work using different frequencies, and how fiber optics can use different colors to help organize data

In: Technology

Answer 1

Fiber internet works just like the ethernet in a building.

Data is broken into smaller units called packets and like letters in the mail each packet has a source and destination address or IP address. This helps the devices figure out where to send the traffic. (If you want to be pedantic there’s a lot more involved than that, but this is the ELI5 answer)

The fiber optic cable is like a water pipe. It is able to carry internet for lots of homes because no 1 home needs 100% of what the pipe can carry. Also not everyone is using the internet / taking a shower at once. If they do, everyone slows down. You get less water pressure because everyones tap is on at the same time.

Cable modems and Cable TV go a step further. Each signal or TV channel on the coax cable uses a set frequency that’s different than the other. Just like different stations on a radio. The Cable Internet signal just happens to take frequencies that aren’t used by the TV.