The internet is by definition a meta-network, a constantly changin collection of thousand og individual networks intercommunicating with a common protocol.
              
          The Internet architeccture is described in its name, a short form of the compound word "Inter-networking". This architecture is based in the very specification of the standard TCP/IP protocol, designed to connect any two networks which may be very different in internal hardware, software and technical design. Once two networks are interconnected, communication with TCP/IP is enabled end-to-end, so that any node on the Internet has the near magical ability to communicate with any other no matter where they are. This openness of design has enabled the Internet architecture to grow to a global scale.
              
          In practice, the internet technical architecture looks a bit like a multi-dimensional river system, with small tributaries feeding medium-sized streams feeding large rivers. For example, an individual's access to the internet as often from home over a modem to a local internet service provider who connects to a regional network connected to a national network. At the office, a desktop computer might be connected to a local area network with a company connection to a corporate internet connected to several national Internet service providers. In genaral small local Internet service providers connect to medium-sized regional networks which connect to a large national networks, which then connect to a very large bandwidth networks on the Internet backbone. MOst Internet service providers have several redundant network cross-connections to other providers in order to ensure continuous availability.