Midterm 1: The Octet

Simply put, the Octet is a grouping of 8 digital bits. Although the naming convention has changed in recent years as technology has become more widespread, the Octet used to have widely different meanings from the term byte, while now they are nearly synonymous. “The easiest way to understand bits is to compare them to something you know: digits. A digit is a single place that can hold numerical values between 0 and 9.” (How Stuff Works). Electrically speaking, an Octet is simply a collection of 8 digital (or electrical) switches that can have one of two positions, on or off.

This is a very important element to understand about the internet and about the digital transfer of information. Any file, no matter what type (.jpg, .bmp, .wav, etc.), or how large or small (8 bits to 20 Gigabytes) is, at its most basic level, composed of a series of bits strung together in possibly millions of Octets. “A bit is the most basic unit of information in computing and communications, and it always has a value of either zero or one. A byte is a contiguous sequence of a fixed number of bits that is used as a unit of memory, storage and instructions execution in computers.” (Linux Info).

As the number of 8 bit combinations increase in a given file or data type, so does the number possible 1 and 0 combinations. This is important because it allows for a huge amount of diversity and potential for information. Computers process information in quantities of eight units, so these numbers are very signification and have become a universally recognized mathematical property. Computers speeds begin to double at alarming rates due to the computational property of the octet allowing for huge jumps in power and speed (i.e. 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256).

After these digital strings are put together to form whatever file type, to transmit whatever type of information you are trying to send, they must somehow be sent across the internet (if communication is your desired end). This is accomplished by data packet transfer, or packet switching. “So the role of the IP layer is to figure out how to `route' packets to their final destination. To make this possible, every interface on the network needs an `IP address'.” (Net Filter).

“Each packet contains address information that identifies the sending computer and intended recipient.” (Comp Networking). Once the data has been reassembled on the other side by the receiving router, you have successfully sent your information. If there is some breakdown in communication, or some small piece (or packet) of data was lost along the way, the receiving router will request to have the information sent again until the entire piece has be reassembled.

So, what is the Octet? “An octet represents any eight-bit quantity. By definition, octets range in mathematical value from 0 (zero) to 255.” (About). To most of us, it’s data. Digitally, it is one’s and zero’s, little bits of electricity strung together to contain information. In this form we use it to communicate ever more rapidly and frequently as the internet grows and continues to change. The size files grow, and our appetites for more and more information grows with it, even though far too few of us actually know how that information gets from point A to point B. The Octet is the backbone of all modern data and communication. And though it seems complex from a distance, it’s nothing but ones and zeros.