Introduction to the Internet

What is the Internet?

• The Internet is a means of connecting a computer to any other computer anywhere in the world via dedicated routers and servers.
• It allows computers to send and receive information such as text, graphics, voice, video, and computer programs.

Uses of the Internet

• The Internet is used for many things such as e-mail, social networking, job-hunting, getting the latest news, research, listening to music, watching videos, getting driving directions, and reading online books.

Browser

• A browser is a free software package or mobile app that lets you view web pages, graphics, and most online content.
• Popular web browsers include Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge, and Safari.

Webpage

• A webpage is what you see in your browser when you are on the internet.
• It can contain text, photos, images, diagrams, links, advertisements, and more.

HTTP and URL

• HTTP is the protocol used to request and transmit files over the Internet or other computer networks.
• URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is the web address of internet pages and files, telling the browser exactly where to find the page.
• URLs can have different suffixes such as .com, .net, .mil, .gov, .edu, and .org, which identify the type of organization.

Types of Internet Connections

• There are several types of internet connections to choose from, including:
  • DSL (digital subscriber line)
  • Cable
  • Satellite
  • Wireless
  • 3G and 4G

Hardware

• The primary piece of hardware needed besides a computer is a modem, which is usually provided by the ISP.
• A router is also needed to connect multiple computers to the same internet connection.

Internet Service Provider (ISP)

• An ISP is a company that provides users with access to the internet.
• ISPs offer email accounts and other services like remote storage of files.

Other Internet-related Terms

• ARPANET: The world's first packet switching network, developed by the United States Department of Defense.
• IP Address: A numerical identifier for an entity on a computer network.
• Cyberspace: A term used to refer to the computer networks connected to each other and the content they host.
• WWW: A collection of interlinked documents that are accessible over the internet.
• Website: A set of web pages consisting of text, audio, and video.
• Web Page: A resource of information that provides navigational abilities through hyperlinks to other web pages.
• Home Page: The default page of a website, often the main page of a complex website.

ARPANET and Internet

• ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network) was developed by the US Department of Defense and was the world's first packet switching network.
• The Internet is the successor of ARPANET.

Internet Service Provider (ISP)

• An ISP is a company that provides users with access to the Internet.
• ISPs offer email accounts and other services like remote storage of files.

IP Address

• An IP address is a numerical identifier for an entity on a computer network.
• The original addressing system, IPv4, used 32-bit addresses.
• IPv6 was introduced to accommodate growth, using 128-bit addresses.

Cyberspace

• Cyberspace refers to computer networks and the content they host.
• The term was coined by William Gibson.

World Wide Web (WWW)

• The WWW is a collection of interlinked documents accessible over the Internet.
• It consists of millions of web pages with text, images, voice, and videos.
• Sir Tim Berners-Lee, a British scientist, created the World Wide Web.

Website and Web Page

• A website is a set of web pages with text, audio, and video.
• Web servers host websites.
• A web page is a resource of information created in HTML format with navigational abilities through hyperlinks.

URL

• A URL specifies the location of a resource on the Internet.
• It consists of the basic address and path.

Home Page

• A home page is the default page of a website, often the main page of a complex website.

Web Browser

• A web browser is a software application that facilitates user interaction with web content.
• Popular web browsers include Microsoft's Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Mozilla's Firefox, and Apple's Safari.

HTTP and URL

• HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) is the protocol used to request and transmit files over the Internet.
• A URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is the web address of Internet pages and files, telling the browser exactly where to find the page.

Internet Uses

• The Internet is used for various purposes, including e-mail, social networking, job-hunting, getting news, research, listening to music, watching videos, and more.