Understanding the Internet Basics

The Internet

• The Internet is a global network of interconnected computers that communicate with each other using dedicated routers and servers.
• It allows for the exchange of various types of information, including text, graphics, voice, video, and computer programs.

Internet Development

• The Internet originated from the ARPANET, a software developed by the U.S. military for military personnel and its developers.
• After privatization, the Internet was allowed for commercial use, leading to its widespread development and benefits to humanity.

Benefits of the Internet

• The Internet provides access to vast amounts of information, enabling students to access libraries worldwide at the touch of a button.
• Many online libraries offer free services, while some charge a fee.

Basic Internet Terms and Terminology

ARPANET

• ARPANET stands for Advanced Research Projects Agency Network, developed by the U.S. Department of Defense.
• It was the world's first packet switching network and the precursor to the Internet.

Internet Service Provider (ISP)

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

IP Address

• An IP address is a numerical identifier for an entity on a computer network.
• The original IPv4 addressing system used 32-bit addresses, while the newer IPv6 system uses 128-bit addresses.

Cyberspace

• Cyberspace refers to the interconnected computer networks and the content they host.
• The term was coined by William Gibson and is often used to refer to the Internet.

WWW (World Wide Web)

• The WWW is a collection of interlinked documents accessible over the Internet.
• It consists of millions of web pages containing text, images, voice, and videos.
• The WWW was created by Sir Tim Berners-Lee, a British scientist working at CERN.

Website

• A website is a set of web pages consisting of text, audio, and video.
• Web servers host websites.

URL

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

Web Page

• A web page is a resource of information.
• Web pages are typically created in HTML format and provide navigational abilities through hyperlinks to other web pages.

Home Page

• The home page is the default page of a website.
• It is the main page of a complex website.

Web Browser

• A web browser is a software application that facilitates user interaction with web content.
• Web browsers enable users to access and navigate the web.

Cache

• Web browsers maintain a cache of recently visited web pages.
• This cache allows for faster loading of frequently visited pages.
• External proxy web caches and search engines also maintain caches of web pages.

HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol)

• HTTP is a communications protocol used for the transfer of information over the Internet.
• A client makes an HTTP request using a web browser, and an HTTP response is sent from the server.

Web Cookie

• A web cookie is a piece of text exchanged between the web client and the web server.
• It is sent by the web server to the web client and stored on the client's device.