What is the Internet?
The Internet is the “network of all networks”, a worldwide collection of computer systems connected to and communicating with each other using a protocol or communications rules called TCP/IP or simply the Internet Protocol Suite. For now, the Internet is considered as “cyberspace” and the “Information superhighway”.
It is the inter-working of existing corporate and government networks using commonly used telecommunications standards. It is not a new physical network, although some new facilities may be needed. Rather, it is based on mutual interests of users to communicate more effectively via electronic message and file transfers. Internet communications may be interpersonal (person-to-person) E-Mail or process-to-process like EDI. Messages may be inquiries to shared databases and responses. Messages may be entire files.
The Internet is the existing version of the Information Superhighway. It consists of a world-wide network of computers that communicate with each other using phone lines and direct communications. The network is primarily used for on-line communications and information exchange. Almost every piece of information known is available through the Internet from sport scores to stock information to NASA satellite data. Thousands of continuous conversations also take place daily between individual users. Persons who wish to discuss specific topics do so in ongoing conversations usually referred to as newsgroups. Originally started in the late 1960’s by the US Department of Defense, the network (ARPA net) first tied together the country’s research institutions, defense contractors, and military installations. The system has no central communications hub, as all computers involved can talk to all the others through an amazing system of links (every Telcom line in the world is tied in), and was
The Internet is the worldwide collection of computers, networks and gateways that use TCP/IP protocols to communicate with one another. At the heart of the Internet are high-speed data communications lines between major host computers, consisting of thousands of commercial, government, educational and other computer systems that route data and messages. Currently, the Internet offers a range of services to users, such as e-mail, the World Wide Web, FTP, Usenet newsgroups and others.
The Internet is a large and rapidly growing worldwide network comprised of smaller computer networks, all linked by a common protocol, that enables computers of different types to exchange information. The networks are owned by countless commercial, research, government, and education organizations and individuals. The Internet allows the almost 5 million computers [1] and countless users of the system to collaborate easily and quickly either in pairs or in groups. Users are able to discover and access people and information, distribute information, and experiment with new technologies and services. The Internet has become a major global infrastructure used for education, research, professional learning, public service, and business. There is a confusing variety of types of Internet access. These types of access are distinguished either by the services one can use (telnet, Gopher, FTP or File Transfer Protocol, World Wide Web) or by the technology underlying the access (the protocol, o
