Lesson 11- The Internet

• What is the internet?

The internet is the world's largest WAN. It has millions have smaller LANs in it. Everything you find online comes through the internet. Before the 1990's only a few people have ever used the internet. As of December 2011, 2 billion people used the internet. Now it is a lot more because the internet has become a source of information for multiple people in the world.

• What is a protocol?

Network protocols are rules for how computers in a network communicate with one another. They enable the connection, communication, and data transfer. The first network protocol was ARPANET in 1969. It was soon used for file transfers, email, etc. Around 1983 more protocols called TCP/IP was the standard that network used to swap data.

• What is DNS?

Translating domain names into the IP address that the internet used when locating a computer need the DNS or Domain Name Service. If we didn't have it, there wouldn't be any Internet communication. The DNS looks up a name and returns an IP address and the opposite can occur as well. Each part of the Internet has DNS servers and each computer has a specific DNS server. Some DNS servers only have a limited number of host names and IP addresses.

• Explain what an ISP is and what it does?

An ISP is an Internet Service Provider. It's an organization that provides service for your access to the internet. It can be organized in multiple forms to match the type of space they are trying to action. ISP's allows you to create personal websites as well that you can keep. Not many but some still offer dial-up connection. It connects networks to a larger network.

• What is a PING and Firewall?

PING sends test packets through the Internet and determines if the machine on the other end received that packets. It can tell whether your connection to another machine is working or not. It determines how fast or slow your computer connects to another machine or part. A firewall can be software or hardware. Most business manage and customize their own firewall to fit their needs of what is allowed on their network.
Connecting to the Internet
How Networks Link to the Internet:
The internet is connected of many smaller networks. They all communicate to one another so it more of networks connect to one another to create the internet and not the network links to the Internet. The smallest networks are ones that Internet users set up in their homes. It runs through the ISP and that connects it to other points of other networks. Backbones are large fiber optic cables and Routers move data between networks.
What Is an Internet Service Provider?:
An ISP helps individuals and companies connect to the internet. It gives you can email address, access to some storage, and maybe some web hosting services to help you. They allows customers to choose the type that best meets their needs. Dial up accounts used to be common but today DSL's and cable internet are the most common type of consumer connections. They can be made through copper wire in telephone lines, cable TV lines, or other wiring like fiber optic lines.
Connecting Your Computer to the Internet:
To connect a computer to the Internet you need a modem and ISP, you plug your computer into the modem and turn it on. DSL connections use phone lines but don't tie up the phone lines, ISP the connection is always on. DSL use the same lines that go to your TV, if you have a T1 connection, nobody else can use it. You can connect to the internet wirelessly on the computer. Instead of the modem connecting to the computer it connects to a wireless hub or router. One you connect to the ISP it will assign your computers it own IP address, it is a number that identifies itself on the Internet.