The Internet or the Net is a global collection of computers, all linked together, to share information globally.Internet is that you may know or may not know person you are connected.
The Internet is a voluntarily interconnected autonomous networks.
There are five things to start with internet.
1)Desktop, laptop or notebook computers.
2)Internet Access Devices
initially telephone line was used to connect Computer to the Internet,speed was
very less at about maximum of 56 kbps.then came Internal Dial-up Modem
that could be fixed into desktop. They took less workspace compared to Internal Dial-up .
Modem.They were quite popular for time being & were less coasting than Internal Dial-up .
As time went there came ISDN ( Integrated Services Digital Network ).ISDN allowed to access the Internet at speeds about 128 Kbps. It also worked two-way voice, data and images by means of two independent channels, each of 64 Kbps.
Next came , Asynchronous Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL).
With ADSL, speeds beginning 128 kbps and going on to 256 kbps, 512 kbps, 1 Mbps and 2 Mbps! Telephone line was required for ADSL, but you could hold a voice conversation while surfing the internet. upgrading of process to higher speeds did NOT require to change your ADSL Modem, Telephone (and Internet) service provider could do it immediately one’s instructions.
With speeds in excess of 256 Kbps, the birth of ‘Broadband’ finally happened. The 2006 Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) report defines Broadband as typically having download data transfer rates of at least 256 Kbps, while the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) defines basic broadband (as of 2009) as data transmission speeds exceeding 768 Kbps in at least one direction: downstream (from the Internet to the user’s computer) or upstream (from the user’s computer to the Internet). The trend is to raise the threshold of the broadband definition as the marketplace continues to roll out faster services.
Wireless Internet Access
Riding the ADSL wave were wireless technologies such as Wi-Fi and Wi-Max, with the former already extremely popular in homes and offices worldwide and Wi-Max picking up at a pace much slower than expected. Wireless technologies such as this let you use your Broadband connection on multiple computers, without the need for your Computers to be physically connected to the ADSL Modem. For these reasons, today, the ADSL Modem is the preferred internet access device for most homes, home offices and small offices.
Read more about Wi-Fi by clicking the blue, underlined link.
Read more about USB Modems by clicking the blue, underlined link.
USB Modems:
Today, you have extremely fast internet access devices that may be connected to your Computer’s USB Port as well. The first generation of such devices had a theoretical maximum speed of 144 Kbps, but today’s USB Modems have a theoretical maximum speed of up to 3 Mbps. To read more about USB Modems, click on the blue, underlined link.
Cable Modem
It is also important to mention yet another internet access device at this point – Cable Modems. While Dial-up and ADSL Modems used your telephone line, the Cable Modem used your Cable TV connection to provide you access to the Internet. With a Cable Modem, internet access speeds may be extremely high (over 2 Mbps even) or very poor, depending on the number of Cable TV subscribers using their Cable Modems for internet access, at a given point of time. It is this reason that stunted the adoption of Cable Modems as the preferred internet access device, the world over.
Although ADSL was more than sufficient for homes, home offices and small offices, large organizations employing hundreds or thousands of staff located in a large building had need for speeds that were tens and hundreds of times that available by means of ADSL or Cable Modem technology. Leased Line Modems were the access devices they preferred, with speeds going as high as T4, or 275 Mbps, entirely for the use of the subscriber!
For large offices with hundreds and thousands of employees working out of the same building, for organizations where data needs to be sent out and received in real time (like Credit Card and other banking/ financial transactions), Leased Line Modems offer the best solution.
Leased Line Modem
Leased lines are permanently-connected, dedicated circuits provided by Basic Service Providers (BSPs), to the Internet. They form what is called the ‘last mile access’ from the user premises to the ISP. Connection quality is far superior to that available through dialup, thanks to digital signaling, less noise, fewer exchanges and a permanent connection to the BSP’s servers. As a result, they are also more expensive in comparison with other modes of internet access. With Leased Lines, you can get a maximum of up to T4, i.e., 275 Mbps. Since this is completely available to the subscriber without any sharing, it is a whopping-big pipe!
NOTE: Where Bandwidth speeds are concerned, the conversion factor from kilo to mega to giga to tera is 1000. It is for storage, that the conversion factor of 1024 is applicable. Thus; 1000 Kilo Bytes/ Second (Kbps) = 1 Mega Bytes/ Second (Mbps).
3)browser Software – often installed with your operating system or can be downloaded off the Internet
4)An ISP – An Internet Service Provider is a service that connects your home or office computer to the Internet
Once you have purchased an account with an ISP you will be given an account name. This is often your email address as well. You will also be given a password and should also be provided with instructions on how to change the password to a unique and personalized. The generic password provided with your account should be change to one of your own. Protect your password as you would any personal identification number (PIN) number.
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The ISP will also provide information on how to configure your software. This can be simple or difficult depending on your Operating System. Once configured you simply run the software to connect your computer’s modem to the ISP’s modem, giving you access to the Internet.
There are a number of pieces of software that work together to connect you to the Internet.
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The first and most complicated is the dialer or socket software. This is the software that makes the physical connection with the ISP’s computer and the internet. This needs to be configured only once but you will need instructions from your ISP on how to do this as each ISP has a different setup.
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The second piece is an Internet browser. This is the program that locates websites for you and allows users to maneuver around (surf) the World Wide Web and view web pages. Some of the more popular browsers are Mozilla Firefox Firefox and Microsoft’s Internet Explorer. Internet Explorer Mosaic was the first browser and most modern browsers still use the basic model that the first browser used. Some other browser are Opera, Safari, Netscape as well as dozens of others. Before graphic browsers Lynx was the most popular browser and is still available for text browsing. New browser are being developed and current browsers are constantly updating there programs. It is extremely important to update your browser every once in a while. Some ISP have a proprietary type of browser though most have given up this practice as it limits the users abilities to browse the Internet.
Type the url or web address of the website that you want to visit in the address bar of your browser and press Enter or click Go. Collect your favorite websites by adding them to your Favorites or Bookmarks. To go to a Favorite or Bookmark, click on the menu and click on the link.
Another piece of software is an email program Thunderbird Outlook Express Mail. This program controls sending, composing and receiving email. Most email programs can also be used to read postings on newsgroups.
Instructions for getting this software can be obtained from your ISP though you may have to download the newest version yourself.
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There are many different ISPs. If you attend a university or college or belong to a military or government organization you can most likely get Internet access through your school or work. If not you will most likely buy access from a commercial provider.
Another option, if you are in a major center, is the Freenet. Many major cities have groups devoted to making the Internet accessible to the greater majority of people and create Freenets which allowing members free access to the Internet. They run on private and public donations. It is an excellent way of learning about the Internet in a helpful environment.
Once you are connected you will have access to Email, Newsgroups, the World Wide Web (WWW), File Transfer Protocol (ftp), Internet Relay Chat (irc), Search Engines, ICQ and other Internet Services.
Benefits
Advantages and Disadvantages of the Internet:
today internet has become the most ever powerful tool for man throughout the world. The internet is a collection of various services and resources.
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