| Tags | ncit internet skill/web_intro |
| Hard Prerequisites | |
| IMPORTANT: Please review these prerequisites, they include important information that will help you with this content. | |
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The Internet is a massive network of networks, a networking infrastructure. It connects billions of computers and internet-enabled devices globally, forming a network in which any device can communicate with any other device as long as they are connected to the Internet. Information that travels over the Internet does so via languages known as protocols.
The World Wide Web(www.), or simply Web, is a way of accessing information over the medium of the Internet and it is the major application of internet technology today. It is an information-sharing model that is built on top of the Internet.
These days, we often just say “The Internet” when we refer to anything we access via a web browser or smartphone. However, the World Wide Web and the Internet aren’t the same thing. The Web uses a specific protocol called HTTP (hypertext transfer protocol), which is just one of the protocols used to transmit information over the Internet. For example, the Internet, not the Web, is also used for e-mail (which uses IMAP, POP and SMTP), instant messaging, peer-to-peer networks, and FTP (file transfer protocol). So the Web is just a portion of the Internet, albeit a large portion, but the two terms are not synonymous and should not be confused.
To learn more about how the Internet works, including SMTP, TCP, FTP, and DNS protocols, you are encouraged to read this document:
https://web.stanford.edu/class/msande91si/www-spr04/readings/week1/InternetWhitepaper.htm
An intranet is a private computer network based on the communication standards of the Internet. It is a smaller, private version of the internet that only members of an organization can access. Companies can create this kind of secure and manageable version of the Web to disseminate and share only the information relevant to their business. This can increase productivity as corporate knowledge becomes more accessible and the data is specific, monitored and accurate.
An extranet is a computer network that allows controlled access from the outside, for specific business or educational purposes. In a business-to-business context, an extranet can be viewed as an extension of an organization’s intranet that is extended to users outside the organization; usually partners, vendors, and suppliers, in isolation from all other Internet users. It provides access to needed services for channel partners, without granting access to an organization’s entire network.
Here are a few examples:
Provide or access services provided by one company to a group of other companies, eg. training, online banking application managed by one company on behalf of affiliated banks
Intranets and Extranets have a wide variety of advantages but like with anything they have their downsides too. For example, extranets can be expensive to implement and maintain, especially if hosted internally rather than by an application service provider (e.g. hardware, software, employee training costs), and their security can be a concern when hosting valuable or proprietary information. Keep this in mind when considering using them.
The internet has expanded since its inception and nowadays we use it in a wide variety of ways. You should be familiar with communication methods it has provided like email, instant messaging and voice/video calling. There is also a huge selection of interactive interfaces that operate entirely on the internet and make use of cloud technologies and handheld devices. These web applications range from online shopping to business accounting, health monitoring, gaming, and everything in between.
The term Webmail (or Web-based email) is an email service offered by a company or Internet service provider through a website. Common examples are Gmail or Yahoo! Mail.
Webmail is more often than not accessed through an email client rather than a web browser. For example, iOS and Android devices both have native Mail applications that use the IMAP, POP and SMTP protocols to receive and send mail. You can also find other applications that will do the same. This is not a new technology and has existed almost since the advent of the Internet but it has become more commonly used with mobile phones. Its main advantage is that you can manage multiple webmails through one application and you can access your mail even when you’re offline.
This is a form of communication over the web that offers quick transmission of text-based messages from sender to receiver. More advanced instant messaging allows enhanced modes of communication, such as live voice or video calling, video chat and the inclusion of hyperlinks to media. Telegram, Whatsapp, iMessage and Facebook Messenger are examples of instant messaging.
VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) is a set of technologies that enable voice calls to be carried over the Internet. Skype and Whatsapp Audio calls are examples of this.
The basic process involved in a VoIP call is as follows:
To make a VoIP call, the consumer user requires VoIP software and a connection to the Internet. The software will handle the call routing to make sure the call reaches the intended destination. The software can be installed on a variety of hardware devices including traditional telephone handsets (using an adaptor that plugs into the telephone), or on your computer or smartphone.