Tutorials 1. What is the Internet? Page 3 - What is the Internet?
What is the Internet?
The Internet is the largest network of computers in the world. A network is two or
more computers connected together. The network allows every computer on it to
access the other computers and share information with them. Many of the computers
connected to the Internet are in their own little network, called a LAN
(Local Area Network). This network is then connected to the
Internet, allowing all the computers in the smaller network to access those on the
Internet, and vice versa. In most LANs, one computer has been designated as the
main computer, called the file server, or just server. This computer is the one
that is connected to the Internet, providing a gateway between the computers on its
network and those computers on the Internet. If you dial into your ISP, then your
computer is only part of the ISP's LAN while your connected. If your computer is at
a college or school, it is probably connected directly to the network, eliminating
the need to dial in. More information about connecting to the Internet is contained
in Tutorial 3. Large corporations such as Intel and
Microsoft have offices all around the world. The computers in these offices must be
connected to those at the corporations main office. This is done through a WAN or
Wide Area Network. The Internet is a type of WAN, since its
computers are located throughout the world.
A Very Short History of the Internet
In the 1970s and 1980s, the Internet was primarily used by students, scientists,
military personnel, and hobbyists as a way of sharing information and collaborating
on projects. Later, more and more people became involved with the Internet and it
eventually became what it is today. Back in the old days, and even 5-7 years ago,
the Internet did not look so...visually pleasing. Instead, it looked a lot like
DOS. There were no graphics, sounds, Java, or other multimedia&emdash;only text.
Then, with the introduction of the World Wide Web (WWW), everything changed. The
succeeding tutorials describe the major features of the World Wide Web.
Best viewed with Netscape Navigator/Communicator or Microsoft Internet Explorer although it is viewable with any browser! Suggested viewing parameters: 800x600 resolution with 65,536 colors (Hi-color).
