Greetings Verdita,
Your question was quite challenging, but it was well-priced and about
a very fundamental topic, so I have attempted to answer your question.
Firstly, this might help you distinguish between the two terms
“Internet” and “world wide web”:
Webopedia - The Difference Between the Internet and the World Wide Web
http://www.webopedia.com/DidYouKnow/Internet/2002/Web_vs_Internet.asp
THE INTERNET
When I looked around the Internet, I found one page which conveniently
listed and mapped quite all of the basic equipment of the Internet in
simple terms:
Basic Equipment used for the Internet
http://www.computerspecialist.co.uk/basic_equipment.htm
- It even gives easy to follow illustrations.
Based on the organization of ideas present in the above website, I
shall try to provide my own explanation of the function of these
components. There will be a little lifted text from the site:
User PC - A Multi-Media Computer equipped to send and receive a
variety of functions. This is what is used by someone like you who
surfs the Net. Of course, to enjoy the content on the Internet, one
needs on his PC:
- Sound Card with Microphone/Speakers - For receiving and sending
sound, such as voice, music, games etc.
- Video/Graphics display card for displaying everyting seen on the
Net.
- Video camera (webcam) - To enable a 'real time' moving picture onto
the net for others to see and hear.
- Voice recognition - To allow commands to be given and letters to be
written from 'voice' to the user pc by the operator. This and the
webcam are optional though.
Software components for this would include:
- Driver programs: to run the equipment mentioned here, and all other
types of hardware mentioned in this answer. This would include dial-up
software for your modem.
- Web browser: Software to be able to access content on the Internet.
Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator and Opera are the prime
examples.
- Operating System (OS): Programs like Windows, Linux or MacOS that
allow you to run programs on your computer at all. You need it to run
the Web browsers.
User's Communication Equipment (PC)- This is the communication
equipment located at the User's home or work to connect the Users' PC
to the Internet. The various ways to connect to the Internet are:
- Analog Modem (can be v.90, up to 56K, can have Voice, Data, and Fax
features) - required to connect to the Internet through a normal
telephone cable. Most common and inexpensive method to connect.
- Cable Modem (27 MB) - access through cable connection, such as Cable
TV line.
- Electric Line (1 MB) - To enable a connection to be made using a
digital connection.
- Satellite (400 Kb) - Direct transmission via satellite. Expensive,
but probably the fastest.
- DSL (Digital Subscriber line) - One of the versions of broadband,
very fast, secure and reliable connection for home to mid-level users.
Internet Connection is controlled by:
TCP/IP - Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol - Basic
Communication language of the Internet
TCP/IP - a Searchnetworking definition
http://searchnetworking.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid7_gci214173,00.html
Equipment within a larger, corporate-style user setup and ISPs:
LAN (Local Area Network) - A LAN is a small basic network for fewer
computers, like in an office. Computers on a LAN can require only one
computer among them to be connected to the Internet so all can have
access.
Routers - Devices that allow signals to be directed to certain
computers in a large network, such an ISP to user connection. Used in
large LANs and ISPs.
Firewalls - Programs used to prevent access by authorized parties
ISP Level:
ISP - Internet service Provider - A company that provides Internet
connection to users and clients.
Local Loop Carrier - Connects the User to the ISP's Point of Presence.
Examples of this could include power lines, telephone lines, satellite
transmitters, cable television or broadband service - basically
dependent of the kind of subscription the user has for his Internet
account.
ISP POP (Point of Presence) - This is the beginning of the ISP's
network. Here’s where the user’s account is given authentication and
then goes to the other parts of the ISP.
Server - This is a computer system with a powerful processor
(sometimes two or more in one server), and very fast and very large
hard drives (likely to be SCSI) to handle the huge loads of signal
traffic coming from the users. Server software would include programs
like Perl, Apache, Linux, Windows NT, etc.
Types of specialized servers:
Domain Name Server - Converts alphanumeric web addresses into the
addresses that computers understand.
Email Host - Server that handles email
Usenet Newsgroups (NNTP) - Server that handles newsgroups
Special services such as quake, telnet, FTP
User Web Hosting
(These servers require fast interfaces and large/fast storage).
The above are also known as:
User Services - these are the services that most users would have
along with Internet Access.
ISP/Internet Backbone - The ISP backbone interconnects the ISP's POPs,
and interconnects the ISP to other ISP's and online content.
This would go into a world of large circuits, Routers, Switches,
Backbone Providers/Exchange points etc. These form high-speed networks
that control all the data passing through the Internet. Without these
the Internet would collapse. These backbones are run by major
companies like AT&T, IBM, Sprint and MCI. They are strategically
located so as to provide fast service to ISPs and clients alike.
Russ Haynal’s ISP Page - Major Internet Backbone Maps
http://navigators.com/isp.html
Internet Backbone Maps
http://www.nthelp.com/maps.htm
Of special Interest would be Microsoft’s Teraserver. Being the top
computer company in the world, Micro boasts having a powerful
teraserver which allows billions to connect to its website at once
without a problem. It’s still an experimental server though.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/dnsqlsg/html/msdn_msterra.asp?frame=true
Note: Tera means trillion, which the next step above Giga (billion).
Online Content - These are the host sites that the user interacts
with. These are basically the servers that manage the website you are
connecting to. The most basic form of online content is the HTML
(Hyper Text Markup Language) page, which is a basic web page.
URL (Universal Resource Locator) - This is the web address that you
put in the Address bar to go to a page (Example:
http://answers.google.com ). The actual format is in numbers (Example:
http://213.454.01.8 ), but words have been used to make it easier for
proper to remember them. They pass through the Domain Name Server to
be translated into computer language.
Origins of online content - These are where online information come
from. (Lifted text from above website)
Existing electronic information is being connected from legacy (old)
systems.
Traditional print resources (books, magazines, etc.) are being scanned
and converted into electronic format
Many types of video and audio programming are being broadcast via the
internet.
Internet telephony is growing fast.
WWW - THE WORLD WIDE WEB
World Wide Web - Webopedia Definition
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/W/World_Wide_Web.html
- The World Wide Web is only one part of the Internet, the one that
uses the Hyper-Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP). FTP, Usenets and other
protocols are not part of this. The WWW runs on on the Internet and
uses the very same equipment, although it is narrowed to only HTTP.
Learn the Net: Surf the Web
http://www.learnthenet.com/english/section/www.html
- Here’s is where all the basic concepts about the World Wide Web can
be explained for you.
Internet Protocols:
HTTP: Hyper Text Transfer Protocol - The protocol that defines how
signals are sent and acted upon in the Internet. This is what the WWW
is based on.
FTP: File Transfer Protocol - Protocol for sending files over the
Internet (so this is technically not part of the world wide web)
Webopedia: The Difference Between FTP and HTTP
http://www.webopedia.com/DidYouKnow/Internet/2002/FTP_HTTP.asp
NNTP: Network News Transfer Protocol - Protocol for transferring and
retrieving USENET messages. It contains many forums or newsgroups.
USENET - A worldwide bulletin board system that can be accessed
through the Internet or another online service (other networks aside
from the Internet)
Other possible resource sites:
Internet: Definitions
http://www.cs.columbia.edu/~hgs/internet/definition.html
The Internet - Definition
http://www.kleinschmidt.com/internet_and_kli/tsld002.htm
Webopedia - Internet Definition
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/I/Internet.html
Broadband Hardware and Components Internet Resources
http://www.broadband-internet.org/hardware/
PC Guide - Complete Guide to computers and components
http://www.pcguide.com/
Google search terms used :
internet definition
world wide web definition
internet basic equipment
internet backbone
World wide web basics
TCP IP definition
Check Webopedia for concise, pertinent definitions of Internet related
terms.
http://webopedia.com
Have I given you the right hardware and software elements? I do hope
so.
May I leave you with this answer which I hope has been most
satisfactory. If you have anything you want clarified, please do post
a request for clarification, and I’ll be there to respond. Thank you. |
