WHAT IS INTERNET?

A global computer network providing a variety of information and communication facilities, consisting of interconnected networks using standardized communication protocols The internet in simple terms is a network of the interlinked computer networking worldwide, which is accessible to the general public. These interconnected computers work by transmitting data through a special type of packet switching which is known as the IP or the internet protocol. Internet is such a huge network of several different interlinked networks relating to the business, government, academic, and even smaller domestic networks, therefore internet is known as the network of all the other networks. These networks enable the internet to be used for various important functions which include the several means of communications like the file transfer, the online chat and even the sharing of the documents and web sites on the WWW, or the World Wide Web.

LAN

A local area network (LAN) supplies networking capability to a group of computers in close proximity to each other such as in an office building, a school, or a home. A LAN is useful for sharing resources like files, printers, games or other applications. A LAN in turn often connects to other LANs, and to the Internet or other WAN. Most local area networks are built with relatively inexpensive hardware such as Ethernet cables, network adapters, and hubs. Wireless LAN and other more advanced LAN hardware options also exist. WAN

A Wide Area Network (WAN) is a network that spans a large geographical area, the most common example being the Internet. A WAN is contrasted to smaller local area networks (LANs) and metropolitan area networks (MANs). LANs are home or office networks, while a MAN might encompass a campus or service residents of a city, such as in a citywide wireless or WiFi network.

MAN

Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)is a computer networks usually spanning a campus or a city, which typically connect a few local area networks using high speed backbone technologies. A MAN often provides efficient connections to a wide area network (WAN). WEB SERVER

Web servers are computers that deliver (serves up) Web pages. Every Web server has an IP address and possibly a domain name. For example, if you enter the URL http://www.pcwebopedia.com/index.html in your browser, this sends a request to the Web server whose domain name is pcwebopedia.com. The server then fetches the page named index.html and sends it to your browser. Any computer can be turned into a Web server by installing server software and connecting the machine to the Internet. There are many Web server software applications, including public domain software from NCSA and Apache, and commercial packages from Microsoft, Netscape and others. Web server can refer to either the hardware (the computer) or the software (the computer application) that helps to deliver Web content that can be accessed through the Internet. The most common use of web servers is to host websites, but there are other uses such as gaming, data storage or running enterprise applications. WEB BROWSER

Browser, short for web browser, is a software application used to enable computers users to locate and access web pages. Browsers translates the basic HTML (Hypertext Mark Up Language) code that allows us to see images, text videos and listen to audios on websites, along with hyperlinks that let us travel to different web pages. The browser

gets in contact with the web server and requests for information. The web server receives the information and displays it on the computer. It is a software application used to locate, retrieve and also display content on the World Wide Web, including Web pages, images, video and other files. As a client/server model, the browser is the client run on a computer that contacts the Web server and requests information. The Web server sends the information back to the Web browser which displays the results on the computer or other Internet-enabled device that supports a browser. EXAMPLES OF WEB BROWSER

Internet Explorer Mozilla Firefox Opera Safari Google Chrome Konqueror Arora Dillo K-Meleon Lynx Lobo Kazekhase Amaya NetPositive QNX Voyager Planetweb Netscape Lunascape

PARTS OF WEB BROWSER

1. Menu These menus will allow you to perform various tasks, such as Print, save a Favorite web page, and set your internet options. 2. Function Icons Buttons that allow you to quickly performs tasks, such as print, refresh your web page, go back to the last page viewed, or go forward to the next page viewed.

3. Minimize, Maximize, Close buttons Allow you to make your Browser smaller, larger, or close your browser completely. 4. Web Address area Type the web site address (or name) in this box to go to that web site page and click go or hit the enter key on your keyboard. Ex. www.act.org/discover/login 5. Search Engine A large database containing information on millions of web sites, which allows you to enter keywords to locate a site that offers the product or service that you seek. 6. Keyword Search area Type keywords to describe the type of information that you want to find. 7. Start Menu This menu will help you open various computer software programs that you want to use, such as Microsoft Word, or Internet Explorer. 8. Task Bar This lists all the programs that you currently have open. Click on one of the icons to maximize a particular program on your screen to continue working in that program. WORLD WIDE WEB

The World Wide Web (abbreviated as WWW or W3, commonly known as the Web or the "Information Superhighway"), is a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet. With a web browser, one can view web pages that may contain text, images, videos, and other multimedia, and navigate between them via hyperlinks. A system of Internet servers that support specially formatted documents. The documents are formatted in a markup language called HTML (HyperText Markup Language) that supports links to other documents, as well as graphics, audio, and video files. This means you can jump from one document to another simply by clicking on hot spots. Not all Internet servers are part of the World Wide Web. FEATURES OF THE NET

E-MAIL Electronic mail, commonly known as email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks

E-LEARNING E-Learning is the use of technology to enable people to learn anytime and anywhere. e-Learning can include training, the delivery of just-in-time information and guidance from experts. E-learning includes all forms of electronically supported learning and teaching, and more recently Edtech. The information and communication systems, whether networked learning or not, serve as specific media to implement the learning process. The term

will still most likely be utilized to reference out-of-classroom and in-classroom educational experiences via technology, even as advances continue in regard to devices and curriculum. E-learning is the computer and network-enabled transfer of skills and knowledge. E-learning applications and processes include Web-based learning, computer-based learning, virtual education opportunities and digital collaboration. Content is delivered via the Internet, intranet/extranet, audio or video tape, satellite TV, and CDROM. It can be self-paced or instructor-led and includes media in the form of text, image, animation, streaming video and audio.