Information & Communication Technology Notes for CBSE UCG NET Examination General Paper- Chapter- 2 (Internet Overview)

What is the Internet?

The term Internet stands for Inter-Network Systems. It is a global network of networks. It consists of thousands of interconnected computer networks.

How to connect with Internet?

  • dialing out to an Internet Service Provider (ISP) using SLIP (Serial Line Internet Protocol) or PPP (Point to Point Protocol).
  • directly through  Cable Modem, DSL (Digital Subscriber Line), dedicated ISP connection, using TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/ Internet Protocol).
  • dialing out to a computer connected to the Internet using a common communications package  and using Internet packages in the remote computer.

How does it work?

 Through a Domain System Structure

  • for example an Internet address (URL) like home.ubalt.edu  tell us that this address: (a) belongs to the .edu  -- education -- domain, (b) is part of a network called ubalt (of course the name of the UB network), and (c) that the machine (computer) name is  home. 
  • there are many different (top) domains like gov, mil, com, net, etc, with new ones being added presently.
  • each computer is assigned an IP number, like 198.202.0.35  -- the home.xyz.com IP number. 
  • a computer with a Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN) has a fixed IP number and name registered in the Internet.

What can you do in the Internet?

  • Communications
  • Information search
  • File manipulation
  • Remote control of other computers
  • Cruise the Net  through hypermedia 
  • Electronic Commerce

Communications
  • Send/receive e-mail: the main use of the Internet.
  • Send/receive Chat room and Instant Messages: same time message exchange.
  • Participate in Web Forums: discussions, help and information. 
  • Participate in Online Communities: Facebook, MySpace, YouTube.
  • Participate in Audio and/or Video Conferencing: same time voice and/or video communications.
  • Participate in mailing and discussion lists and newsgroups: you can get help and receive news.
Information search
  • Web search engines like Google, Ask.com, etc. 
  • Web site directories (portals) like Yahoo, MSN, etc.
  • former tools like Gopher, Veronica and WAIS are rarely used today.
File transfer and remote control

  • Web browser: the number one way to download (save a file to a local machine). At UB you can also upload files to your Web space.
  • FTP: the File Transfer Protocol  is the most used mean to upload files in the Net, and a close second to Web browser in file downloads.
  • Telnet/SSH: allows you to login remotely in another computer you have an account and execute command line, non-graphical, commands.
Hypermedia Net surfing
  • The Internet graphical user interface: the World Wide Web.
  • Main browsers: Internet Explorer, Firefox and Netscape.
  • Most commonly used tool, as you know since you are reading this.
Electronic Commerce(E-Commerce)
  • Use of the Web graphical interface and  technology  as a front-end to a business.
  • traditional businesses with Web storefronts.
  • new businesses with no or very few brick and mortar storefronts -- the .com companies.
  • The basis of the new Digital Economy.
  • A very important  use of the Internet, second only to communications and online communities.