The internet

The internet

The internet is a worldwide network of computers for sharing information. The computers are linked into a network using different phone technologies. You can connect into this network of computers through an Internet Service Provider (ISP). Well-known ISPs are AOL, Freeserve, Demon and BTinternet.

Your ISP makes sure that your computer has the correct software for connecting to the internet. This software is called an internet browser. The most common browsers are Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer. Your ISP also makes sure that your computer has an internet address so that it can send and receive information through the internet.

Do not confuse the internet with the world wide web. The internet is the term for all the hardware that allows the sharing of information - computers, cabling, phone links, radio masts and satellites. The world wide web is one of the services provided on the internet. Others are electronic mail and chat rooms, but you do not need to know about them for this unit.

You have to go online to use one of the internet services. This means that you instruct your computer to make a telephone connection to your ISP. If you are using a computer in a college, you may not see a cable connecting your computer to a telephone but it will be there somewhere.