Lesson 11- Internet

What is the Internet?
     The Internet is the world's largest WAN (Wide Area Network) and is made up lots of smaller networks. It connects more than two billion people together by delivering information to them. It's very young, being introduced to the public for less than three decades. There are lots of rules for the Internet and lots of parts to it too. The Internet can also be accessed through apps on a phone.

What is a protocol?
     A protocol would be a set of rules for any given thing. In this case, it would be the Internet. The who basic types are TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) and IP (Internet Protocol). The first parts of Internet's URLs would be the "http://" part, which would be needed for someone to view the page. They can also be used as a communications protocol for private networks like an intranet or an extranet. 

What is DNS?
     Domain Name Services (DNS) help translate addresses. Without them, there would be no Internet. They basically are like a phone book and they look for the information that you type. For example, if you type a website name, they will look for the IP address. If they don't have it, they'll ask other DNS with they have the information.

Explain what an ISP is and what it does?
     Internet Service Providers (ISPs), provide Internet. They basically use routers that connect with LAN's and then WAN's and then onto the Internet. It's what the data travels through and they often skip around from router to router before finding their destination. Some examples of ISP would be AT&T, IBM, and Netcom. Sometimes they can also be called IAP, "Internet Access Providers", or another version of ISP, "Independent Service Provider".

What is a Ping and Firewall?
     Pings are used to determine if the connections to the machines are working or not. They check the network connections. Firewalls protect your computer from Internet threats and can be both hardware and software. Firewalls can be customized to their own rules. Some examples of what they block can be malicious websites or virus'.


How Networks Link to the Internet: The Internet is made up of lots of networks. The smaller
networks are from individual Internet users. They get connected through ISP, or Internet Service Providers. The ISPs connect at network access points. Backbones and Routers handle data at the highest levels. Backbones are fiber-optic cables while Routers move data between networks. Different networks use the same equipment to take to each other like they're part of the same network.

What is an Internet Service Provider? : An Internet Service Provider helps people connect to the Internet. They provide some storage space in their servers and allow their customers to choose the best plan for them. They help you manage whatever websites you have. Before DSLs, Digital Subscriber Lines, were a thing, it was dial-up accounts which worked through telephone lines. Connections today are made with wire telephone lines, cable TV lines, or others forms of wiring.

Connecting Your Computer to the Internet: To get your computer to the Internet, plug your computer into a modem and turn the modem on. DSL connections use phone lines and their connection is always on.  Some modems work like DSLs. A T1 is a dedicated line. Dial-up Modems dial modems of your ISP. You can also connect to the Internet wirelessly when the modem connects to a router. Once your computer has been connected to the ISP, it will get it's own IP address so it can be identified on the Internet.