Ever wondered just what is the Internet?
What Is The Internet? – The Internet Put Simply…
The Internet, common terminologies; the Net, the World Wide Web, and The Web.
The Internet comprises a global network of interconnected computer networks. All of these networks use a common Internet Protocol Suite (TCP/IP) to communicate with one another.
Together they provide the service which we call “The Internet”, to billions of users around the world.
The interconnected computer networks which make up the Internet number in the millions and range in origin, location and purpose. Some are for academic uses, whilst others are for public, private, government or business usage.
All are linked through a multitude of electronic, fibre optical, and wireless technologies. the fibre-optic cable that was dug up and laid under your street – that’s part of the internet. The WiFi which you’re connected to right now – that’s also part of the internet.
Within each home or workplace these come in the form of routers, cabling and associated devices.
On a national scale, the internet is made up of the vast networks of electronic and fibre optic cabling networks.
These are the networks which we commonly see maintained by organisations such as BT, TalkTalk, Virgin, and Sky in the UK (Comcast, AOL, AT&T, and Verizon in the US).
What Is The Internet? – The Internet Vs The Web (Get the Terminology right)
Though both The Internet and the Web are terms commonly used interchangeably in everyday speak, the Internet is actually the vehicle which carries and provides a range of services. One of those ‘services’ is what we commonly call the World Wide Web.
The Web is just one of a number of services carried by the internet. The web consists of countless documents (web pages and other resources) all interconnected and linked up by hyperlinks and URLs.
Beyond the Web, other services carried by the Internet include online games, email, file transferring (FTP) and remote access facilities.
What Is The Internet? – Interconnected Networks
Where does the name come from? The term, the Internet, is born from the concept of “Interconnected Networks”.
What Is The Internet? – What do we build on-top of the Internet?
These days, we continue to build new technologies, businesses, social media platforms, news outlets and more on-top of the Internet.
The World Wide Web is actually the communication layer through which most of us use the Internet. The Web opens up a huge range of possibilities, from personal website blogs, to eCommerce stores, social media sites and more.
If you’re interested in building your own website or one for a family, friend or even a client – then we recommend that you check out our posts on Web Development, which are a fantastic resources for information and how to guides for website builders.