CHAPTER 4

INTERNET BASICS
4.1 INTRODUCTION
With the growth in popularity and networking of computers, intercommunication
between different computers became easier, which led to the phenomenon called Internet.
For a majority of people, who are unaware of computer technology, Internet depicts some
enigmatic computer gizmo, which has something to do with games, music, and generally
entertainment. However, Internet is a much broader concept than mere entertainment and
recreational activities. It is revolutionizing and enhancing the ways of human interaction
and communication.
The word Internet is derived from two words: Interconnection and Networks. Also
referred to as ‘ the Net’, Internet is a worldwide system of computer networks, that is,
a network of networks, which allows the participants ( users) to share information on
those linked computers. In consist of thousands of separately administered networks of
various sizes and types.
Each of these networks comprises tens of thousands of computers. Moreover, the total
number of users of the Internet is known to be in millions. This high level of connectively
encourages an unparalleled degree of communication, resource sharing, and information
access. It is probably the most powerful and important technological advancement since
the introduction of the desktop computer.
4.2. BASIC INTERNET TERMS
Now let us familiarize ourselves with some basic Internet terms.
Web page: The World Wide Web consists of files, called pages which contain
information and links to resources throughout the Internet. A web page is an electronic
document written in a computer language called HTML (Hypertext Markup Language)
These web pages are linked together through a system of connections (called hypertext
links, hyperlinks or links), Which enable the user to jump from one web page to another
by clicking on a link. On the Web, the user navigates through these pages of information
in accordance of his/her interests.

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Web Site: A web site is a set of related (linked through hypertext links) web pages,
published by an organization or individual. Normally a web site contains a home page
along with other additional web pages. Each web site is owned and updated by an
individual, company or organization. It is an area on the web, which is accessed by its
own address (known as URL or the Uniform Resource Locator). Note that, the quality,
detail, and style of web sites vary enormously, depending on how it is designed.

Home page: when you browse the World Wide Web, you will often see the term ‘home
page”. A home page is the starting point or a doorway to the web site. Like the table of
contents of a book, the home page usually provides an overview of what could be found
at the web site. If there is not much information, the home page may be the only page of
the web site. However, usually you will find at least a few other pages.
Note: Home page is also known as the index or index page.

Browser: A browser (short for web browser) is a computer program that accesses web
pages and displays them on the computer screen. It is the basic software that is needed
to find, retrieve, view, and send information over the Internet. In fact, to access the
World Wide Web, the user requires a web browser. The most popular browsers are
Microsoft internet Explorer and Netscape navigator. Browsers are of two types:

1. Graphical browsers: allow retrieval of text, images, audio, and video. Navigation
is accomplished by pointing and clicking with a mouse on highlighted words and
graphics. Both Netscape navigator and Internet Explorer are graphical browsers.
2. Text browsers: provide access to the Web in text-only mode. Navigation is
accomplished by highlighting emphasized words on the screen with the arrow up
and down keys, and then pressing the Enter key to follow the link. Lynx is an
example of text-based browser.

Uniform resource locator (URL): Each web page has a unique address, called a
Uniform Resource Locator (URL) that identifies its location on the Internet. Web

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browsers utilize the URL to retrieve a file from the computer on which it resides.
Usually, the format of an URL consists of four parts: protocol, server ( or domain), path,
and filename. Here is an example, http://www.xyz.com/tutor/start/main.htm. The
structure of this URL
 Protocol: http
 Host computer name: www
 Domain name: xyz
 Domain type: com
 Path: tutor/Start/
 File name: main.htm
The first part of the address, the part before the colon, is the access method. Apart from
http, you could also find other protocols such as ftp (file transfer protocol), mailto (mail
server, used for accessing E-mail server) and telnet (for accessing remote computers).
The protocol is separated by colons and slashes. After the slashes, the host computer’s
name is displayed, that is, an indicator such as www, which stands for World Wide Web.
Next comes the name of the computer where the information is located. Note that it is not
necessary that all the addresses contain www. Although most Internet addresses include a
www, a web page can reside on the part of the Internet that is not found on the World
Wide Web.
After the domain name, the domain type is displayed such as com. A domain type is a
unique and case sensitive human-readable name for a host on the Internet. A domain type
represents the type of organization or country to which the host belongs.
In addition, dozens of domain types have been assigned to identify and locate files stored
on host computers in countries around the world. These are referred to as two-letter
Internet country codes, and have been standardized by the International Standards
Organization (ISO). For example, uk for the United Kingdom, de for Germany, au for
Australia, and in for India. The last part of a URL consists of the path and the file name.
Path name specifies the hierarchic location of the said file on the computer. For instance,
in http://www.xyz.com/tutor/start/main.htm, the file main.htm is located in start, which is
a subdirectory of tutor.

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Hypertext: Hypertext refers to the text that connects to other documents. These texts are
known as hypertext link, hyperlink, hotlink or simply links. A hyperlink is used to
“jump” to another part of the same page or to load a different web page. Hypertext is a
method of instant cross-referencing. It is used for organizing information and to link
related documents together using words and graphics (also known as image maps).
Usually hypertext links appear in a different color (typically in blue and underlined) from
the rest of the text. When the cursor is moved over a text link or over a graphic link it will
change from an arrow to a hand. The hypertext words often provide a hint about the
connected page. When the user returns to a page with a link he/she had already visited,
the hypertext words will often be in a different color (usually magenta), indicating that
the link is already been used. However, the user can certainly use that link again.

Internet service provider (ISP): An Internet Service Provider (ISP) is an organization

that provides the required software, which is used to connect to the Internet. For a
monthly fee, the ISP provides the user a software package, username, password, and
access phone number(s). Equipped with a modem, the user can then log on to the Internet
and browse the Web. In our country Ethiopia the only and famous ISP is ETC.
Web server: A server is a computer equipped with server software, which provides a
specific kind of service to client software running on other computers. The term can refer
to a particular piece of software, for example, a web server, or to the machine on which
the software is running. A web server is a computer that answers requests from user’s
computers. It serves images and static content, such as web pages, to fill client’s
(browser) requests. Web servers can run on any hardware platform and operating system
and store documents in HTML.
Download and upload: Download refers to the activity of moving or copying a
document, program or other data from the Internet or other interconnected computer to
one’s own computer. It is the process of ‘pulling’ information from one computer onto
another, For example, while accessing a web site, the HTML code and graphics must be
downloaded from a remote server onto the user’s computer, before viewing the web site.
When the user downloads a file, he/she is actually copying a particular file from the web
and placing it on his/her hard drive. Upload is just the opposite of download. In case the

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user moves or copies a document, program or other data from his/her computer to the
Internet. It refers to the act of moving data from one computer to another, usually to a
server or remote computer. For example, a software company may upload a
demonstration of its new software onto the web so that users can then download the
software onto their individual computers.
Online and offline: The term online is commonly referred to as ‘connected to the World
wide web via Internet’. When you connect to the Internet, you are online or live. Being
online is also used to refer to materials stored on a computer or to a device like a printer
that is ready to accept commands from a computer. Hence, any activity undertaken while
the computer is connected to another computer or network is said to be online. Offline is
just the opposite of being online. It refers to the actions performed when the user is not
connected, via telecommunications, to another computer or a network like the Internet.
Hence, offline means that the user is no longer connected to a remote computer. If a
printer or other peripheral is not ready to receive data from the computer, it is also
considered offline.

5.3 GETTING CONNECTED TO INTERNET

Now that you are aware of the basic Internet terms, let us shift our focus on how to
connect to the Internet. The basic requirements for getting online are:
 A TCP/IP enabled computer with a web browser
 An account with an ISP
 A telephone line plugged to a suitable socket
 A modem to connect the computer to the telephone line

5.4. INTERNET APPLICATIONS

The Internet has grown from a small project to today’s biggest network of computers.
Due to the colossal growth, the Internet has become the biggest domain of information.
Nowadays, an Internet user has access to a wide variety of services such as electronic

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mail, file transfer, vast information resources, interest group membership, interactive
collaboration, multimedia displays, real-time broadcasting, shopping opportunities, and
much more. Some of the important services provided by the Interest are briefed below

5.4.1. World Wide Web (WWW)

The World Wide Web (abbreviated as the Web or WWW) is one of the most popular
services available on Internet. It is a subset of the internet and it presents text, images,
animation, video, sound, and other multimedia in a single interface. This greatly enhances
the experience of the Internet surfer. Although the World Wide Web is often referred to
as the Internet, they are actually two different concepts. The internet is the decentralized
global network of computers that transfer information and the wiring that make all this
possible where as the Web is a collection of documents or web sites, that users can access
using the Internet and a web browser. Almost every protocol type available on the
Internet is accessible on the Web. This includes E- mail, FTP, Telnet, and Usenet News.
Since the WWW is a subset of the Internet, it stands to reason that the Web could not
exist without the Internet. However, the Internet would still be the Internet without the
web.

5.4.2. Electronic mail (E-mail)

Electronic mail, or E-mail, is a fast, easy, and inexpensive way to communicate with
other Internet users around the world. It is one of the basic and earliest services of the
internet and the most used application on the Internet too. E-mail overcomes most of the
problems and delays of getting a physical document from one person to another. Rather,
is has the dual advantage of not only being faster but cheaper to use as well. Each user of
E-mail has a mailbox address to which messages are sent and the mailbox can be
accessed from anywhere and anytime. It does not matter what type of connectivity the
user is having, he will always be able to use this service. One can receive and send E-
mails from all systems where it is a Windows PC or a UNIX machine. Not only can this
E-mail also be used to send documents, images, audio, video, etc. as an attachment along
with the mail.

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5.4.3 Internet Relay Chat (IRC)
IRC or Internet Relay Chat is a service on the Internet that allows people to
communicate in real time and carry on conversations via the computer with one or more
people. It provides the user with the facility to engage in simultaneous (synchronous)
online ‘conversations’ with other users from anywhere in the world. Unlike other forms
of group communication on the Internet, chat is instant communication. However, both
parties must be connected to the Internet and that too at the same time, running the right
software and actively participating in order to chat.
5.4.4. Video Conferencing
Video conferencing uses the same technology as IRC, but also provides sound and video
pictures. It enables direct face-to face communication across networks. A video
conferencing system has two or more parties in different locations, which have the ability
to communicate using a combination of video, audio, and data. A videoconference can be
person to person (referred to as ‘multipoint’) and the video conferencing terminals are
often referred to as ‘endpoints’.
5.4.5. Commerce through internet
Today business is taking place through electronic telecommunication media. Nowadays
various organizations offer the facility of shopping online. This type of business model is
known as Electronic commerce of E-Commerce. E-commerce refers to buying and
selling goods and services online. It integrated communication, data management and
security capabilities, which allow organizations to exchange of information needed to
conduct business including Electronic Data Interchange ( EDI) and Electronic funds
Transfer (EFT) EDI is the computer – to – computer exchange of routine business
transactions including payments, information exchange, and purchase order requests.
EFT is a technology that allows the transfer of funds from the bank account of the person
or organization to that of another.

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