Understanding the Internet: Connecting, Browsing, and Exploring

The internet is a worldwide system of interconnected computer networks. When you connect your computer to the internet via your Internet Service Provider (ISP), you become part of the ISP's network. The World Wide Web (WWW or 'web' for short) is the part of the internet that you can access using a web browser such as Internet Explorer or Firefox. It consists of a large number of web servers that host websites. Each website will normally consist of a number of web pages. A web page can contain text, images, video, animation, and sound.

An intranet is a network that works like the internet but is only available within a particular organization, not to the public. An intranet may have web pages used to share company-specific data within that company, such as internal telephone numbers or details of employee benefits.

To connect to the internet, the following are needed:

• A computer
• Telephone line (cable being the exception)
• An ISP (Internet Service Provider)
• Web Browser (e.g., Internet Explorer or Firefox)

ISPs provide access to the internet. You need a web browser to view web pages. The most widely used are Internet Explorer and Firefox. A connection made to the internet will be either analogue or digital. Most people in the UK access the internet using broadband because it’s much faster than the other methods. Broadband access allows feature-rich web pages (ones that have lots of graphics, videos, sound, animations, etc.) to download quickly, and it allows users to quickly download large files (like music or video clips). Faster internet connections also mean that the response time between clicking on a link and the new page appearing is reduced.

Of the many things available to do on the internet, you can:

• Browse websites
• Send and receive email
• Download media files
• Watch streamed video (e.g., YouTube)
• Check your bank balance and make payments
• Buy goods from online shops

In the internet, finding the exact information you want on the web requires skill and practice. There are thousands of pages on any given topic.