Slide 1: Bismillah….

Assalamualikum! Dear Students

I am your instructor, facilitator and Mentor and my name is Dr. Aisha Mahmood and. I welcome
you all to the third Week of the online course “Introduction to Information Technology”.

Slide 2: Introduction to this Week

Week 1 & 2 introduced you to basic computer concepts and digital media and Why and how
teachers and administrators integrate computer technology and digital media into Primary and
Secondary education. As you completed the content of last two week, you would have now begun
to understand the vocabulary used to describe computer technology, mobile devices, digital media
and educational technology.

In this week, we will discuss about the in-depth concepts related to internet, and next week about
the web and media and services available on the internet.

Slide 3: LOs of this week

After Completing this Week’s content, you will be able to

• Discuss the evolution of the Internet
• Describe how internet works
• Briefly describe various broadband Internet connections
• Describe the purpose of an IP address and its relationship to a domain name

Slide4: LOs of this Lecture 1

• Discuss the evolution of the Internet
• Describe how internet works

Slide5:

The Internet

One of the major reasons business, home, and other users purchase computers and mobile devices
is for Internet access. The Internet is a worldwide collection of networks that connects millions
of businesses, government agencies, educational institutions, and individuals. Each of the networks
on the Internet provides resources that add to the abundance of goods, services, and information
accessible via the Internet.

Today, billions of home and business users around the world access a variety of services on the
Internet using computers and mobile devices. The web, messaging, and video communications are
some of the more widely used Internet services (Figure 2-1). Other Internet services include chat
rooms, discussion forums, and file transfer.

To enhance your understanding of Internet services, we begin by discussing the history of the
Internet and how the Internet works and then explains each of these services.
Slide 6: Evolution of the Internet

The Internet has its roots in a networking project started by the Pentagon’s Advanced Research
Projects Agency (ARPA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Defense. ARPA’s goal was to
build a network that (1) allowed scientists at different physical locations to share information and
work together on military and scientific projects and (2) could function even if part of the network
were disabled or destroyed by a disaster such as a nuclear attack.

Slide 7: ARPANET

That network, called ARPANET, became functional in September 1969, linking scientific and
academic researchers across the United States. The original ARPANET consisted of four main
computers, one each located at the University of California at Los Angeles, the University of
California at Santa Barbara, the Stanford Research Institute, and the University of Utah. Each of
these computers served as a host on the network. A host, more commonly known today as a server,
is any computer that provides services and connections to other computers on a network. Hosts
often use high-speed communications to transfer data and messages over a network. By 1984,
ARPANET had more than 1,000 individual computers linked as hosts. Today, millions of hosts
connect to this network, which now is known as the Internet. The Internet consists of many local,
regional, national, and international networks. Both public and private organizations own
networks on the Internet. These networks, along with phone companies, cable and satellite
companies, and the government, all contribute toward the internal structure of the Internet.

Now Pause the video and visit this week’s free resources to learn about more about Internet.

Slide 8: History of the Internet

Backbone of Internet first provided by National Science Foundation (NSF) - NSFnet Because
of its advanced technology, NSFnet served as the major backbone network of the Internet until
1995. A backbone is a high-speed network that connects regional and local networks to the
Internet (Figure 2-9). Other computers then connect to these regional and local networks to access
the Internet. A backbone thus handles the bulk of the communications activity, or traffic, on the
Internet. In 1995, NSFnet terminated its backbone network on the Internet to return to its purpose
as a research network. Today, a variety of corporations, commercial firms, and other companies
operate the backbone networks that provide access to the Internet. These backbone networks,
telephone companies, cable and satellite companies, educational institutions, and the government
all contribute extensive resources to the Internet. As a result, the Internet is a truly collaborative
entity. Over the years, the total number of computers connected to the original network increased
steadily and within the last few years, explosively. Today, experts estimate that hundreds of
millions of computers distribute information over the Internet, including those at virtually all K-
12 schools. An emerging Internet, called Internet2 (I2), is an extremely high-speed network that
develops and tests advanced Internet technologies for research, teaching, and learning, including
those used by Web 2.0 and Web 3.0. Members of Internet2 include more than 200 U.S. universities
in cooperation with 115 leading corporations. Examples of Internet2 projects that are now
mainstream include telemedicine, digital libraries (online books, magazines, music, movies,
speeches, and so on), and faster Internet services.

Slide 9: You may ask Who owns the Internet?

No single person, company, institution, or government agency owns the Internet. Each
organization on the Internet is responsible only for maintaining its own network.

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), however, oversees research and sets standards and
guidelines for many areas of the Internet. The mission of the W3C is to ensure the continued
growth of the web. Nearly 400 organizations from around the world are members of the W3C,
advising, defining standards, and addressing other issues.

Slide 10: How the Internet Works

Pause the lecture here and Watch the Video

Slide 11: How the Internet Works

Computers and other digital devices connected to the Internet work together to transfer data around
the world. When a computer sends data over the Internet, the computer’s software divides the data
into small pieces, called packets. The data in a packet might be part of an e-mail message, a file,
a document, a graphic, or a request for a file. Each packet contains the data, as well as the recipient
(destination), origin (sender), and sequence information needed to reassemble the data at the
destination. Packets travel along the fastest path available to the recipient’s computer via hardware
devices called routers (Figure on the next slide). If the most direct path to the destination is
overloaded or not operating, routers send the packets along alternate paths. Although each packet
may arrive out of sequence, the destination computer uses the sequence information contained in
each packet to reassemble the original message, file, document, or request.
Packet switching is the technique of breaking a message into individual packets, sending the
packets along the best route available, and reassembling the data. For a technique such as packet
switching to work, all of the devices on the network must follow certain standards or protocols.

Slide 12: How the Internet Works

A communications protocol specifies the rules that define how devices connect to each other and
transmit data over a network. The protocol used to define packet switching on the Internet is
Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).
Data sent over the Internet travels over networks and communications lines owned and operated
by many companies. You can connect to these networks in one of several ways. Some users
connect to the Internet through an Internet service provider (ISP) or an online service provider
(OSP), often using a modem to establish a connection. Organizations such as schools and
businesses provide Internet access for students and employees by connecting their own network to
an ISP. Some school districts and states also provide Internet services for teachers and
administrators so they can access the Internet from their homes.
INTERNET access providers
An Internet service provider (ISP) is a regional or national access provider. A regional ISP is a
business that usually provides Internet access to a specific geographic area. A national ISP is a
business that provides Internet access in cities and towns nationwide and broadband access in
many locations. Because of their size, national ISPs offer more services and generally have a larger
technical support staff than regional ISPs.

Slide 13: Connecting to the Internet

Users can connect their computers and mobile devices to the Internet through wired or wireless
technology and then access its services free or for a fee. With wired connections, a computer or
device physically attaches via a cable or wire to a communications device, such as a modem, that
transmits data and other items over transmission media to the Internet. For wireless connections,
many mobile computers and devices include the necessary built-in technology so that they can
transmit data and other items wirelessly. Computers without this capability can use a wireless
modem or other communications device that enables wireless connectivity. A wireless modem, for
example, uses a wireless communications technology (such as cellular radio, satellite, or Wi-Fi)
to connect to the Internet.

Slide 14: Connecting to the Internet

This Figure (2-2) shows examples of modems. The wireless modem shown in the figure is known
as a dongle, which is a small device that connects to a computer and enables additional functions
when attached. Today, users often connect to the Internet via broadband Internet service because
of its fast data transfer speeds and its always-on connection. Through broadband Internet service,
users can download webpages quickly, play online games, communicate in real time with others,
and more.

Slide 15: Summery of this Lecture

1. Internet
2. Evolution of the Internet
3. Describe how the internet works
Slide 16: See you in the next lecture