Introduction to The
known now as the Internet.
Internet
Access Providers
The Internet
• also called the Net,
• a worldwide collection of networks that
links millions of businesses, government
agencies, educational institutions, and
individuals.
• widely used research tool,
• provides the society with access to
global information and instant
communications.
• a networking project started by an
agency of the U.S. Department of
Defense. The goal was to build a
network that:
• (1) allowed scientists at different
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.
• 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 or server is
any computer that provides services
and connections to other computers on
a network.
• By 1984, ARPANET had more than 1,000
individual computers linked as hosts.
Today, more than 550 million hosts
connect to this network, which is
• Access providers are categorized as
ISPs, online service providers, and
wireless Internet service providers.
• An ISP (Internet service provider) is a
regional or national access provider. A
regional ISP usually provides Internet
access to a specific geographic area. A
national ISP is a business that provides
Internet access in cities and towns
nationwide. National ISPs usually offer
more services and have a larger
technical support staff than regional
ISPs. Examples of national ISPs are
AT&T and EarthLink.
• In addition to providing Internet access,
an online service provider (OSP) also
has many members-only features such
as instant messaging or their own
customized version of a Web browser.
The two more popular OSPs are AOL
(America Online) and MSN (Microsoft
Network). AOL also provides free access
to its services to any user with a high-
speed Internet connection.
Types of Internet Access Provider
Connections
DIAL-UP/ANALOG
• This connection requires you to link
your landline to a computer to
access the internet. It’s definitely
not the fastest and it limits your
ability to make or receive phone
calls when in use. However, this
was what opened our eyes to a
bigger world in the 90s and early
2000s.
•
Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)
• A type of affordable highspeed
broadband that uses 2 copper wire
telephone lines connected to your
home to supply an Internet
connection. This is why DSL is
typically bundled with a landline.
• Unlike in dial-up, however, you can
still make and receive calls even
when someone is using the Internet
with this type of broadband.
CABLE
• Another type of broadband access.
However, instead of using copper wire
telephone lines, this type of broadband
allows you to access the Internet
through copper coaxial cable TV lines.
• These lines typically deliver faster
Internet services than DSL, however,
are usually more expensive and come
bundled with Cable TV.
FIBER
• The fastest type of home broadband
access, so far, is fiber-optic Internet.
This type of broadband allows you to
access the Internet through flexible
glass wires rather than copper lines or
cables.
FIXED WIRELESS
• Instead of using telephone and cable
networks, wireless networks use a
modem to pick up radio frequency or
Internet signals from cell towers then
distributes the connection to any
location under its network coverage.
• This comes in prepaid and postpaid
versions. The prepaid versions of this
connection are some of the most
affordable today. However, you need to
be in a place with a good signal to
experience the best of this service.
SATELLITE
• Satellite Internet is also a wireless
connection. But unlike your fixed
wireless, this requires a dish or
antenna rather than cable lines or
copper wires to transfer data.
• Satellite internet is also used
primarily for corporate accounts
and other institutions that require
ultra speeds. Take note, though,
that weather conditions may affect
the Internet connection since the
Satellite signal travels up through
the atmosphere.
The World Wide Web
• The World Wide Web (WWW),
or Web, a widely used service
on the Internet, consists of a
worldwide collection of
electronic documents.
• Each electronic document on
the Web, called a Web page,
can contain text, graphics,
animation, audio, and video.
• Additionally, Web pages usually
have built-in connections to
other documents. A Website is
a collection of related Web
pages and associated items,
such as documents and
pictures, stored on a Web
server.
• A Web server is a computer
that delivers requested Web
pages to your computer. Some
industry experts use the term
Web 2.0 to refer to Web sites
that provide a means for users
 to share personal information
(such as social networking Web
sites), allow users to modify
Website content , and have
application software built into
the site for visitors to use (such
as e-mail and word processing
programs).
• A Web browser, or browser, is
application software that allows
users to access and view Web
pages or access Web 2.0
programs. To browse the Web,
you need a computer or mobile
device that is connected to the
Internet and that has a Web
browser. The more widely used
Web browsers for personal
computers are Internet
Explorer, Firefox, Opera, Safari,
and Google Chrome.
Web Addresses
• A Web page has a unique address,
which is called a URL (Uniform Resource
Locator) or Web address
Navigating Web Pages
• A link, short for hyperlink, is a built-in
connection to another related Web
page or part of a Web page. Links allow
you to obtain information
Types of Web Sites
Portal
• A portal is a Web site that offers a
variety of Internet services from a
single, convenient location
News
• A news Web site contains newsworthy
material including stories and articles
relating to current events, life, money,
sports, and the weather
Informational
• An informational Web site contains
factual information
Business/marketing
• A business/marketing Web site contains
content that promotes or sells products
or services
Blog
• A blog, short for Weblog, is an informal
Web site consisting of time-stamped
articles, or posts, in a diary or journal
format, usually listed in reverse
chronological order
o video blog or vlog (vids)
o microblog (100 and 200
characters)
o blogosphere (worldwide
collection of blogs)
o vlogosphere (all vlogs
worldwide)
Wiki
• A wiki is a collaborative Web site that
allows users to create, add to, modify,
or delete the Web site content via their
Web browser. Most wikis are open to
modification by the general public.
Content Aggregator
• A content aggregator is a business that
gathers and organizes Web content and
then distributes, or feeds, the content
to subscribers for free or a fee
Personal Components of Web pages

• A private individual or family not usually Graphics

associated with any organization may
• A graphic, or graphical image, is a digital
maintain a personal Web site
representation of nontext information
Online Social Networks • such as a drawing, chart, or photo.
Many
• An online social network, also called a
• Web pages use colorful graphical
social networking Web site, is a Web
designs and images to convey messages
site that encourages members in its
online community to share their Animation
interests, ideas, stories, photos, music,
• The appearance of motion created by
and videos with other registered users.
displaying a series of still images in
Educational sequence. Animation can make Web
pages more visually interesting or draw
• An educational Web site offers exciting,
attention to important information or
challenging avenues for formal and
links.
informal teaching and learning.
Instructors often use the Web to Audio
enhance classroom teaching by
• Audio On the Web, you can listen to
publishing course materials, grades, and
audio clips and live audio. Audio
other pertinent class information.
includes music, speech, or any other
Entertainment sound.

• An entertainment Web site offers an Video

interactive and engaging environment.
• Video On the Web, you can view video
Popular entertainment Web sites offer
clips or watch live video.
music, videos, sports, games, ongoing
Web episodes, sweepstakes, chat VR
rooms, and more.
• Virtual reality (VR) is the use of
Advocacy computers to simulate a real or
imagined environment that appears as
• An advocacy Web site contains content
a three-dimensional (3-D) space. VR
that describes a cause, opinion, or idea.
involves the display of 3-D images that
These Web sites usually present views
users explore and manipulate
of a particular group or association.
interactively.

Plug-in

• A plug-in, or add-on, is a program that

extends the capability of a browser. You
can download many plug-ins at no cost
from various Web sites
Web Publishing

The five major steps to Web publishing are as

follows:

1. Plan a Web site: Think about issues that

could affect the design of the Web site.
2. Analyze and design a Web site: Design
the layout of elements of the Web site
such as links, text, graphics, animation,
audio, video, and virtual reality.
3. Create a Web site: Use a word
processing program to create basic Web
pages or Web page authoring software
to create more sophisticated Web sites
4. Deploy a Web site: Transfer the Web
pages from your computer to a Web
server.
5. Maintain a Web site: Ensure the Web
site contents remain current and all
links work properly.

E-Commerce

• E-commerce, short for electronic

commerce, is a business transaction
that occurs over an electronic network
such as the Internet. Anyone with
access to a computer or mobile device,
an Internet connection, and a means to
pay for purchased goods or services can
participate in e-commerce.

Atal is a Web site that offers a

variety of Internet services from a
single, convenient location
(Figure 2-11a).