INTRODUCTION TO THE INTERNET Briefly describe the history of the Internet

Explain what is needed to get on the Internet

Describe generally what an Internet Service Provider does

Describe the function of a browser

Describe how to search the Internet

List and describe the non- web services of the Internet

INTERNET????

A global network connecting millions of computers

J.C.R, Licklider of MIT – first proposed a global network of computers in 1962.

Leonard Kleinrock of MIT & later UCLA developed theory of packet switching (basic internet connections)

Ray Tomlinson – e-mail

HISTORY OF INTERNET

The Internet exploded into the public consciousness in the mid 1990s

Approximately the Internet grew from 72 million in 2000 to 162 million in 2002

E-commerce is growing rapidly.

Tim Berners-Lee is arguably the pivotal figure in the surging popularity of the Internet

THE INTERNET AS PHENOMENON

GETTING START

The Internet Service Provider and the Browser An internet user needs

• a computer • a modem (dial-up, cable or DSL) • a network connection • the related software • an Internet Service Provider (ISP) • Browser

An ISP provides the server computer and

software to connect to the Internet

The browser in action

A browser is software used to explore the Internet

Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE)

Others like Netscape, Opera and Mozilla are available.

Uniform Resource Locator (URL)

URL is the address window just below the toolbar buttons will usually contain a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) which is the unique address of a web page or file on the Internet

http://www.intel.com/pressroom/index.asp

Protocol Host computer address (Domain)

path, directory, file name

HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol) communicating by using links

– the clickable text or image that transport a user to the desired web site

Domain name

- the address of the site’s host computer. - “com” called top-level domain and represents the

purpose of organization or entity.

“com” – commercial “edu” – education “gov” – government “org” – organization “net” - networking center

Wireless Internet Access

People using mobile handheld devices to access the Internet

Examples: text pagers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), pocket computers and even web-enabled cellular phones

Many wireless access providers use the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) to convert web pages into a format that is more compatible with the limited capabilities of handheld devices

Search Engine

A search engine is software, usually located at its own web site, that lets a user specify search terms; the search engine then finds sites that fit those terms

A browser usually offers links to one or more search engines, or a user can simply link to the site of a favorite search engine

Example : a. Yahoo b. Altavista c. About d. AllTheWeb e. Google f. Lycos

A selection of Internet Search Tools Directories

About Human experts, called guides compile

directories organized around specific topics

Yahoo! Well-organized categories let the user switch from browsing to searching in a certain area;

but finds only keywords, not any word on a site.

AlltheWeb Fast; supports a large number of languages; can

limit result to specific domains.

AltaVista Very fast; indexes every word on every page of every site; searches Usenet too; excellent for

custom searches.

Google Result raked by algorithm based on number of

links from other pages.

HotBot Fast; unique search options let you restrict

searches; very comprehensive; excels at finding current news

Lycos Numerous search options, a comprehensive

directory, and good returns on simple searches.

NON-WEB SERVICES OF THE INTERNET

1. Newsgroups

2. File Transfer Protocol (FTP)

3. Telnet

4. E-mail

1. Newsgroups

Usenet – an informal network of computers Allows posting and reading of messages Typically focuses on specific topics Requires a newsreader

Some are moderated Messages sent to a moderator, who determines

whether the message is appropriate Prevents users from attacking other members and

prevents inappropriate material from being posted

2. File Transfer Protocol (FTP)

A protocol for transferring files among computers.

FTP servers maintain collections of downloadable files Downloading can often be done anonymously,

without logging in

Many FTP servers can be accessed through Web browser

3. Telnet

A protocol that allows remote users to log onto a host computer. Users use their own PCs Users log in over the Internet Users’ experience is the same as if they were

sitting at the host computer’s local terminal

Remote user typically has to have a user ID and password

4. E-mail

The most commonly used feature of the Internet Network provides mail server :

Collects and stores messages in mailbox E-mail address consists of user name, followed by @

symbol, then domain name of mail server

E-mail client software on your computer Allows you to manage your e-mail messages Features Address books The ability to attach files Filters

Direct incoming e-mail to specific folders Block spam