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GettingStartedwiththeInternet.pptxComputer Basics:
Getting Started with the Internet
What is the Internet?
The Internet is a worldwide collection of computer networks that connects millions of businesses, government agencies, educational institutions, and individuals.
With the Internet, it's possible to access almost any information, communicate with anyone else in the world, and much more.
You can do all of this on your computer.
Connecting to the Internet
A device has to be connected to the Internet before you can access it. If you plan to use the Internet at home, you'll usually need to purchase an Internet connection from an Internet service provider (ISPs), which will likely be a phone company, cable company, or the government.
An ISP is a business that provides individuals and organizations access to the Internet free or for a fee which is sometimes called an Internet access provider.
Other devices usually connect through Wi-Fi or cellular Internet connections. Sometimes libraries, cafes, and schools offer free Wi-Fi for their patrons, customers, and students.
Internet Service Providers
ISPs often charge a fixed amount of an Internet connection, offering customers a variety of plans based on desired speeds, bandwidth, and services.
Bandwidth represents the amount of data that travels over a network. A higher bandwidth means more data transmits. Data sizes typically are stated in terms of megabytes and gigabytes.
Other devices usually connect through Wi-Fi or cellular Internet connections. Sometimes libraries, cafes, and schools offer free Wi-Fi for their patrons, customers, and students.
Types of Internet services
The type of Internet service you choose will largely depend on which Internet service providers (ISPs) serve your area, along with the types of service they offer. Here are some common types of Internet service:
Dial-up
DSL
Cable
Satellite
3G and 4G
Dial-up
This is generally the slowest type of Internet connection, and you should probably avoid it unless it is the only service available in your area. Dial-up Internet uses your phone line, so unless you have multiple phone lines you will not be able to use your landline and the Internet at the same time.
DSL
DSL service uses a broadband connection, which makes it much faster than dial-up. DSL connects to the Internet via a phone line but does not require you to have a landline at home. And unlike dial-up, you'll be able to use the Internet and your phone line at the same time.
Cable
Cable service connects to the Internet via cable TV, although you do not necessarily need to have cable TV in order to get it. It uses a broadband connection and can be faster than both dial-up and DSL service; however, it is only available where cable TV is available.
Satelitte
A satellite connection uses broadband but does not require cable or phone lines; it connects to the Internet through satellites orbiting the Earth. As a result, it can be used almost anywhere in the world, but the connection may be affected by weather patterns. Satellite connections are also usually slower than DSL or cable.
3G and 4G
3G and 4G service is most commonly used with mobile phones, and it connects wirelessly through your ISP's network. However, these types of connections aren't always as fast as DSL or cable. They will also limit the amount of data you can use each month, which isn't the case with most broadband plans.
Domain Names and IP Addresses
The Internet relies on an addressing system much like the postal service to send data and information to a computer or device at a specific destination. An IP address, short for Internet Protocol address, is a sequence of numbers that uniquely identifies the location of each computer or device connected to the Internet.
An IP address usually consists of four groups of numbers, each separated by a period.
A domain name is the text version of an IP address. The suffix of the domain name, called top-level domain (TLD), identifies the type of organization associated with the domain.
IP address 72.14.207.66
Domain name www.google.com
Domain Names and IP Addresses
| Popular TLDs | |
| TLD | Intended Purpose |
| .com | Commercial organizations, businesses, and companies |
| .edu | Education institutions |
| .gov | Government agencies |
| .mil | Military organizations |
| .net | Network providers or commercial companies |
| .org | Nonprofit organizations |
What part of the Internet is the web?
The World Wide Web is one of the more widely used Internet services. The World Wide Web (short for web) is a global library of information available to anyone connected to the Internet.
The web consists of worldwide collection of electronic documents. Each electronic document on the web is called a webpage, which can contain text, graphics, audio, and video.
Browsing the web
Most information on the Internet is on websites. A website is a collection of related webpages, which are stored on a web server. A web server is a computer that delivers requested webpages to your computer or mobile devices.
Once you are connected to the Internet, you can access websites using a kind of application called a web browser. A web browser is a software that enables users with an Internet connection to access and view webpages on a computer of mobile device. The web browser itself is not the Internet, but it displays pages on the Internet. Some widely used browsers include Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, and Google Chrome.
URLs and the address bar
Each website has a unique address, called a web address or URL (short for Uniform Resource Locator). It's like a street address that tells your browser where to go on the Internet. When you type a URL into the browser's address bar and press Enter on your keyboard, the browser will load the page associated with that URL.
In the example below, we've typed www.bbc.com/travel into the address bar.
URLs and the address bar
A web address consist of a protocol, domain name, and sometimes the host name, path to a specific webpage or file name of the webpage. The http, which stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol, is a set of rules that defines how webpages transfer on the Internet. The text between the protocol and the domain name, called the host name, identifies the type of Internet server.
http ://www.bbc.com/travel/columns/culture-identity.htm
protocol
domain name
host name
path
webpage name
Links
Whenever you see a word or phrase on a website that's blue or underlined in blue, it's probably a hyperlink, or link for short. You might already know how links work, even if you've never thought about them much before.
Links are a built-in connection to other documents, graphics, audio files, videos webpages, or websites. When you click a link, it will usually take you to a different webpage. You may also notice that your cursor changes into a hand icon whenever you hover over a link.
Navigation Buttons
The Back and Forward buttons allow you to move through websites you've recently viewed. You can also click and hold either button to see your recent history.
The Refresh button will reload the current page. If a website stops working, try using the Refresh button.
Tabbed browsing
Desktop browsers typically support tabbed browsing, where the top of the browser shows a tab (similar to a file folder tab) for each webpage you display. You can open as many links as you want, and they'll stay in the same browser window instead of cluttering your screen with multiple windows.
To create a new blank tab, click the button to the right of any open tabs.
Saving Images
Sometimes you may want to save an image from a website to your computer. To do this, right-click the image and select Save image as (or Save picture as).
Plug-ins
Plug-ins are small applications that allow you to view certain types of content within your web browser. For example, Adobe Flash and Microsoft Silverlight are often used to play videos, while Adobe Reader is used to view PDF files.
If you don't have the correct plug-in for a website, your browser will usually provide a link to download it.
Searching the Web
A search engine is a program that finds Web sites, Web pages, images, videos, news, maps, and other information related to a specific topic.
| Search Engine Operators | |||
| Operator | Description | Examples | Explanation |
| Space or + | Display search results that include specific words | art + music art music | Results have both words, art and music, in any order. |
| OR | Display search results that include only one word from a list | dog OR puppy dog OR puppy OR canine | Results have either the word, dog, or the word puppy or the word canine. |
| () | Combine search results that include specific words with those that include only one word from a list | Kalamazoo Michigan (pizza OR subs) | Results include both words, Kalamazoo Michigan , and either the word, pizza or the word subs. |
| - | Exclude a word from search results | automobile -convertible | Results include the word, automobile, but do not include the word, convertible. |
| “ ” | Search for an exact phrase in a certain order | “19th century literature” | Results include the exact phrase, 19th century literature |
| * | Substitute characters in place of the asterisk | writer* | Results include any word the begins with text, writer |
Other Internet Services
E-mail (short for electronic mail) is the transmission of messages and files via a computer network.
A mailing list is a group of e-mail names and addresses given a single name, so that everyone on the list receives a message sent to the list.
Instant messaging (IM) is a real-time Internet communications service that notifies you when one or more people are online.
A chat room is a location on an Internet server that permits users to conduct real-time typed conversations.
VoIP (Voice over IP, or Internet Protocol), also called Internet telephony, enables users to speak to other users over the Internet, instead of the public switched telephone network.
A newsgroup is an online area in which users have written discussions about a particular subject.
A message board is a Web-based type of discussion group that is easier to use than a newsgroup.
FTP (File Transfer Protocol) is an Internet standard that permits file uploading and downloading with other computers on the Internet.
The Rules of Netiquette
Netiquette, which is short for Internet etiquette, is the code of acceptable behaviors users should follow while on the Internet.
Netiquette rules include:
Keep messages short Clearly identify a spoiler
Be polite Read the FAQ
Avoid sending flames or spam Do not assume material is accurate or up-to-date
Use emoticons and acronyms Never read someone’s private email
