What is the Internet?

PCS World Network your Internet Connection!

Internet is a world wide network connecting millions of computer systems. With this network, people can share opinions and resources in a global scale. The Internet is designed to be decentralized so in case large sections of the network is taken down, the rest of the network would still be able to function. This allows the Internet to be flexible enough that it is able to expand at astronomical rates. It is predicted that there would be over 200 million Internet users by the end of this century.

How does the Internet work?

Your computer is outfitted with a modem which allows it to communicate with your Internet Service Provider (ISP)'s server. The noise that you hear when connecting is the negotiation noise between the two dialup modems as they establish the speed and communication protocol for the session. This is usually the weakest link to the Internet where line noise, modem speed, etc. limit your overall Internet speed.

From there our ISP is connected to an Internet backbone which is basically a high speed data highway. There are multiple high speed data lines through out the world. Various methods such as satellites, land cable, and fiber optics are used to transport the data with more and more data lines being added daily.

When you type in a web address on the browser and hit Enter, the information in processed inside your computer in bits. They are then transmitted by the modem as analog signals (those tones from the modem). The modem on the ISP side converts the analog signals back into bits. The address is checked with a Domain Name Server (DNS) to find where the remote system's address is (their IP address). Your information packet is then sent through the Internet at high speeds to the remote server where it gets the information you requested. This data is then passed back to the ISP and transmitted through the telephone lines as an analog signal to your modem. Your modem changes it to bits and your browser starts displaying the information. All this activity usually take only a few seconds. In fact this is how you are viewing this web page. The actual information is resting comfortably on the HookUpz web server far away from your actual computer location.

How do I get connected onto the Internet?

There are multiple Internet Service Providers (ISPs) like PCS which can help you link your computer onto the Internet. Once you are connected, you are in essence part of the Internet. Your computer becomes part of the world wide pool of computer systems in which you can access other computers. Your computer can be accessed by others too if setup to do so. By default most of the Windows security features are active which should protect your system from unauthorized access.

Make sure you are connected online before trying to access Internet services. Without it, programs for E-mail, web browsing, online games, etc. will not work properly. Most applications are setup so it would start up a connection when it tries to access the Internet. All you would have to do is connect, and it will do the rest. Programs such as Internet Explorer and Outlook Express function in this matter. However, some programs require that you manually make a connection before they work.

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