Chapter 2: Fundamentals of the World Wide Web and Internet

The Internet

It is a worldwide collection of networks that links millions of businesses, government agencies, educational institutions and individuals.

Evolution of the Internet

• Internet was called ARPANET in September 1969.

• ARPANET main goals:

          a) Allow scientists at different physical locations to share information and work together.
          b) Function even if part of the network were disabled or destroyed.

• Timeline

          1969: ARPANET becomes functional
          1984: ARPANET has more than 1,000 individual computers linked as hosts
          1986: NSF connects NSFnet to ARPANET and becomes known as the Internet
          1995: NSFnet terminates its network on the Internet and resumes status as research network
          1996: Internet2 is founded
          Today: More than 550 million hosts connects to the Internet

• Each organization is responsible only for maintaining its own network.
• The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) oversees research and sets guidelines and standards.
• Internet2 connects more than 200 universities and 115 companies via high-speed private network.
• Many home and small business users connect to the Internet via high-speed broadband Internet service:

          a) Cable Internet service
          b) Digital subscriber line (DSL). It is a technologies that transmit digital data over telephone lines
          c) Fiber to the Premises (FTTP). It is  a pure fiber-optic cable connection running from an Internet Service Provider (ISP) directly to                the user's home or business.
          d) Fixed wireless
          e) Cellular Radio Network
          f) Wi-Fi
          g) Satellite Internet Service

• Access provider is a business that provides individuals and organizations access to the Internet for free or for a fee.
• Internet Service Provider (ISP)

          - Regional ISPs provide Internet access to a specific geographical area.
          - National ISPs provice Internet access in cities and towns nationwide.

• Online service provider (OSP)

          - OSP can be an ISP, an email provider, a news provider, an entertainment provider, a search engine, an e-commerce site, an official              government site or a wiki.
          - Need to register as a member. Some have to pay to use it.

• Wireless Internet service provider

          - Provides wireless Internet access to computers and mobile devices
          - May require a wireless modem

• How a home user's data & info might travel the internet using a cable modem connection

          Step 1: You initiate an action to request data or information from the internet
          Step 2: A cable modem transfers the computer's digital signals to the cable television line in your house
          Step 3: Your request (digital signals) travels through cable television lines to a central cable system
          Step 4: The central cable system sends your request over high-speed fiber-optic lines to the ISP
          Step 5: The ISP routes your request through the Internet backbone to the destination server
          Step 6: The server retrieves the requested web page and sends it back through the Internet backbone to your computer

• IP address is a number that uniquely identifies each computer or device connected to the Internet
• Domain name is the text version of an IP address
• Dynamic Name System (DNS) server translates the domain name into its associated IP address

The World Wide Web

• World Wide Web consists of a worldwide collection of web pages.
• Web site is a collection of related web pages and associated items.
• Web server is a computer that delivers requested web pages to your computer.
• Web 2.0 refers to web sites that provide a means for users to interact.

          Eg: Social networking sites, social media site, blogs, wikis, video sharing site & web applications

• Web browser allows users to access web pages and web 2.0 programs.

• How a web browser displays a home page

          Step 1: Web browser looks up its home page setting.
          Step 2: Web browser communicates with a server maintained by your ISP.
          Step 3: The server translates the domain name of the home page to an IP address.
          Step 4: The IP address is then send back to your computer.
          Step 5: Web browser use the IP address to request the home page from the web server associated with the home page.
          Step 6: The web server sends the home page to the web browser, which form the page for display on your screen.

• Home page is the first page that a web site display
• Downloading is the process of receiving information
• Surfing the web mean navigate through the Internet / spending time on the Internet
• Uploading is the process of sending information
• Some web pages are designed specifically for microbrowsers (for smartphone)
• URL / Web address is a unique address of a web page
• Tabbed browsing allows you to open and view multiple web pages in a single web browser window
• 2 types of search tools:

          - Search engine: Finds information related to a topic
          - Subject directory: Classifies web pages in an organised set of categories

• Search engine is helpful in locating images, videos, audio, publications, maps, people or business and blogs

• How to use a search engine

          Step 1: Open a search engine, such as Google
          Step 2: Type your search text and press Google Search button
          Step 3: Click the displayed links to display a web page

• Instant search box in some web browsers eliminate the steps of displaying the search engine's web page prior to entering the search text
• Search operators can help to refine your search

• 13 types of websites:

i) Portal                                                viii) Educational

ii) News                                                ix) Entertainment

iii) Informational                                x) Advocacy (funding/charity)

iv) Business/Marketing                     xi) Web application

v) Blog                                                   xii) Content aggregator

vi) Wiki                                                  xiii) Personal

vii) Online social network

• Web application is a website that allows users to access and interact with software from any computer or device that is connected to the internet.

• Information presented on the web must be evaluated for accuracy.

• Multimedia refers to any application that combines text with graphics, animation, audio, video and virtual reality.
• Graphic is a digital representation of non-text information. Graphic formats: BMP, GIF, JPEG, PNG and TIFF.
• Thumbnail is a small version of a larger graphic.
• Animation is the appearance of motion created by displaying a series of still image in sequence.
• Audio is compressed to reduce file size.

• Streaming is the process of transferring data in a continuous and even flow.

• How to purchase & download music using iTunes

          Step 1: Search for, select and pay for the music you want from iTunes Music Store
          Step 2: Download the music from iTunes Music Store server.
          Step 3: Listen to the music.

• Video consists of images displayed in motion.
• Virtual reality (VR) is the use of computers to stimulate a real or imagined environment that appears as a three-dimensional space.
• Plug-in is a program that extends the capability of a web browser.

• Web publishing is the development and maintenance of web pages.

Steps: Plan a website --> Analyse & design a website --> Create a website --> Deploy a website --> Maintain a website

• E-commerce is a business transaction that occurs over an electronic network.

          E-commerce include:
          i) Business-to-business (B2B)
          ii) Business-to-consumer (B2C)
          iii) Consumer-to-consumer (C2C)

• M-commerce is E-commerce conducted on mobile devices.

• An example of E-Retail

Other Internet services

• E-mail is the transmission of messages and files via a computer network.
• An e-mail program allows you to create, send, receive, forward, store, print and delete e-mail messages.
• How an e-mail message may travel from a sender to a receiver

• Mailing list is a group of e-mail names and addresses given a single name.
• Instant messaging (IM) is a real-time Internet communications service.
• Chat is a real-time typed conversation that takes place on a computer.
• Chat room is a location on an Internet server that permits users to chat with each other.
• VoIP (Voice over IP) enables users to speak to users over the Internet.
• Newsgroup is an online area in which users have written discussions about a particular subject.
• Message board is a web-based type of discussion group.
• File transfer protocol (FTP) is an Internet standard that permits file uploading & downloading with other computers on the Internet.
• FTP server is a computer that allows users to upload and/or download files using FTP.

Netiquette

• Netiquette is the code of acceptable Internet behavior.

Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)

- It is used to transmit digital data over telephone lines

Fiber to the premises (FTTP)

- It is a form of fiber-optic communication delivery, in which an optical fiber is run in an optical distribution network from the central office all the way to the premises occupied by the subscriber

Fixed wireless

- It is the operation of wireless devices or systems used to connect 2 fixed locations with a radio or other wireless link
- It is part of a wireless LAN infrastructure
- It is a cost-effective alternative to leasing fiber or installing cables between 2 buildings

Cellular radio network

- It is a communication network where the last link is wireless
- The network is distributed over land areas called cells

Wi-Fi

- It is a technology that allow electronic devices to connect to a wireless local area network (WLAN)
- A WLAN is usually password protected, but may be open, which allow any device within its range to access the resources of the WLAN

Satellite internet service

- Its Internet access provided through communications satellites
- It is typically provided to individual users through geostationary satellites that can offer relatively high data speeds