Internet Last modified: Tuesday, August 06, 2002
A global network connecting millions of computers. More than 100 countries are linked into exchanges of data, news and opinions. Unlike online services, which are centrally controlled, the Internet is decentralized by design. Each Internet computer, called a host, is independent. Its operators can choose which Internet services to use and which local services to make available to the global Internet community. Remarkably, this anarchy by design works exceedingly well. There are a variety of ways to access the Internet. Most online services, such as America Online, offer access to some Internet services. It is also possible to gain access through a commercial Internet Service Provider (ISP). The Internet is not synonymous with World Wide Web. Also see The Difference Between the Internet and the World Wide Web in the Did You Know . . . ? section of Webopedia.
Byte article on how the Internet will replace broadcasting  A February 1996 article that discusses ISDN and MPEG mechanics as handled via Internet Web servers. Internet index home page  The Internet Index, from Open Market, provides a collection of facts and statistics about the Internet and related activities. Learn the Net  Learn the Net is a complete guide to the Internet designed for new users who are overwhelmed by the volume and complexity of the online world. Sections include: getting started, Internet basics, digging for data, doing business, Web publishing, and multimedia. Lastly, this guide is available in English, French, Italian, and Spanish. Basic Guide to the Internet Presents basic information on the workings and components of the Internet, from the University of Albany. Birth of the Internet Provides a history of the Internet, key contributors, companies involved, a timeline, significant events, and a collection of information regarding ARPANET. Connecting to the Internet This is a chapter from a book entitled, "The Internet Companion - A Beginner's Guide to Global Networking (2nd edition)" and explains how to get connected to the internet. There are good explanations of common modem standards and speeds, communications software, connection protocols, file transfer methods, and how to choose an Internet Service Provider. History of the Internet Hosted by the Internet Society (ISOC), this page offers links to various documents describing the history of the Internet. Index of current internet drafts Contains links to current Internet drafts. The drafts are listed alphabetically by working group acronym and initial post date. NetHistory site Offers an informal history of BITNET and the Internet., with links to archived articles, papers, and additional Internet history-related links. Yahoo!'s computers and Internet standards page Yahoo!'s directory of computer and Internet standards. Yahoo!'s Internet page Yahoo!'s directory of Internet. Yahoo!'s Internet shareware page Yahoo!'s directory of Internet shareware. Yahoo!'s Internet Standards page Yahoo!'s directory of Internet Standards. RFC 1123 One of the most important RFCs, covering requirements for Internet client software, including Telnet, FTP, SMTP, and DNS.

Related Terms

ARPANET ATM dial-up access domain FTP gopher IAC IETF IMA InterNIC intranet IP address Mbone Mosaic NAP NGI Initiative online service PPPoE USENET User-to-Network Interface (UNI) vBNS verti-port World Wide Web

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