How do I connect to the Internet?

Once you've set up your computer, you may want to purchase home Internet
access so you can send and receive email, browse the Web, stream videos, and
more. You may even want to set up a home wireless network, commonly known
as Wi-Fi, so you can connect multiple devices to the Internet at the same time.

Types of Internet service

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: 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.

 Satellite: 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.

Choosing an Internet service provider

Now that you know about the different types of Internet service, you can do some
research to find out what ISPs are available in your area. If you're having trouble
getting started, we recommend talking to friends, family members, and neighbors
about the ISPs they use. This will usually give you a good idea of the types of
Internet service available in your area.

Most ISPs offer several tiers of service with different Internet speeds, usually
measured in Mbps (short for megabits per second). If you mainly want to use the
Internet for email and social networking, a slower connection (around 2 to 5
Mbps) might be all you need. However, if you want to download music or stream
videos, you'll want a faster connection (at least 5 Mbps or higher).

You'll also want to consider the cost of the service, including installation charges
and monthly fees. Generally speaking, the faster the connection, the more
expensive it will be per month.

Although dial-up has traditionally been the least expensive option, many ISPs
have raised dial-up prices to be the same as broadband. This is intended to
encourage people to switch to broadband. We do not recommend dial-up Internet
unless it's your only option.

Hardware needed

Modem
Once you have your computer, you really don't need much additional hardware to
connect to the Internet. The primary piece of hardware you need is a modem.

The type of Internet access you choose will determine the type of modem you
need. Dial-up access uses a telephone modem, DSL service uses a DSL
modem, cable access uses a cable modem, and satellite service uses a satellite
adapter. Your ISP may give you a modem—often for a fee—when you sign a
contract, which helps ensure that you have the right type of modem. However, if
you would prefer to shop for a better or less expensive modem, you can choose to
buy one separately.

Router

A router is a hardware device that allows you to connect several

computers and other devices to a single Internet connection, which is known as
a home network. Many routers are wireless, which allows you to create a home
wireless network, commonly known as a Wi-Fi network.

You don't necessarily need to buy a router to connect to the Internet. It's
possible to connect your computer directly to your modem using an Ethernet cable.
Also, many modems include a built-in router, so you have the option of creating a
Wi-Fi network without buying extra hardware.

Setting up your Internet connection

Once you've chosen an ISP, most providers will send a technician to your
house to turn on the connection. If not, you should be able to use the instructions
provided by your ISP—or included with the modem—to set up your Internet
connection.

After you have everything set up, you can open your web browser and begin using
the Internet. If you have any problems with your Internet connection, you can call
your ISP's technical support number.
Home networking

If you have multiple computers at home and want to use all of them to access the
Internet, you may want to create a home network, also known as a Wi-Fi
network. In a home network, all of your devices connect to your router, which is
connected to the modem. This means everyone in your family can use the
Internet at the same time.

Your ISP technician may be able to set up a home Wi-Fi network when installing
your Internet service.

If you want to connect a computer that does not have built-in Wi-Fi connectivity,
you can purchase a Wi-Fi adapter that plugs into your computer's USB port.
Lesson 14: Getting Started with the Internet

Getting started with the Internet

The Internet is a global network of billions of computers and other electronic

devices. 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, which will likely be a phone company, cable
company, or the government. 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.
Browsing the web

Most information on the Internet is on websites. Once you are connected to the
Internet, you can access websites using a kind of application called a web
browser.

A website is a collection of related text, images, and other resources. Websites can
resemble other forms of media—like newspaper articles or television programs—
or they can be interactive in a way that's unique to computers. The purpose of a
website can be almost anything: a news platform, an advertisement, an online
library, a forum for sharing images, or an educational site.
A web browser allows you to connect to and view websites. The web browser
itself is not the Internet, but it displays pages on the Internet. Each website has a
unique address. By typing this address into your web browser, you can connect to
that website and your web browser will display it.

Navigating websites

Websites often have links to other sites, also called hyperlinks. These are often
parts of the text on the website. They are usually colored blue, and sometimes they
are underlined or bold. If you click the text, your browser will load a different
page. Web authors use hyperlinks to connect relevant pages. This web of links is
one of the most unique features of the Internet, lending to the old name World
Wide Web.
Each website has a unique address, called a URL. You'll notice that when you
click a link, the URL changes as your browser loads a new page. If you type a
URL in the address bar in your browser, your browser will load the page associated
with that URL. It's like a street address, telling your browser where to go on the
Internet.

When you're looking for specific information on the Internet, a search engine can
help. A search engine is a specialized website that's designed to help you find other
websites. If you type keywords or a phrase into a search engine, it will display a
list of websites relevant to your search terms.

Other things you can do on the Internet

One of the best features of the Internet is the ability to communicate almost
instantly with anyone in the world. Email is one of the oldest and most universal
ways to communicate and share information on the Internet, and billions of people
use it. Social media allows people to connect in a variety of ways and build
communities online.

There are many other things you can do on the Internet too. There are thousands of
ways to keep up with news or shop for anything online. You can pay your
bills, manage your bank accounts, meet new people, watch TV, or learn new
skills. You can learn or do almost anything online.
 Using a web browser

A web browser is a type of software that allows you to find and view websites on
the Internet There are many different web browsers, but some of the most common
ones include Google Chrome, Safari, and Mozilla Firefox.

No matter which web browser you use, you'll want to learn the basics of browsing
the Web. In this lesson, we'll talk about navigating to different websites, using
tabbed browsing, creating bookmarks, and more.

URLs and the address bar

Each website has a unique address, called a 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.

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. For example, try
clicking the link below.

Hey, I'm a link! Click me!

Links are used to navigate the Web. 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.

If you see this icon, it means you've found a link. You'll find other types of links
this way too. For example, many websites actually use images as links, so you can
just click the image to navigate to another page.

Navigation buttons

The Back and Forward

d 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

Many browsers allow you to open links in a new tab. 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 open a link in a new tab, right-click the link and select Open link in new
tab (the exact wording may vary from browser to browser).
To close a tab, click the X.

To create a new blank tab, click the button to the right of any open tabs.

Bookmarks and history

If you find a website you want to view later, it can be hard to memorize the exact
web address. Bookmarks, also known as favorites, are a great way to save and
organize specific websites so you can revisit them again and again. Simply locate
and select the Star icon to bookmark the current website.
Your browser will also keep a history of every site you visit. This is another good
way to find a site you visited previously. To view your history, open your browser
settings—usually by clicking the icon in the upper-right corner—and
select History.
Downloading files

Links don't always go to another website. In some cases, they point to a file that
can be downloaded, or saved, to your computer.

If you click a link to a file, it may download automatically, but sometimes it

just opens within your browser instead of downloading. To prevent it from
opening in the browser, you can right-click the link and select Save link
as (different browsers may use slightly different wording, like Save target as).
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 sometimes 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. There may also be times when you need
to update your plug-ins.
 What is the cloud?

You may have heard people using terms like the cloud, cloud computing,
or cloud storage. But what exactly is the cloud?

Simply put, the cloud is the Internet—more specifically, it's all of the things you
can access remotely over the Internet. When something is in the cloud, it means
it's stored on Internet servers instead of your computer's hard drive.

Why use the cloud?

Some of the main reasons to use the cloud are convenience and reliability. For
example, if you've ever used a web-based email service, such as Gmail or Yahoo!
Mail, you've already used the cloud. All of the emails in a web-based service are
stored on servers rather than on your computer's hard drive. This means you can
access your email from any computer with an Internet connection. It also means
you'll be able to recover your emails if something happens to your computer.
Let's look at some of the most common reasons to use the cloud.

 File storage: You can store all types of information in the

cloud, including files and email. This means you can access
these things from any computer or mobile device with an
Internet connection, not just your home
computer. Dropbox and Google Drive are some of the most
popular cloud-based storage services.
 File sharing: The cloud makes it easy to share files with
several people at the same time. For example, you could upload
several photos to a cloud-based photo service
like Flickr or iCloud Photos, then quickly share them with
friends and family.
 Backing up data: You can also use the cloud to protect your
files. There are apps such as Carbonite that automatically
back up your data to the cloud. This way, if your computer
ever is lost, stolen, or damaged, you'll still be able to recover
these files from the cloud.
What is a web app?

Previously, we talked about how desktop applications allow you to perform tasks
on your computer. But there are also web applications—or web apps—that run in
the cloud and do not need to be installed on your computer. Many of the most
popular sites on the Internet are actually web apps. You may have even used a web
app without realizing it! Let's take a look at some popular web apps.

 Facebook: Facebook lets you create an online profile and

interact with your friends. Profiles and conversations can be
updated at any time, so Facebook uses web app technologies
to keep the information up to date.
 Pixlr: Pixlr is an image editing application that runs in your
web browser. Much like Adobe Photoshop, it includes many
advanced features, like color correction and sharpening tools.

 Google Docs: Google Docs is an office suite that runs in your

browser. Much like Microsoft Office, you can use it to
create documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and more.
And because the files are stored in the cloud, it's easy
to share them with others.
 Introduction to Computer Network

What Is a Computer Network?

A computer network is a system that connects two or more computing devices for
transmitting and sharing information. Computing devices include everything from
a mobile phone to a server. These devices are connected using physical wires such
as fiber optics, but they can also be wireless.

A computer network is a group of devices connected with each other through a

transmission medium such as wires, cables etc. These devices can be computers,
printers, scanners, Fax machines etc.

The purpose of having computer network is to send and receive data stored in other
devices over the network. These devices are often referred as nodes.

There are five basic components of a computer network

Message: It is the data or information which needs to be transferred from one
device to another device over a computer network.

Sender: Sender is the device that has the data and needs to send the data to other
device connected to the network.

Receiver: A receiver is the device which is expecting the data from other device
on the network.

Transmission media: In order to transfer data from one device to another device
we need a transmission media such as wires, cables, radio waves etc.

Protocol: A protocol is a set of rules that are agreed by both sender and receiver,
without a protocol two devices can be connected to each other but they cannot
communicate. In order to establish a reliable communication or data sharing
between two different devices we need set of rules that are called protocol. For
example, http and https are the two protocols used by web browsers to get and post
the data to internet, similarly smtp protocol is used by email services connected to
the internet.
Key Components of a Computer Network
From a broader lens, a computer network is built with two basic blocks:
nodes or network devices and links. The links connect two or more nodes
with each other. The way these links carry the information is defined by
communication protocols. The communication endpoints, i.e., the origin and
destination devices, are often called ports.
Main Components of a Computer Network

1. Network Devices

Network devices or nodes are computing devices that need to be linked in the
network. Some network devices include:
  Computers, mobiles, and other consumer devices: These are
end devices that users directly and frequently access. For example,
an email originates from the mailing application on a laptop or
mobile phone.
 Servers: These are application or storage servers where the main
computation and data storage occur. All requests for specific tasks
or data come to the servers.
 Routers: Routing is the process of selecting the network path
through which the data packets traverse. Routers are devices that
forward these packets between networks to ultimately reach the
destination. They add efficiency to large networks.
 Switches: Repeaters are to networks what transformers are to
electricity grids—they are electronic devices that receive network
signals and clean or strengthen them. Hubs are repeaters with
multiple ports in them. They pass on the data to whichever ports
are available. Bridges are smarter hubs that only pass the data to
the destination port. A switch is a multi-port bridge. Multiple data
cables can be plugged into switches to enable communication with
multiple network devices.
 Gateways: Gateways are hardware devices that act as ‘gates’
between two distinct networks. They can be firewalls, routers, or
servers

2. Links

Links are the transmission media which can be of two types:

  Wired: Examples of wired technologies used in networks include
coaxial cables, phone lines, twisted-pair cabling, and optical
fibers. Optical fibers carry pulses of light to represent data.
 Wireless: Network connections can also be established through
radio or other electromagnetic signals. This kind of transmission is
called ‘wireless’. The most common examples of wireless links
include communication satellites, cellular networks, and radio and
technology spread spectrums. Wireless LANs use spectrum
technology to establish connections within a small area.

3. Communication protocols

A communication protocol is a set of rules followed by all nodes involved in

the information transfer. Some common protocols include the internet
protocol suite (TCP/IP), IEEE 802, Ethernet, wireless LAN, and cellular
standards. TCP/IP is a conceptual model that standardizes communication in
a modern network. It suggests four functional layers of these communication
links:

 Network access layer: This layer defines how the data is

physically transferred. It includes how hardware sends data bits
through physical wires or fibers.
 Internet layer: This layer is responsible for packaging the data
into understandable packets and allowing it to be sent and
received.
  Transport layer: This layer enables devices to maintain a
conversation by ensuring the connection is valid and stable.
 Application layer: This layer defines how high-level applications
can access the network to initiate data transfer.
Most of the modern internet structure is based on the TCP/IP model, though
there are still strong influences of the similar but seven-layered open systems
interconnection (OSI) model.

IEEE802 is a family of IEEE standards that deals with local area networks
(LAN) and metropolitan area networks (MAN). Wireless LAN is the most
well-known member of the IEEE 802 family and is more widely known as
WLAN or Wi-Fis.

4. Network Defense

While nodes, links, and protocols form the foundation of a network, a modern
network cannot exist without its defenses. Security is critical when
unprecedented amounts of data are generated, moved, and processed across
networks. A few examples of network defense tools include firewall,
intrusion detection systems (IDS), intrusion prevention systems (IPS),
network access control (NAC), content filters, proxy servers, anti-DDoS
devices, and load balancers.
Types of Computer Networks
Computer networks can be classified based on several criteria, such as the
transmission medium, the network size, the topology, and organizational
intent. Based on a geographical scale, the different types of networks are:

1. Nanoscale networks: These networks enable communication

between minuscule sensors and actuators.
2. Personal area network (PAN): PAN refers to a network used by
just one person to connect multiple devices, such as laptops to
scanners, etc.
3. Local area network (LAN): The local area network connects
devices within a limited geographical area, such as schools,
hospitals, or office buildings.
4. Storage area network (SAN): SAN is a dedicated network that
facilitates block-level data storage. This is used in storage devices
such as disk arrays and tape libraries.
5. Campus area network (CAN): Campus area networks are a
collection of interconnected LANs. They are used by larger
entities such as universities and governments.
6. Metropolitan area network (MAN): MAN is a large computer
network that spans across a city.
7. Wide area network (WAN): Wide area networks cover larger
areas such as large cities, states, and even countries.
 8. Enterprise private network (EPN): An enterprise private
network is a single network that a large organization uses to
connect its multiple office locations.
9. Virtual private network (VPN): VPN is an overlay private
network stretched on top of a public network.
10. Cloud network: Technically, a cloud network is a WAN whose
infrastructure is delivered via cloud services.

Based on organizational intent, networks can be classified as:

1. Intranet: Intranet is a set of networks that is maintained and

controlled by a single entity. It is generally the most secure type of
network, with access to authorized users alone. An intranet usually
exists behind the router in a local area network.
2. Internet: The internet (or the internetwork) is a collection of
multiple networks connected by routers and layered by networking
software. This is a global system that connects governments,
researchers, corporates, the public, and individual computer
networks.
3. Extranet: An extranet is similar to the intranet but with
connections to particular external networks. It is generally used to
share resources with partners, customers, or remote employees.
4. Darknet: The darknet is an overlay network that runs on the
internet and can only be accessed by specialized software. It uses
unique, customized communication protocols.