| Technology advancements in the last 10 years have created this
huge communication network, capable of point and click, where users are searching for
information on products, companies and doing their shopping on-line. This is the time to
get involved or get left behind. What
is the Internet?
The Internet is a Wide Area network
(WAN) that is comprised of computers networked together to distribute information
worldwide. Connectivity to the Internet is accomplished by: A Transmission Control
Protocol / Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) address, Host Computer & Equipment, and a
Carrier Company. |
This is an example of the IBM Global
'backbone' network. Each major telecommunications company has a 'backbone' network - these
combined together make up the Internet.
Transmission Control Protocol /
Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) address: A protocol is the technical specifications of
data communications and is responsible for network communications. All computers on the
Internet must use the TCP/IP protocol and have a unique TCP/IP address to gain access to
the Internet. There are a limited number of TCP/IP addresses. A TCP/IP typically looks
like 255.255.255.255. There are three distinct TCP/IP address classes or range of
addresses that can be assigned to configure networks of varying sizes. Class A TCP/IP
addresses are reserved for Government and University computer systems. Class B TCP/IP
addresses are reserved for large Companies and larger Internet Service Providers (ISP).
Class C TCP/IP addresses are typically used for smaller companies and smaller Internet
Service Providers. Theoretically, the addressing scheme of the classes of TCP/IP address
can be used to determine access speeds to your website. Additional considerations include
how many Carrier switches the Internet traffic must cross.
Host Computer & Equipment:
A Host computer is a computer system located within the Internet network structure, this
could be any computer system with a unique registered Internet TCP/IP address. Access to a
Host computer is usually accomplished through the use of an Internet Service Provider
(ISP). Equipment supporting Internet connectivity includes firewalls, bridges, routers,
switches, hubs. Connectivity to the Internet can be accomplished through a 'dial-up'
connection (modems, etc), through DSL Modem, ISDN Circuit, Frame Relay Circuit, Point to
Point Cabling or Backbone Circuits.
Bandwidth
refers
to how the size of the circuit providing internet connectivity. Use the table below
for examples of bandwidth capabilities. A larger circuit connected to the host
computer ensures that the host can accommodate greater amounts of Internet
traffic.
| Circuit Type |
Size
/ Speed |
| Modem (14.4K, 28.8K, 56K) |
Typical modem speeds. Lowest
bandwitdh. Used
primarily for 'dial-up' connections to the Internet. |
| ISDN Line |
56K - 256K |
| DSL Modem |
Start at 256K (up & down) and can access
1024Mbps |
| T1 Line |
1024 Mbps (Mega bits per second) |
| T3 Line |
3072Mbps, this equals three (3) T1 Lines |
| DS3 Line |
3072Mbps, this equals three (3) T1 Digital
Service lines |
| OC3 Line |
84 T1 Lines |
| OC12 |
336 T1 Lines |
Carrier Company:
The Carrier Company
provides the physical media (cabling) for the Internet connection. Carrier companies are
usually phone companies and/or subsidiaries (US West, AT&T, MCTI, etc). The carrier
provides the necessary cabling to connect to the Host computer.
The World Wide Web is the
most outgoing and accessible incarnation of the Internet. The Web was born with the
invention of the first browser software (Netscape, Microsoft Internet Explorer, etc.). The
browser software reads documents written using HTML, aka Web pages.
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