MODULE 6
THE INTERNET
Introduction to the Internet and World
Wide Web
• A computer network is a communication
system that connects two or more computers
so that they can exchange information and
share resources.
• A network can be set up in different
arrangement to suit users’ needs.
Types of networks
• Local Area Network
• Metropolitan Area Network
• Wide Area Network
Local Area Network (LAN)
• A local area network (LAN) is a network with
nodes that are in close physical proximity—
within the same building for instance.
• Node—any device that is connected to a
network. It could be a computer, printer, or
data storage device.
• Typically, LANs span distances less than a mile
and are owned and operated by individual
organizations.
LAN
Types of LANs
• Home Networks is a LAN for home and
apartment use; typically wireless.
• Wireless LAN (WLAN) is a LAN where all
communication passes through access point.
• Personal Area Network is a LAN that connects
digital devices such as PDAs.
Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)
• MAN spans distances up to 100 miles.
• These networks are frequently used as link
between office buildings that are located
throughout a city.
Wide Area Network (WAN)
• Wide area networks (WANs) are countrywide
and worldwide networks.
• These networks provide access to regional
services (MAN) providers and typically span
distances greater than 100 miles.
• They use microwave relays and satellites to
reach users over long distances—for example,
from Los Angeles to Paris.
WAN
The Internet
• The Internet is the widest of all WANs, which
spans the entire globe.
• The Internet is often referred to as the
Information Superhighway.
• In a sense, it is like a highway that connects you
to millions of other people and organization.
• Unlike typical highways that move people and
things from one location to another, the Internet
moves your ideas and information.
cont
• The Web provides an easy-to-use, intuitive,
multimedia interface to resources available on
the Internet.
• It has become an everyday tool for all of us to
use.
• The Internet was launched in 1969 when the
United States funded a project that developed
a national computer network called ARPANET.
The Web
• The Web provides an easy-to-use, intuitive,
multimedia interface to resources available on
the Internet.
• The Web was introduced in 1991 at the CERN
in Switzerland.
• Prior to the Web, the Internet was all text―no
graphics, animations, sound, or video.
• The Web made it possible to include these
elements.
cont
• The first generation of the Web, known as Web 1.0,
focused on linking existing information.
• In 2001, the second generation, Web 2.0, evolved to
support more dynamic content creation and social
interaction.
• Facebook is one of the best known Web 2.0
applications.
• Some suggest that we have entered into the next
generation, Web 3,0.
• It focuses on computer-generated information
requiring less human interaction to locate and to
integrate information.
Uses of the Internet and the Web
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Communicating
Shopping
Searching for information
Education or e-learning
Entertainment
Accessing the Internet and the Web
• The most common way to access the Internet is
through an Internet Service Provider (ISP).
• ISPs in Zanzibar are Zanlink, Zantel, Zanzibar
Connect, Tigo, Airtel and Vodacom.
• When provided with a connection to the Internet,
you can use a browser program to search the
Web.
• Users connect to ISPs using one of a variety of
connection technologies including DSL, cable, and
wireless modem.
cont
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Browser
URLs
Domain name
HTML
Web page
Browsers
• Browsers are programs that provide access to
Web resources.
• This software connects you to remote computers,
opens and transfer files, displays text, images,
and multimedia, and provides in one tool an
uncomplicated interface to the Internet and Web
documents.
• Four well-known browsers are Mozilla Firefox,
Apple Safari, Microsoft Internet Explorer, and
Google Chrome.
URL
• Uniform Resource Locator (ULR) is a web
address of the resource.
• http://www.suza.ac.tz
• http represent the protocol used for Web
traffic.
• Protocols are rules for exchanging data
between computers.
• www.suza.ac.tz represents the domain name
of the organization.
cont
• It indicates the specific address where the
resource is located.
• ac indicates an academic site.
• tz indicates the site is in Tanzania.
HTML
• Web documents must be writing using the
Hypertext Markup Language (HTML).
• The browser interprets the HTML formatting
instructions and displays the document as a
Web Page.
Electronic Mail
• E-mail—provides a fast, efficient alternative to
traditional mail by sending and receiving
electronic documents.
• E-mail is the transmission of electronic
messages over the Internet.
• Husein.Shaaban@suza.ac.tz
• Web email for example yahoo.com,
hotmail.com or google.com.
Search Engines
• Search engines are specialized programs that
assist you in locating information on the Web
and the Internet.
• Example is Google’s search engine.
Electronic Learning Tools
Features Available in Student
Registration System (Zalongwa)