The Internet is an increasing important part of everyday for people around the world. But if you’ve never used the Internet before, all of this new information might feel a bit confusing at first.
Throughout
this tutorial, we will try to answer some basics questions you have about the
Internet and how it’s used. When you are done, you’ll have a good understanding
of how the Internet works, how to connect to the Internet, and how to browse the Web.
What is
internet?
The Internet
is a global network of billions of
computer and other electronic devices. With the Internet, it’s possible to
access almost any information, communicate with anyone else in the world, and
do much more.
What is the Web?
The World Wide Web usually called the Web for short is a collection of
different websites you can access
through the Internet. A website is
made up 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 computers.
The purpose
of a website can be almost anything: a news platforms, an advertisement an
online library, a forum for sharing images, or an educational site like us!
Once you are
connected to the Internet, you access and view websites using a type of
application called a web browser.
Just keep in mind that the web browser itself is not the Internet; it only
displays websites that are stored on the Internet.
How does the
internet work?
At this
point you may be wondering, how does the
Internet work? The exact answer is pretty complicated and would you take a
while to explain. Instead, let’s look at some of the most important things you
should know.
It’s
important to realize that the Internet is a global network of physical cables, which can include
copper telephone wires, TV cables, and fiber optic cables. Even wireless
connections like Wi-Fi and 3G/4G rely on these physical cables to access the
Internet.
When you
visit a website, your computer sends a request over these wires to a server. A server is where websites are
stored, and it works lot like your computer’s hard drive. Once the request
arrives, the server retrieves the website and sends the correct data back to
your computer. What’s amazing this all happens in just a few seconds!
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 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.
What can you do
online?
There’s almost no limit to what can you do online. The
Internet makes it possible to quickly find information, communication with
people around the world, manage your finances, shop from home, listen to music,
watch videos, and much more. Let’s take a look at some of the ways the Internet
is most commonly used today.
Finding
information online
With billions of websites online today, there is a lot of information on the Internet. Search Engine make this information easier
to find. All you have to do is type one or more keywords, and the search engine will look for relevant websites.
Email
Short for electronic mail, email is a way to send and
receive messages across the Internet. Almost everyone who uses the Internet
has their own email account, usually called an email address. This is because you’ll need an email address to do
just about anything online, form online banking to creating a Facebook account.
Social
networking
Social networking websites are another way to connect and share with your family and
friends online. Rather than sharing with
just a few people over email, social networks make it easier to connect and share with many people at the same time.
Everyday
tasks
You can also use the Internet to complete many everyday tasks and errands. For example, you can message your bank account, pay your
bills, and shop for just about anything. The main advantage here is convenience. Rather than going from
place to place, you can do all these tasks at home!
Connecting to the Internet
How
I do 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 setup a home wireless network,
commonly known as Wi-Fi, so you can
connect multiple devices to the Internet at the same time.
The
type 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 services they offer. Here are
same 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
able to use your landline and he 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 phone line but does not require you have to 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 satellite 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 wireless
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 ISP’s are available in your area. If
you’re having getting started, we recommend talking to friend members, and
neighbor bout the ISPs they use. This 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 4 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 it will
be per month.
hardware needed
modem
Once you 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
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 a better
or less expensive modem, you can
choose to buy one separately.
Router
A router is a
hardware device that allows you to Internet you 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.
Setting
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 problem with your Internet connection, you can 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 then installing your Internet service.
