1.

Internet and its uses

Internet is a global network of inter-connected computers, where one
computer can be connected to any other computer (or computerized device)
in any portion of the world.

Evolution
The concept of Internet was originated in 1969 and has undergone several
technological & Infrastructural changes as discussed below:

 The origin of Internet devised from the concept of Advanced Research Project
Agency Network (ARPANET).

 ARPANET was developed by United States Department of Defense.

 Basic purpose of ARPANET was to provide communication among the various

bodies of government.

 Initially, there were only four nodes, formally called Hosts.

 In 1972, the ARPANET spread over the globe with 23 nodes located at different
countries and thus became known as Internet.

 By the time, with invention of new technologies such as TCP/IP protocols, DNS,
WWW, browsers, scripting languages etc., Internet provided a medium to publish
and access information over the web.

Advantages
Internet covers almost every aspect of life, one can think of. Here, we will
discuss some of the advantages of Internet:

1
 Internet allows us to communicate with the people sitting at remote locations.
There are various apps available on the wed that uses Internet as a medium for
communication. One can find various social networking sites such as:

o Facebook

o Twitter

o Yahoo

o Google+

o Flickr

 One can surf for any kind of information over the internet. Information regarding
various topics such as Technology, Health & Science, Social Studies, Geographical
Information, Information Technology, Products etc. can be surfed with help of a
search engine.

 Apart from communication and source of information, internet also serves a

medium for entertainment. Following are the various modes for
entertainment over internet.

o Online Television

o Online Games

o Songs

o Videos

o Social Networking Apps

 Internet allows us to use many services like:

o Internet Banking

o Matrimonial Services

o Online Shopping

o Online Ticket Booking

o Online Bill Payment

o Data Sharing

o E-mail

2
  Internet provides concept of electronic commerce, that allows the business
deals to be conducted on electronic systems

Disadvantages
However, Internet has proved to be a powerful source of information in
almost every field, yet there exists many disadvantages discussed below:

 There are always chances to loose personal information such as name, address,
credit card number. Therefore, one should be very careful while sharing such
information. One should use credit cards only through authenticated sites.

 Another disadvantage is the Spamming. Spamming corresponds to the unwanted

e-mails in bulk. These e-mails serve no purpose and lead to obstruction of entire
system.

 Virus can easily be spread to the computers connected to internet. Such virus
attacks may cause your system to crash or your important data may get deleted.

 Also, a biggest threat on internet is pornography. There are many pornographic

sites that can be found, letting your children to use internet which indirectly
affects the children healthy mental life.

 There are various websites that do not provide the authenticated information. This
leads to misconception among many people.

3
Internet Applications

Some of the important services provided by Internet are:

World Wide Web (WWW): It is a subset of the Internet and it presents

text, images, animation, video, sound, and other multimedia in a single
interface. The operation of the Web relies primarily on hypertext, as it is a
means of information retrieval.

Electronic Mail (E Mail): It is the process of exchanging messages

electronically, via a communications network, using the computer.

File Transfer Protocol (FTP): It is a system of rules and a software

program that enables a user to log on to another computer and transfer
information between it and his/her computer.

Telnet: It connects one machine to another in such a way that a person may
interact with another machine as if it is being used locally.

Internet Relay Chat (IRC): This service allows people to communicate in

real time and carry on conversations via the computer with one or more
people. It provides the user with the facility to engage in simultaneous
(synchronous) online 'conversations' with other users from anywhere in the
world.

4
Chatting and Instant Messaging: Chat programs allow users on the
Internet to communicate with each other by typing in real time. Instant
messaging allows a user on the Web to contact another user currently logged
in and type a conversation.

Internet Telephony: It refers to the use of the Internet rather than the
traditional telephone company infrastructure, to exchange spoken or other
telephonic information.

Video Conferencing: It uses the same technology as IRC, but also provides
sound and video pictures. It enables direct face to face communication across
networks via web cameras, microphones, and other communication tools.

Commerce through Internet: It refers to buying and selling goods and

services online.

Newsgroups (Usenet): It is an international discussion group that focuses

on a particular topic and helps in gathering information about that topic.

Mailing Lists (List server): It refers to a large community of individuals who

carry out active discussions, organized around topic oriented forums that are
distributed via e mail and this method is known as mailing list.

Network and Connectors

A network is defined as a group of two or more computer

systems linked together.

Local Area Network (LAN): LAN spans only a small geographical area such
as an office, home, or building. In LAN one computer is designated as the file
server, which stores all the software that controls the network and other
computers connected are called workstations.

Metropolitan Area Network (MAN): MAN is a network of computers

spread over a metropolitan area such as city and its suburbs. Operated by
one organization (a corporate with several offices in one city), or be shared
resources used by several organizations in the same city.

Wide Area Network (WAN): WAN is a system of interconnecting computers

over a large geographical area such as cities, states, countries, or even the
world. These kinds of networks use telephone lines, satellite links, and other
long range communications technologies to connect.

5
Network Characteristics
In addition to these types, the following characteristics are also used to
categorize different types of networks:

Topology : The geometric arrangement of a computer system.

Common topologies include a bus, star, and ring.
Protocol : The protocol defines a common set of rules and signals that
computers on the network use to communicate. One of the most popular
protocols for LANs is called Ethernet.
Architecture : Networks can be broadly classified as using either a peer-to-
peer or client/server architecture.

Computers on a network are sometimes called nodes.

Computers and devices that allocate resources for a network are
called servers.

Network Connectors:
BNC: BNC connector type is very rarely used these days in any form of
networks. These found extensive use in their era during older times and for
connection of an old network. The BNC connector is made to push in and then
makes a lock on to the connection to hold the place securely while also
connecting the two core wires and is abbreviated as Bayonet Neill Concelman
connector and is a type of coaxial cable which still is operated in radio
frequency operations.
RJ-11 (Registered Jack)
Standard telephone cable connectors, RJ-11 has 4 wires (and RJ-12 has 6
wires). RJ-11 is the acronym for Registered Jack-11, a four- or six-wire
connector primarily used to connect telephone equipment.

RJ-45 (Registered Jack)

The acronym for Registered Jack-45 is RJ-45. The RJ-45 connector is an
eight-wire connector that is commonly used to connect computers to a local
area network (LAN), particularly Ethernet LANs.

6
DB - 9 (RS - 232): The standard 232 or the RS - 232 also known as the DB
- 9 connector is a cable data transmission standard and is profoundly used in
serial data communication and transmission between the data terminal and
communication equipment like the one is used to connect serial port of
computer to the external modem. It is not used quite frequently in today's
world as it used to be in the past. The advancement of technology in this field
such as USB connectors etc. is quietly superseding these standard DB - 9
connectors. This also has the lowest footprint in all the D - miniature
connectors and is also used for data connectivity.
F-Type
The F connector is a type of RF connector commonly used for cable and
universally for satellite television. They are also used for the cable TV
connection in DOCSIS cable modems, usually with RG-6 tri-shield cable. The
F connector is inexpensive, yet has good performance up to 1 GHz.
ST (Straight Tip) and SC (Subscriber Connector or Standard Connector)
Fiber network segments always require two fiber cables: one for transmitting
data, and one for receiving. Each end of a fiber cable is fitted with a plug that
can be inserted into a network adapter, hub, or switch.

In the North America, most cables use a square SC connector (Subscriber

Connector or Standard Connector) that slides and locks into place when
inserted into a node or connected to another fiber cable, Europeans use a
round ST connector (Straight Tip) instead.

Fiber LC (Local Connector)

These connectors are used for single-mode and multimode fiber-optic cables.
FC connectors offer extremely precise positioning of the fiber-optic cable with
respect to the transmitter's optical source emitter and the receiver's optical
detector. FC connectors feature a position locatable notch and a threaded
receptacle.
MT-RJ (Mechanical Transfer Registered Jack)
MT-RJ connectors are used with single-mode and multimode fiber-optic
cables. The MT-RJ connectors are constructed with a plastic housing and
provide for accurate alignment via their metal guide pins and plastic ferrules.
Used for Gigabit Ethernet. To connect to modules with MT-Interfaces, use
multimode fiber-optic cables.

7
USB (Universal Serial Bus)

The Universal Serial Bus standard has been extremely successful. USB ports
and cables are used to connect hardware such as printers, scanners,
keyboards, mice, flash drives, external hard drives, joysticks, cameras, and
more to computers of all kinds, including desktops, tablets, laptops, netbooks,
etc.

Many portable devices, like smartphones, ebook readers, and small tablets,
use USB primarily for charging. USB charging has become so common that
it's now easy to find replacement electrical outlets at home improvement
stores with USB ports built it, negating the need for a USB power adapter.

USB Versions

There have been three major USB standards, 3.1 being the newest:

 USB 3.1: Called Superspeed+, USB 3.1 compliant devices are able to transfer
data at 10 Gbps (10,240 Mbps).
 USB 3.0: Called SuperSpeed USB, USB 3.0 compliant hardware can reach a
maximum transmission rate of 5 Gbps (5,120 Mbps).

 USB 2.0: Called High-Speed USB, USB 2.0 compliant devices can reach a
maximum transmission rate of 480 Mbps.
 USB 1.1: Called Full Speed USB, USB 1.1 devices can reach a maximum
transmission rate of 12 Mbps.

Most USB devices and cables today adhere to USB 2.0, and a growing number
to USB 3.0.

Important: The parts of a USB-connected system, including the host (like a

computer), the cable, and the device, can all support different USB standards
so long as they are physically compatible.

However, all parts must support the same standard if you want it to achieve
the maximum data rate possible.

8
USB Connectors

A number of different USB connectors exist, all of which I describe below. See
my USB Physical Compatibility Chart for a one-page reference for what-fits-
with-what.

The male connector on the cable or flash drive is typically called the plug.
The female connector on the device, computer, or extension cable is typically
called the receptacle.

 USB Type C: Often referred to simply as USB-C, these plugs and receptacles
are rectangular in shape with four rounded corners. Only USB 3.1 Type C plugs
and receptacles (and thus cables) exist but adapters for backwards
compatibility with USB 3.0 and 2.0 connectors are available.
 USB Type A: Officially called USB Standard-A, these plugs and receptacles are
rectangular in shape and are the most commonly seen USB connectors. USB
1.1 Type A, USB 2.0 Type A and USB 3.0 Type A plugs and receptacles are
physically compatible.
 USB Type B: Officially called USB Standard-B, these plugs and receptacles are
square shaped with an extra notch on top, most noticeable on USB 3.0 Type B
connectors. USB 1.1 Type B and USB 2.0 Type B plugs are physically
compatible with USB 3.0 Type B receptacles but USB 3.0 Type B plugs are not
compatible with USB 2.0 Type B or USB 1.1 Type B receptacles.

A USB Powered-B connector is also specified in the USB 3.0 standard. This
receptacle is physically compatible with USB 1.1 and USB 2.0 Standard-B
plugs, and of course USB 3.0 Standard-B and Powered-B plugs as well.

 USB Micro-A: USB 3.0 Micro-A plugs look like two different rectangular plugs
fused together, one slightly longer than the other. USB 3.0 Micro-A plugs are
only compatible with USB 3.0 Micro-AB receptacles.
USB 2.0 Micro-A plugs are very small and rectangular in shape, resembling in
many ways a shrunken USB Type A plug. USB Micro-A plugs are physically
compatible with both USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 Micro-AB receptacles.
 USB Micro-B: USB 3.0 Micro-B plugs look almost identical to USB 3.0 Micro-
A plugs in that they appear as two individual, but connected, plugs. USB 3.0
Micro-B plugs are compatible with both USB 3.0 Micro-B receptacles and USB
3.0 Micro-AB receptacles.

USB 2.0 Micro-B plugs are very small and rectangular but the two corners on
one of the long sides are beveled. USB Micro-B plugs are physically

9
 compatible with both USB 2.0 Micro-B and Micro-AB receptacles, as well as
USB 3.0 Micro-B and Micro-AB receptacles.

 USB Mini-A: The USB 2.0 Mini-A plug is rectangular in shape but one side is
more rounded. USB Mini-A plugs are only compatible with USB Mini-AB
receptacles. There is no USB 3.0 Mini-A connector.
 USB Mini-B: The USB 2.0 Mini-B plug is rectangular in shape with a small
indention on either side, almost looking like a stretched out piece of bread
when looking at it head-on. USB Mini-B plugs are physically compatible with
both USB 2.0 Mini-B and Mini-AB receptacles. There is no USB 3.0 Mini-B
connector.

10