1. The Internet By Rory Gallagher

2. What is The Internet? The internet is a worldwide, publicly accessible network of interconnected computer networks. The internet carries lots of super information and services such as e-mail, online chat, file transfer and lots more!!

3. But how can we connect to the internet? What additional hardware, software and other services are required to access this tool??

4. You will need… A modem A computer An internet browser Possibly a phone line… An account with an ISP

5. Hardware To connect to the internet the hardware you will require is a; ComputerModem

6. Connecting To The Internet You need a computer to communicate with another computer by using a telephone line. The problem is that computers use digital signals (i.e. 0 and 1’s) whilst telephones use an analogue signal. And Therefore a modem is required to convert these signals…

7. What’s a Modem?! The modem will usually be connected to a Computer and its function is to modulate & demodulate. In other words to convert the digital signal from the computer to a analogue signal to be sent over a phone line and vice versa.

8. Types of Modems… There is many different types of modems available depending on how you are connecting to the internet… For example:

9. Types of Modems… - An analogue Modem To use with an ordinary phone line. This modem links your computer to the phone and converts computer signals to analogue phone line signals – and back again. The most common speed is 56kbps – very slow. - An ISDN line & terminal adaptor Is a digital connection and slightly faster than analogue – 128kbps – still very slow. - An ADSL or cable telephone line and broadband modem This method is the most popular and is very fast – Up to 24mb Or 24000kbps. - Radio/Wireless Modems A modem which provides a Wireless Connection for connection to pc’s and laptops etc. without wires. It normally includes a broadband modem to connect.

10. Example Modem ADSL Wireless Router Modem

11. ISP’s With a modem you are now able to send signals along the telephone line to the telephone exchange but where do they go after that? You need to decide who is going to handle the link from the telephone exchange to the Internet for you. There are companies called Internet Service Providers or ISP for short that do this for you.

12. What is an ISP? Definition ISPs or Internet Service Providers are the companies who provide you with access to the internet. Commonly used ISPs include BT, Orange, AOL, and Virgin. Most offer the same basic package of Internet access, email addresses, web space for your own pages and local rate call charges.

13. Examples of an ISP

14. Software To browse the internet you will require an Internet Browser

15. What’s an Internet Browser? A web browser is a software application is that enables a user to display and interact with text, images and other information typically located on a webpage on at a website on the world wide web or a local area network.

16. Features of an Internet Browser All browsers will have a number of similar features to help you use the Web: Forward and back buttons to move between pages A history folder which stores details of recently visited web pages A stop button if a page is taking too long to load Favourites and bookmark options to store often visited pages Options to cut, copy, save and print the information viewed

17. Examples of Internet Browser Opera Browser

18. Examples of Internet Browser Mozilla Firefox

19. Examples of Internet Browser Internet Explorer

20. The Internet So basically this is how you are connected to the internet; PC (with internet browser) Modem + ISP

21. Homework! For your homework you will give a full definition of; - Modem - ISP - Internet Browser Hint : Use your Textbook! The End