18. WHAT'S THE INTERNET?

What is the Internet?

The Internet Today

In the early days, most people just used the internet to search for information. Today's internet is a constantly evolving tool, that not only contains an amazing variety of information, but also provides new ways of accessing, interacting and connecting with people and content. As a result, new terms are constantly appearing as new technologies are introduced.

What is the Internet?

The internet is the largest computer network in the world, connecting millions of computers. A network is a group of two or more computer systems linked together.

There are two main types of computer networks:

• Local Area Network (LAN): A LAN is two or more connected computers sharing certain resources in a relatively small geographic location, often in the same building. Examples include home networks and office networks.
  A Local Area Network (LAN)
• Wide Area Network (WAN): A WAN typically consists of two or more LANs. The computers are farther apart and are linked by telephone lines, dedicated telephone lines, or radio waves. The internet is the largest Wide Area Network (WAN) in existence.
  A Wide Area Network (WAN)