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COMPUTER FUNDAMENTALS
SHAMBHUNATH INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY

Unit-5
Computer Communication and Internet

Computer Network-
A computer network is a collection of interconnected devices that share resources and
information. These devices can include computers, servers, printers, and other hardware.
Networks allow for the efficient exchange of data, enabling various applications such as
email, file sharing, and internet browsing.

Basic Terminologies of Computer Networks

1. Network: A network is a collection of computers and devices that are connected

together to enable communication and data exchange.

2. Nodes: Nodes are devices that are connected to a network. These can include
computers, Servers, Printers, Routers, Switches, and other devices.

3. Protocol: A protocol is a set of rules and standards that govern how data is transmitted
over a network. Examples of protocols include TCP/IP, HTTP, and FTP.

4. Topology: Network topology refers to the physical and logical arrangement of nodes on
a network. The common network topologies include bus, star, ring, mesh, and tree.

5. Service Provider Networks: These types of Networks give permission to take Network
Capacity and Functionality on lease from the Provider. Service Provider Networks
include Wireless Communications, Data Carriers, etc.

6. IP Address: An IP address is a unique numerical identifier that is assigned to every

device on a network. IP addresses are used to identify devices and enable
communication between them.

7. DNS: The Domain Name System (DNS) is a protocol that is used to translate human-
readable domain names (such as www.google.com) into IP addresses that computers
can understand.

8. Firewall: A firewall is a security device that is used to monitor and control incoming and
outgoing network traffic. Firewalls are used to protect networks from unauthorized
access and other security threats.

Types of Enterprise Computer Networks

1. LAN: A Local Area Network (LAN) is a network that covers a small area, such as an
office or a home. LANs are typically used to connect computers and other devices
within a building or a campus.
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COMPUTER FUNDAMENTALS
SHAMBHUNATH INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY
2. WAN: A Wide Area Network (WAN) is a network that covers a large geographic area,
such as a city, country, or even the entire world. WANs are used to connect LANs
together and are typically used for long-distance communication.

3. Cloud Networks: Cloud Networks can be visualized with a Wide Area Network (WAN) as
they can be hosted on public or private cloud service providers and cloud networks are
available if there is a demand. Cloud Networks consist of Virtual Routers, Firewalls, etc.

Summary of differences: LAN vs. WAN

Characteristics LAN WAN

Stands for LAN means local area network. WAN means wide area network.

LANs connect users and WANs connect users and applications in

Connects applications in close geographical geographically dispersed locations
proximity (same building). (across the globe).

LANs use OSI Layer 1 and Layer 2

Components data connection equipment for WANs use Layer 1, 2, and 3 network
transmission. devices for data transmission.

LANs use local connections like

Connections ethernet cables and wireless access WANs use wide area connections like
points. MPLS, VPNs, leased lines, and the cloud.

LANs are faster, because they span

Speed less distance and have less WANs are slightly slower, but that may
congestion. not be perceived by your users.

LANs are good for private IoT WANs are good for disaster recovery,
Use cases networks, bot networks, and small applications with global users, and large
business networks. corporate networks.

Internet-
The internet is a global network of interconnected computers, servers, phones, and smart
appliances that communicate with each other using the transmission control protocol (TCP)
standard to enable a fast exchange of information and files, along with other types of
services.
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COMPUTER FUNDAMENTALS
SHAMBHUNATH INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY

The internet is a global hub of computer networks — a network of connections wherein

users at any workstation may, with authorization, receive data from every other system (and
often interact with users working on other computers).

Internet infrastructure comprises optical fiber data transmission cables or copper wires, as
well as numerous additional networking infrastructures, such as local area networks (LAN),
wide area networks (WAN), metropolitan area networks (MAN), etc. Sometimes wireless
services such as 4G and 5G or WiFi necessitate similar physical cable installations for internet
access.

Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) in the United States controls
the internet and its associated technologies, such as IP addresses.

Top Applications of Internet

Here are the top 10 applications of Internet are:

1. Communication
2. Web Browsing
3. Online Shopping
4. Real-Time Update
5. Social Media
6. Job Search
7. Education
8. Travel
9. Stock Market Update
10. Video Conferencing

1. Communication

Communication refers to exchanging ideas and thoughts between or among people to

create understanding. The communication process involves the elements of source,
encoding, channel, receiver, decoding, and feedback. In organizations, both formal and
informal communications simultaneously take place. Formal communications refer to official
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COMPUTER FUNDAMENTALS
SHAMBHUNATH INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY
communications in orders, notes, circulars, agenda, minutes, etc. Apart from formal
communications, informal grapevine communications also exist. Informal communications
are usually in the form of rumors, whispers, etc. They are unofficial, unrecorded, and spread
very fast.

2. Web Browsing

Web Browsing is one of the applications of the internet. A web browser is a program that
helps the user to interact with all the data in the WWW (World Wide Web). There are many
web browsers present in today's world. Some of them are as follows:

 Google Chrome
 Firefox
 Safari
 Internet Explorer
 Opera
 Microsoft Edge
 Netscape

3. Online Shopping

The era of the internet took shopping into a new market concept, where many virtual shops
are available 24x7. The shops provide all the necessary details of a product on their website,
so the user can choose as per their needs.

4. Real-Time Update

The internet makes things easier. One can quickly get an update on the things happening in
real-time in any part of the world. For example, sports, politics, business, finance, etc. The
internet is very useful in many decisions based on real-time updates.

5. Social Media

The youth of this generation spend the maximum of their free time on social media, all
thanks to the internet. Social media is a place where the user can communicate with anyone,
like friends, family, classmates, etc. User can promote their businesses on social media as
well. You can also post your thoughts, pictures and videos with your friends on social media.

6. Job Search

The internet has brought a revolution in the field of Jobs. The candidate can search for their
dream job, apply and get it very easily. Even companies nowadays post their need on the
internet and hire candidates as per their skills based on the job role.

There are many platforms which are primarily doing this. Some of them are listed below.

 LinkedIn
 Monster.com
 Naukari.com
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COMPUTER FUNDAMENTALS
SHAMBHUNATH INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY
 Indeed
 Glass-door
 Up-work

7. Education

The Internet has a vital role in the education field. It became an effective tool in both
teaching and learning. Teachers can upload their notes or learning videos on the websites
with the help of the internet. It made the learning process more diverse and joyful.

8. Travel

Users can easily search for their favourite tourist places worldwide and plan their trips. One
can book holiday trips, cabs, hotels, flight tickets, clubs, etc., with the help of the Internet.
Some websites that provide these facilities are as follows:

 goibibo.com
 makemytrip.com
 olacabs.com

9. Stock Market Update

A stock market update refers to the latest information and news related to the financial
markets, particularly the stock market. The stock market is where individuals buy and sell
publicly traded company shares. Stock market updates include vital data and statistics, like
the current prices of major stocks, individual stock prices, trading volumes, market
capitalization, and price movements.

10. Video Conferencing

Video conferencing means using computers to provide a video link between two or more
people. It allows users in different locations to hold face-to-face meetings. You can also see
them instead of just talking to someone on the telephone. Video conferencing is a widely
accepted mode of communication among businesses, houses, and other organizations.

World Wide Web-

World Wide Web, which is also known as a Web, is a collection of websites or web pages
stored in web servers and connected to local computers through the internet. These
websites contain text pages, digital images, audios, videos, etc. Users can access the content
of these sites from any part of the world over the internet using their devices such as
computers, laptops, cell phones, etc. The WWW, along with internet, enables the retrieval
and display of text and media to your device.
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COMPUTER FUNDAMENTALS
SHAMBHUNATH INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY

The building blocks of the Web are web pages which are formatted in HTML and connected
by links called "hypertext" or hyperlinks and accessed by HTTP. These links are electronic
connections that link related pieces of information so that users can access the desired
information quickly. Hypertext offers the advantage to select a word or phrase from text and
thus to access other pages that provide additional information related to that word or
phrase.

A web page is given an online address called a Uniform Resource Locator (URL). A particular
collection of web pages that belong to a specific URL is called a website,
e.g., www.facebook.com, www.google.com, etc. So, the World Wide Web is like a huge
electronic book whose pages are stored on multiple servers across the world.

Small websites store all of their Webpage on a single server, but big websites or
organizations place their Webpage on different servers in different countries so that when
users of a country search their site they could get the information quickly from the nearest
server.

So, the web provides a communication platform for users to retrieve and exchange
information over the internet. Unlike a book, where we move from one page to another in a
sequence, on World Wide Web we follow a web of hypertext links to visit a web page and
from that web page to move to other web pages. You need a browser, which is installed on
your computer, to access the Web.

Difference between World Wide Web and Internet:

Some people use the terms 'internet' and 'World Wide Web' interchangeably. They think
they are the same thing, but it is not so. Internet is entirely different from WWW. It is a
worldwide network of devices like computers, laptops, tablets, etc. It enables users to send
emails to other users and chat with them online. For example, when you send an email or
chatting with someone online, you are using the internet.
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COMPUTER FUNDAMENTALS
SHAMBHUNATH INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY

But, when you have opened a website like google.com for information, you are using the
World Wide Web; a network of servers over the internet. You request a webpage from your
computer using a browser, and the server renders that page to your browser. Your
computer is called a client who runs a program (web browser), and asks the other computer
(server) for the information it needs.

Website-
A website is a collection of publicly accessible, interlinked web pages that share a
single domain name. Websites can be created and maintained by an individual, group,
business, or organization to serve a variety of purposes. A website is also known as a “web
presence” or simply “site.”

Together, all publicly accessible websites constitute the World Wide Web (WWW). The Web
is a vast network of interconnected websites shared over the Internet.

Some website definitions say that websites are simply collections of hypertext transfer
markup language (HTML) files that cover the same topic and are accessed through a web
address (URL). This type of narrow explanation can be misleading, however.

It’s important that people who want to learn the full website meaning learn about the
critical role that hyperlinks play in website development, as well as the difference between
websites and web pages.

Types of Websites:

Websites can be either static or dynamic. Static websites function similarly to a printed
brochure. Their content is pre-written and remains constant unless manually edited by an
editor or the website owner.

In contrast, the content of a dynamic website is stored in databases, and web pages are
generated on-the-fly by server-side scripts like PHP or Python.
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COMPUTER FUNDAMENTALS
SHAMBHUNATH INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY
Components of a Website:

Website design, content, navigation, and functionality components all contribute to a

website’s overall success.

 Navigation components include a main menu, breadcrumb trails, and an optional search
bar.
 Web design components include layout, color scheme, and typography.
 Content components include static content within a website page’s body, as well as
dynamic content that can be displayed both around and within the body.
 Functionality components include forms, buttons, sliders, and interactive media.

Categories of Websites:

Originally, websites were categorized by their top-level domains. Some examples include:

 Government agency websites – .gov

 Educational institutions’ websites – .edu
 Nonprofit organizations’ websites – .org
 Commercial websites – .com
 Information sites – .info
In modern days’ Internet, the “.com” extension is by far the most popular domain, together
with many other country-specific extensions (.it, .de, .co.uk, .fr, etc.).

Internet Communication-

Internet communication refers to communicating with people over the internet. It could be
in any form: messages, voice, or video calls.

One of the major advantages of internet communication tools over traditional

communication is cost savings. In addition, many free tools make internet communication
easier, such as WhatsApp, Skype, Google Meet, and Messenger.
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COMPUTER FUNDAMENTALS
SHAMBHUNATH INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY
Even businesses can communicate with overseas customers at pocket-friendly prices using
the internet

Different Types Of Internet Communication-

The Internet has a vast number of options for seamless two-way communication. Let’s check
out some prominent worldwide modes for quick and hassle-free electronic mail
communication.

1- Instant Messaging

Instant Messaging (IM) is an online chat technology that allows people to communicate via
messages in real-time within an internet-based chat room.

When users log into an IM system, their friends are notified of their presence, and they can
talk to each other synchronously. In addition, various types of online team chat apps are
available in the market.

A time-saving tool, instant messaging allows employees to instantly reach their managers
and colleagues working remotely or in other branches. It eliminates the need to place calls
immediately when you require some information and simplifies life.

Some popular IM services are AOL Instant Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, and MSN
Messenger. Although the features of these service providers are similar, they have their
benefits and drawbacks.

2- VoIP and Internet Phone System

Internet telephony uses the internet to route telephone calls instead of traditional phone
lines. For example, voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) sends voice packets using IP instead
of PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network).
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COMPUTER FUNDAMENTALS
SHAMBHUNATH INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY
As soon as the voice packets reach their destination, it again gets converted into voice data
for the receiver.

Users and businesses making calls worldwide can benefit immensely from an internet
phone system. They are cost-effective and allow you to make calls from anywhere. Other
benefits of internet telephony include:

 Is highly cost-efficient
 Helps offer better customer service
 Offers comprehensive features
 Is highly scalable
One can also use virtual call center software, an internet phone system for call center
operation.

3- Email

Did you know that the number of active email users will touch 4.6 billion by 2025?

Email or electronic technology is a way of exchanging messages and files. Email

communication is extremely fast and reliable. You can send emails any time of the day or
year; it is free of cost! This is one of the reasons why email marketing is buzzing in the
business world today.

You can create emails through software like Microsoft Outlook or Gmail and send them to
another person, given that you have the recipient’s email address.

Unlike Instant Messaging, professionals mostly use email to communicate with each other.
For example, 62.86% of business professionals prefer email while communicating for official
purposes.

Most emails contain a subject line, giving the recipient a glimpse of what they can expect in
the email.

The biggest advantage of emails is that they allow you to go paperless. Even the documents
can be digitized and sent over email to multiple people simultaneously instead of printing
and distributing the papers.

4- Social Networking Platforms

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COMPUTER FUNDAMENTALS
SHAMBHUNATH INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY
Last but not least, social media is one of the most popular internet communication methods.
While Facebook was and still is the most widely used social channel, numerous platforms
now make internet based communication easier than ever.

For example, Twitter makes it easier for customers to talk with brands and public figures.
Similarly, TikTok helps to connect with GenZ. Post engaging videos and get some TikTok
views to get the content trending. WhatsApp enables users to talk to each other for free via
messaging, audio, and video.

Here are some major benefits of using social media for communication through the internet.

 Faster and easier communication with friends and customers.

 Businesses can enhance their brand awareness.
 A great way to redirect traffic to your landing page and website.
 Social media platforms help businesses interact with customers and provide real-time
feedback to increase customer loyalty and lifetime value.
 Social media portals help in advertising, promotions, and market research.