Introduction to IT

Instructor: Syed Muhammad Usman

The Internet and the World Wide Web
Internet
• The basis for the internet began in 1969 as ARPANET (for ARPA, the
Advanced Research Projects Agency of the U.S. Department of
Defense)
• The network expanded to 62 computers in 1974, 500 computers in
1983, and 28,000 in 1987
Essential Elements for connecting with the Internet

• An access device such as personal computers

• A means of connection such as telephone line, cable hookup or
wireless capability
• Internet Access provider (ISP)
World of Internet
• Email and discussion groups
• Research and Information
• News
• Entertainment
• Download Files
• E-Shopping
• Financial Matters
• Auctions
• E-business
• Distance learning
Bandwidth or Channel Capacity
• It is an expression of how much data—text, voice, video, and so on—
can be sent through a communications channel in a given amount of
time.
• Examples??
Baseband vs Broadband Transmission
• The type of data transmission that allows only one signal at a time is
called baseband transmission. E.g; Microphone
• When several signals can be transmitted at once, it’s called
broadband transmission.
• Broadband —very high speed—connections include various kinds of
high-speed wired connections (such as coaxial and fiber-optic), as
well as DSL, cable, and satellite and other wireless connections
Physical Connection Wired vs Wireless
• Wired
• Telephone (Dial up) modem
• Several high-speed phone lines—ISDN, DSL, and T1
• Cable modem
• Wireless
• Wireless—Satellite and other through-the-air links
Data transmission speed
• Bits per second
• Kilo bits per second
• Mega bits per second
• Giga bits per second
Internet Speed
• Uploading Speed
• Upload is the transmission of data from a local computer to a remote
computer
• Download Speed
• Download is the transmission of data from a remote computer to a local
computer
Narrowband (Dial-Up Modem):
• Low Speed but Inexpensive & Widely Available
• Dial-up connections —use of telephone modems to connect
computers to the internet
• A modem is a device that sends and receives data over telephone
lines to and from computers.
• Most standard modems today have a maximum speed of 56 Kbps.
High-Speed Phone Lines
• More Expensive but Available in Most Cities
• ISDN LINE
• ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) consists of hardware and software
that allow voice, video, and data to be communicated over traditional copper-
wire telephone lines.
• Capable of transmitting 64 to 128 Kbps
• DSL LINE
• DSL (digital subscriber line) uses regular phone lines, a DSL modem, and
special technology to transmit data in megabits per second.
• Computer can receive data at the rate of 1.5–10 Mbps, but it can send data at
only 128 Kbps–1.5 Mbps.
T1 LINE
• T1 line, essentially a traditional trunk line that carries 24 normal
telephone circuits and has a transmission rate of 1.5 to 6 Mbps.
• Generally, T1 lines are leased by corporate, government, and
academic sites. Another high-speed line, the T3 line, transmits at 6–
45 Mbps
The Last Mile concept
• The distance from your home to your telephone’s switching office,
the local loop, is often called the “last mile.”
• The “last mile” of copper wire is what really slows things down.
Cable Modem: Close Competitor to DSL
• A cable modem connects a personal computer to a cable-TV system
that offers an internet connection.
• The advantage of a cable modem is that, like a DSL connection, it is
always on.
• A disadvantage, however, is that you and your cable-TV-viewing
neighbors are sharing the system and consequently, during peak-load
times, your service may be slowed to the speed of a regular dial-up
modem.
WIFI
• WI-FI Short for Wireless Fidelity, Wi-Fi is the name given to any of several
standards—so-called 802.11 standards—set by the Institute of Electrical and
Electronic Engineers (IEEE) for wireless transmission.
• Access point, or hot spot, a station that sends and receives data to and from a Wi-
Fi network

• One standard, 802.11b, permits wireless transmission of data at up to 54 Mbps

for 300–500 feet from an access point, or hot spot, a station that sends and
receives data to and from a Wi-Fi network.
• 802.11n can transmit up to 140 Mpbs.

• Many airports, hotels, libraries, convention centers, and fast-food facilities offer
so-called hotspots —public access to Wi-Fi networks.
3G Wireless
• 3G WIRELESS 3G, which stands for “third generation,” is loosely
defined as high-speed wireless technology that does not need access
points because it uses the existing cellphone system.
Assignment#1
• List down IEEE standards of Wifi, also write down salient features of
these standards.
• Differentiate between GPRS, EDGE, 3G and 4G

Note: You need to submit hardcopy of assignment before next class on

Tuesday 09 Mar’16.
Satellite Wireless Communication
• A space station that transmits radio waves called microwaves from
earth-based stations.
• Why to use Satellite Communication?
• Effectiveness in rural areas
Internet Access Providers
• Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
• Commercial Online Services
• Wireless Internet Service Providers
Internet Service Provider (ISP)
• An internet service provider (ISP) is a company that connects online
users through their communications lines to the company’s server,
which links them to the internet via another company’s network
access points.
• Examples are EarthLink and United Online.
• There are also some free ISPs.
Commercial Online Services
• A commercial online service is a members only company that
provides not only internet access but other specialized content as
well, such as news, games, and financial data. The two best-known
subscriber-only commercial online services are AOL (America Online)
and MSN (Microsoft Network).
 Wireless Internet Service Providers
• A wireless internet service provider (WISP) enables users with
computers containing wireless modems—mostly laptops/notebooks—
and web-enabled mobile smartphones and personal digital assistants to
gain access to the internet.
• Examples are Cingular, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon.
Client vs Server
• A client computer is a computer requesting data or services.
• A server, or host computer, is a central computer supplying data or
services requested of it.
Point of Presence (POP)
• Point of presence (POP) —a local access point to the internet—a
collection of modems and other equipment in a local area.
Network access point (NAP)
• Network access point (NAP), a routing computer at a point on the
internet where several connections come together.
Internet backbone
• Internet backbone, high-speed, high-capacity transmission lines that
use the newest communications technology to transmit data across
the internet
Internet Protocols
• Set of rules, that computers must follow to transmit data
electronically.
• The protocol that enables all computers to use data transmitted on
the internet is called Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol,
or TCP/IP
Packets
• TCP/IP breaks the data in a message into separate packets, fixed-
length blocks of data for transmission.
IP Address
• An Internet Protocol (IP) address uniquely identifies every computer
and device connected to the internet.
• Examples???
• 1.160.10.240
• Dynamic IP vs Static IP
The World Wide Web
Browsers
• A browser, or web browser, is software that enables you to find and
access the various parts of the web.

• Examples???
• Web Surfing?
• Surf means to explore the web by using your mouse to move via a series of
connected paths, or links, from one location, or website, to another.
Website
• A website, or simply site, is a location on a particular computer on
the web that has a unique address

• Examples?????
Webpage
• A web page is a document on the World Wide Web that can include
text, pictures, sound, and video.

• Examples???
How the Browser Finds Things
• Browser uses URL to find things.

• The URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is a string of characters that

points to a specific piece of information anywhere on the web.
URL
• URL consists of following:
• The web Protocol
• The domain name or web server name
• The directory on the server
• The file within that directory
Protocol
• A protocol is a set of communication rules for exchanging
information.
HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP)
• The communications rules that allow browsers to connect with web
servers.
Domain
• A domain is simply a location on the internet, the particular web
server.
Directory
• The directory name is the name on the server for the directory, or
folder, from which your browser needs to pull the file.
File
• The file is the particular page or document that you are seeking.
URLs & EMAIL ADDRESSES
• Both are same or not?
Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML)
• Hypertext markup language (HTML)is the set of special instructions
(called “tags” or “markups”) that are used to specify document
structure, formatting, and links to other multimedia documents on
the web.
Hyperlinks
• Hypertext links—also called hyperlinks, hotlinks, or just links —are
connections to other documents or web pages that contain related
information; a word or phrase in one document becomes a
connection to a document in a different place.
• Web Portal
Hompage
Search Services
• Search services are organizations that maintain databases accessible
through websites to help you find information on the internet.
• Examples???
Search Engines
• Search services maintain search engines, programs that enable you to
ask questions or use keywords to help locate information on the web.
Types of Search Engines
• Individual Search Engines
• Subject Directory
• Metasearch Engines
• Specialized Search Engines
Individual Search Engines
• An individual search engine compiles its own searchable database on
the web.
• It returns a web page or hits.
• Hits are defined as the sites that a search engine returns after running
a keyword search.
Subject Directory
• A subject directory is created and maintained by human editors, not
electronic spiders, and allows you to search for information by
selecting lists of categories or topics, such as “Health and Fitness” or
“Science and Technology.”
Metasearch Engines
• A metasearch engine allows you to search several search engines
simultaneously.
• For example, if you do a search on the word “Indians,” the top results
will be grouped into clusters such as Tribe, Native Americans,
Baseball,
Specialized Search Engines
• There are also specialized search engines, which help locate
specialized subject matter, such as material about movies, health, and
jobs.
Common Internet Protocols
• File Transfer Protocol
• Simple Mail Transfer Protocol for outgoing emails
• Post Office Protocol version 3 (POP3) for incoming emails
• Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP)
How to send email?