INTERNET PACKAGE
Notes
Internet
1. Two or more network segments connected by routers. Another term for internetwork
2. A worldwide network of computers. If you have access to the Internet, you can retrieve information from millions of sources, including schools, governments, businesses, and individuals.
Routers
In a Windows environment, hardware that helps LANs and WANs achieve interoperability and connectivity, and can link LANs that have different network topologies (such as Ethernet and Token Ring). Routers match packet headers to a LAN segment and choose the best path for the packet, optimizing network performance.
Networking
Network – this is a group of connected computers that allow people to share information and expensive equipment such as printer.
Types of networks
Local area network (LAN)
A LAN is a system whereby individual Pcs connected together within a company or organization. This connects computer within a small geographical area.
Metropolitan area network (MAN)
An interconnection of LANs over a city-wide geographical area is commonly called a metropolitan network. This an interconnection of more than two LANS e.g. a town
Wide area network (WAN)
A wide area network is a network that connects computer within a wide geographical area such as city or across countries the transmission of information is done by telephone line and the satellites (WAN is not internet).
Terminologies in internet
Bandwidth
In analog communications, the difference between the highest and lowest frequencies in a given range. For example, an analog telephone line accommodates a bandwidth of 3,000 hertz (Hz), the difference between the lowest (300 Hz) and highest (3,300 Hz) frequencies it can carry. In digital communications, bandwidth is expressed in bits per second (bps).
Broadband
Of or relating to communications systems in which the medium of transmission (such as a wire or fiber-optic cable) carries multiple messages at a time, each message modulated on its own carrier frequency by a modem.
Broadband connection
A high-speed connection. Broadband connections are typically 256 kilobytes per second (KBps) or faster. Broadband includes DSL and cable modem service.
Modem (modulator/demodulator)
A device that allows computer information to be transmitted and received over a telephone line. The transmitting modem translates digital computer data into analog signals that can be carried over a phone line. The receiving modem translates the analog signals back to digital form.
Server
In general, a computer that provides shared resources to network users.
Web server
A computer that is maintained by a system administrator or Internet service provider (ISP) and that responds to requests from a user's browser.
Internet service provider (ISP)
A company that provides individuals or companies access to the Internet and the World Wide Web. An ISP provides a telephone number, a user name, a password, and other connection information so users can connect their computers to the ISP's computers. An ISP typically charges a monthly or hourly connection fee.
World Wide Web
A system for exploring the Internet by using hyperlinks. When you use a Web browser, the Web appears as a collection of text, pictures, sounds, and digital movies.
Requirements of an internet connection
In order to get connected to the internet and access the World Wide Web, you will require the following.
A computer
The computer that you are working with must meet the following criteria
¾ A high speed processor this will help in downloading of programs
¾ A high quality colour screen to view the various graphics and images
¾ A large disk capacity due to programs downloads.
Web browsers
This is the software applications that are used to retrieve web pages from the internet into your computer
Modem
This a device that enables you to connect to the internet
As a transmitting modem, it translates computer information into a form that can transmit over telephone lines (this is called modulation).
As a retrieving modem, it translates the information in a form that your computer can understand this is referred to as demodulation.
ISP
This is a commercial organization that provides internet services along with a set of service Fee.
Example of ISP in Kenya, Safaricom, zain, access Kenya, AOL, wanainchi etc
When you open an account with an ISP you will be provided with:
1. Username- every time you get connected, you require a name to identify yourself on the internet.
2. Password-this needed for security purposes. This ensures that your internet account is secure.
Services Offered On The Internet
Electronic mails
This is the most common service. It’s the process of transmitting messages between computers. With e mail you can send and receive mails across the world
Information
The internet gives you information on virtually any subject. This why it is referred to as world wide web
This gives you the ability to inquire about anything that you want
Program
You can look for the latest software over the internet for example you can get the latest version of Microsoft office.
Discussion groups and chart room
You can join discussion groups on the internet and meet people around the world with similar interests. For example capital fm have a chart room. www.capitalfm.co.ke
Online shopping
You can order goods and services on the internet without leaving your desk. (E-commerce)
News group
Any internet surfer can access some of these news groups while others you to subscription. You can read any article and post them
Entertainment
Most of the games, movies, songs and television, songs are available for free at the internet. And there a lot of entertainment.
Creating an internet connection
1. Click on start, setting, and open the network connections
2. On the network connections click create a new connection
Nb. on the wizard click next until you complete
3. On the wizard that appears click next
4. On the network connection type click on connect to the internet
5. Click on set up my connection manually
6. On the internet connection, Click connects using a dial-up modem.
7. Select the device or the modem
8. Write down the ISP name
9. Write down the phone number
10. Type in the user name & password
11. Finish the connection
Getting started
Logging on to the internet
To be able to gain access to the facilities that are offered on the internet the user needs to log on. You use dial up to connect to the internet and then use a web browser like internet explorer to load pages.
1. Click on start, setting, network connection and right click on the connection that you have just created and clicks connect.
2. A connection indicator will appear on the task bar indicting that you have now been connected
3. Click on the internet explorer and open it
4. The home page loads
Home page
This is the page that is loaded when the internet explorer is started
Parts of a web page
Title bar
Menu bar
Standard buttons
Back takes you back to the previous page
Forward takes you to the next page
Stop Stop the current action foe example a page that you don’t want
Refresh a page may take long to load click on refresh to re-start
Search this loads the msn search
Favorites these give you the option of adding your favorite page
History it shows you the pages that you have recently visited
Print prints the web page
Edit using ms word this is the ability to down load a page using ms word
Discuss this access to chart rooms
Research
Messenger this loads the windows messenger so that you can receive updates
Status bar
Logging out
Right click on the connection indicator and click disconnect
Changing the home page
Right click on the internet explorer, click on properties and on the general tab, write down the home page address and click okay
Searching over the web
If you want to get some information concerning an area or subject of interest over the web but you don’t know where to find it that when you use the search engine
Search engines: softwares that help you locate information on the web.
Examples: yahoo, msn, google, Infoseek, Lycos etc
NB there are search engines within a page e.g. www. Aljezera.com is a news website that you can search about the international news
Load google or yahoo and search about travel
Creating a bookmark
When browsing you may come across sites that you want to visit regularly you can add this page to the favorites
NB//: The book mark feature is also known as favorites
How to add to favorites
Steps
1. Open the page that you would like to add to favorites
2. Select the favorites menu from the menu bar
3. Make sure that all links have been loaded
4. Choose add to favorite, the add to favorite dialog box appears. The name of the site you are in appears on the name box
5. You can add to the default folder or create a folder
6. Create folder and click okay.
On line radios and televisions
Over the internet you can listen live and watch television live
Open the following page www.hopefm.org and click listen live.
Open www.bbc.co.ke and click watch live BBC news
Down loading a page or a program
Downloading a web page helps one to view the pages even without a connection
Steps
1. Load the page
2. Make sure that all links have been loaded (open the ones that you want to use)
3. From the favorites menu click add to favorite
4. Click inside the box of “make available offline
5. Click okay and disconnect
(Try to access the page while you are offline from the folder)
Down loading programs
There are million of programs over the internet that can be down loaded; some are free while other you have to pay a certain fee. One can be able to down load movies, games, music etc
Steps
1. Load the site from which you want to down load the program from e.g. www.download.com
2. Select the category of the program that you want to down load e.g. games,
3. Select a game category, e.g. driving then racing
4. Select the game you want to down load
5. Click on the download link
6. Click on the link download now
7. From the file download dialog box, select “save this program to disk and click ok”
8. From the save as dialogue box, select the folder in which you wish to store the downloaded program and click save
9. Once the program is downloaded access the folder while offline.
Saving information from the internet to the hard disk
You can come across a web page you want to read but it is too long you can save it in your hard disk to read it later, this reduces the browsing cost.
How?
1. Be sure the web page you want to save is completely transferred to your browser screen.
2. In the save web page dialog box that appears, select the drive and folder where you want save the information
3. In the file name box, type a name for the file.
4. Click save
Opening an account
While opening an account you will be required to fill a number of questions
E.g. while opening an account with yahoo you have to fill the form with all your details
NB
The password should be more than 6 characters
Steps
Load www.yahoo.com
Click on the link sign up
And then fill the form and click
Create my account
Def of terms
Sign up- this is used when you want to open an account
Sign in- this is used when already you have an account and you want to check your mail status
It’s an abbreviation for electronic mail that substitutes the ‘snail mail’ sent on the post office
Requirements to send/receive emails
A Computer
An email address
An ISP company who will deliver the message
An email program e.g Ms outlook, endora, Outlook express and Lotus notes
Parts of an email address
The first part refers to the persons ID/User name
The second refers to subparts i.e. the business or organization
Examples
User name name of business type of organization
skynews@sky.co.uk –a company in the United Kingdom
nation@africaonline.co.ke –a company in Kenya
Other domain extensions
.org non-profit making organizations
.com commercial organizations
.edu education institutions
.gov governmental organizational
.mil military page
Understanding your mail box
1. The inbox
Just like a mobile phone, this folder is used to keep track of all the messages sent to you.
2. Outbox
Stores messages that have been sent
3. Trash
Stores already read messages deleted from the above folders
4. Drafts
A folder that stores composed messages to be sent later
To compose means writing a message to be sent
5. Junk email
This folder keeps all the mails sent as advertisements and other uncategorized messages
6. Address book
This folder is used to store email addresses you will use in future
Composing mails
Open your account/sign in
After you get to your account
Click compose after composing
Send the mail
Sending email messages to a variety of people
Type their email addresses separated by a semi colon
Use of the C.C
C.C means carbon copy. It enables you to send the message to various people but their address will be seen on ‘cc box’
Use of bcc
Blind carbon copy enables you to send a message to a group but their names are hidden from other recipients of the message
To activate bcc
Under view menu, select bcc field
Address book
This is a container where you would like to add the contacts of your recipients
Attaching files to e mail messages
1. Compose the message the you would like to compose
2. On tabs click attach file
3. Browse the location from the computer and click attach (pictures will take time)
4. An then send the email message
Blocking address and changing passwords
1. Go to mail options and click
2. If you are blocking the address click it on the page that appears
3. Address blocking is an option that helps you get rid of those people who are sending unnecessary messages
Changing passwords
1. Go to mail options
2. Click on the account information
3. Change password
4. Click on change password
5. Type the old password
6. Type the new password
7. Click save
ONLINE SHOPPING
E-commerce
This is abuzz world term that means buying and selling via the internet. Increasingly you can purchase directly via the web site by selecting the good you require and entering your credit card details. And a feed back is later sent.
The process of online shopping.
There are a number of site that you can purchase online e.g. yahoo etc. however we shall look at the most common one
Most internets based shopping sites use a virtual “shopping cart”, system. As you browse the site you can add your products you want to purchase to your cart.
Open www.amazon.com and try to shop online.
Advantages of e-commerce
- Services available al the time. Online shopping unlike the rest is always available 24 hours and 7 days
- Large stock range: a much Lange of stock can be carried than a continental store
- Detailed product information: a detailed product description is always available for every product; there can even be links to the manufacture.
- Ability to compare prices: many sites claim to offer you the very best prices. You can use the information on these sites to compare prices
- Equal delivery to town and country: the fact that you may live the country side abroad far from the shop you all have the same service.
- Right to return defects goods: most e-commerce web sites will have a returns policy; it is advisable to read the prior to purchase
Disadvantages
1. Possible credit card frauds
There some sites which have been allocated just to corn you and nothing you are purchasing
2. Is the website genuine?
Is the company known, is the product there, it is always advisable to look for clues before you purchase anything
3. Are full details given?
The site you are visiting or the product that you want to buy must have the full information about them. Otherwise check with the organization whose purpose is to verify where the page belongs to an honest company.
4. What about returning faulty goods
Does the company have the policy of returning faulty goods?
5. Can you talk with the real person?
Some sites may not give you the contact details .never buy from a company that does not give you the details.
E- Banking.
This means managing your money online, instead of going to your local branch.
E-banking gives you the ability to pay bills online and transfer money
eg open www.bank.barclays.co.uk to get a better example.
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