The internet or the Net is
the world’s largest computer network which connects millions of computer all
over the world. Many organizations including private as well as government
agencies, educational institutions and individuals are connected to the Internet.
More than one billion
people around the world use the internet daily for a variety of reasons,
including the following:
•
Communicate with and meet other people
•
Access a wealth of information, news, and research findings
•
Shop for goods and services
•
Bank and invest
•
Take a class
•
Access sources of entertainment and leisure, such as online games, videos,
books and
magazines
•
Download music
•
Share information
Advantages of the Internet
1. Data and information
rich, including a range of media.
2. Anyone can publish online (tripod.com and other hosting
sites)
3. Learners can become
researchers because of easier access to data
4. Search engines that are
fast and powerful
5. Easy to use.
6. Smaller, faster,
cheaper all the time
Disadvantages of the Internet
1. Information overload.
2. No librarians for
quality control (with some exceptions, like Kids Click! And other sites for
children).
3. Need for quality
control in the data that student find and use.
4. Search engine that show
result base on who pays the most.
5. Not enough training for
effective use.
6. Push to upgrade
constantly.
INTERNET REQUIREMENTS
Basic requirements needed
to access the internet :
1. Network Interface Card (NIC)
A network interface card is a computer circuit board
that is installed in a computer so that it can be connected to a network.
2. Access Account
New subscriber needs to subscribe for an account from
the service provider (ISP).
There are several listed internet service providers in
Malaysia such as JARING, TELEKOM MALAYSIA - TMnet, MAXIS - maxis.net and
TIME.COM - time.net.
There are two ways of
accessing the internet:
a. Direct access:
User
computers are directly connected to the internet through a local network server
b. Dial-up
Accessing
the internet is made by making a call through the telephone line to the ISP
3. Wireless Network Interface Card
Is a network card which connects to a radio-based
computer network? It uses an antenna to communicate through microwave. A WNIC
can operate in two modes known as infrastructure mode and ad hoc mode. In an
infrastructure mode network the WNIC needs an access point while an ad hoc mode
network the WNIC does not require an access point.
4. Modem (internal and external)
Modem is abbreviation for modulator/demodulator. It is
a device that enables a computer transmits data over telephone or cable
lines. Computer information is store
digitally, whereas information transmitted over telephone lines is transmitted in
the form analog waves. A modem converts between these two forms. There are two
types of modem, external and internal modem.
External modem can be attached to any computer that
has an RS-232 port. An internal modem is an expansion board that can be inserted
into vacant expansion slot in a computer.
5. Hub
/ Switch
A hub is a device acting as the cable center of a
network that uses to connect segments of LAN and has either 8 or 16 port. Hub
broadcasts the data that it receives from one port to all of its port.
A switch can also connect multiple communication lines
and it can receive packets from different protocol. Switch is more intelligent
than a hub as it will on only deliver the data to the particular port. This actually helps to make the network
significantly faster. It filters and
forward packers between a LAN segments.
6. Router
A router is
attached to two or more networks a forwards Packets form one network to
another. It acts as a junction between two or more networks to butter and
transfer data packets among them.
7. Wireless Access Point
Wireless access point or AP is a device that connects
wireless communication devices together to form a wireless network. It is usually connects to a wired network and
can relay data between wireless and wired devices.
