The word internet is used to describe a network of networks which incorporate a very large and complicated set of equipment. To understand the internet, there are three areas of discussion which are very helpful. These include the various services provided across the internet, the functions that enable the internet to work, and the various organizations that are part of the internet. |
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| Internet Functions |
| The internet provides for the following two functions which support communications. Without the communications support mentioned below, the internet could not function. These two functions are provided by internet service providers listed below under the “Internet Organizations” header. |
| • Physical lines that data is sent across. |
| Routing of data – There are special machines on the internet called routers, that determine where data needs to go to get from the sender of the data to the receiver of the data. |
| Internet Organizations |
| • ISPs (Internet Service Providers) – They provide the connection to the internet for users and also provide routers that direct internet traffic. |
| • Corporations or Web hosting providers with mail servers and web servers – They provide the information posted on the internet and virtual data connections to other mail servers. |
| There are also other organizations that regulate the internet, providing communication standards and designing new communication standards for improvements. These communication standards are also known as protocols. |