Difference between Network and Internet

What is a Network?

The network is two or more connected computer which can share resource like a printer, an internet connection, application, etc. It is a collection of computer systems and devices which are linked together using a wireless network or via communication devices and transmission media.

The network provides connectivity between computers and devices within a restricted range where only one entity is controlled or authorized to manage the entire system.

In this tutorial, you will learn

• What is a Network?
• What is the Internet?
• Types of Networks:
• Why do you need a Network?
• Why do you need Internet?
• History of Network
• History of the Internet
• Features of Network
• Features of Internet
• Network vs. Internet
• Disadvantages of Network
• Disadvantages of Internet

What is the Internet?

The internet is a global system which use TCP/IP protocol suite to link various types of electric devices worldwide. The internet is a collection of interconnected devices which are spread across the globe. It is a network of networks that consist of public, private, public, sales, finance, academic, business and government networks. The internet is a type of network and called network of networks.

Types of Networks:

Three types of Networks are:

1) LAN (Local Area Network):

LAN is a network that connects a small number of the system in a relatively close geographical area. E.g., a floor or nearby surrounding of a building.

2) MAN (Metropolitan area Network):

It is a communication infrastructure that has been developed in and around large cities.

3) WAN (Wide Area Network:

It is a network that connects two or more local-area networks over a large geographic distance. A WAN spans across a large geographic area, such as a state, province or country.

Why do you need a Network?

The network offers the following advantages:

• Networks provide a fast and effective method for sharing & transferring files
• The network version of most software programs is available at considerable savings as compared to buying seat licensed copy for each of them.
• You don't need to load all the software on every computer. Instead, load in the primary server and use on every computer connected to the network.
• Easy connectivity and fast communication
• Internet Access Sharing
• Helps you in performance enhancement and load balancing

Why do you need Internet?

The network provides connectivity between computers and devices within a restricted range. In this system, only one entity is controlled or authorized to manage the entire system.

• The Internet is a network of computers at different locations around the world.
• Allows you to send an email message from every location
• Helps you to send or receive files between different computers
• Using the Internet, you can participate in discussion groups, such as mailing lists and newsgroups.
• It allows all small, medium and large size businesses to sell their products with less investments.
• It makes information available worldwide. So there's no need to look for a good book in different libraries, as you can search for information over the Internet.
• It helps you updated with the latest news and technologies.
• It helps us meet people with the same interests as communities, forums, chats, websites, etc.
• It eases bills payment by facilitating bill payment online with the credit card and saves us time spent to stand up in the queue.

History of Network

1950s -1960s:

Terminal-Oriented Computer Networks had begun which were very expensive. Therefore, time-sharing techniques were developed to allow them to be shared by many users.

1960s-1970s:

The cost of the computer dropped, and new applications emerged. It becomes essential to enable mainframe computers to interconnect and communicate with each other.

1960s – APRANET was the first real attempt of developing a network to interconnect computers over a wide geographic area

1980:

• The beginning of Local Area Networks (LANs)
• Affordable computers become available.
• Varieties of LAN topologies emerged like bus, ring, start, etc.

History of the Internet

Here, are important milestones from the history of the Internet:

• In 1962, J.C.R. Licklide pioneered the concept of Intergalactic Computer Network
• In 1982 the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) was standardized.
• In 1990, the World Wide Web introduced.
• In 1995, mainstream Search Engine Yahoo was created.
• In recent time, the Internet covers a large part of the globe and growing exponentially.

Features of Network

Here, are important features of Network:

• Offers high capacity Load Balancing
• Indoor as well as Outdoor coverage options
• Determining by the weighted algorithm
• Web Content/Application Filtering

Features of Internet

Here, are some important features of the Internet:

• A global network which connects millions of computers
• The internet is decentralized
• Every computer over the internet is independent
• There are various ways to access the internet

Network vs. Internet

Disadvantages of Network

• The network requires hardware, software which demands high initial setup costs.
• Some time it invites undesirable sharing.
• It may invite illegal or Undesirable behavior.
• Data security is quite a big concern in networking.
• Regular maintenance of a network needs considerable time and expertise.

Disadvantages of Internet

• It allows everybody to speak about everything without any limitations or censorship. Could be a bad influence on impressionable minds.
• The search engines may display some unrelated results.
• Internet could replace face to face collaborations and make us lose the human touch.
• People working on internet-related fields need high speeds.
• Working constantly with or on the internet is surely tiring.
• The Internet makes us more a lazier – as for common thing like search the nearest restaurant or finding the best hotel.