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 (Interconnected Network) 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

Parameter	Network	Internet
Connection	Connect the system using different parameters.	Connect networks across the world.
Connectivity	One entity has administrative rights to manage the network	No entity controls the system.
Amount	Hundreds or a few thousand number of PC, get linked at one time.	Millions of computers get linked at one time.
Objective	To exchange data and collaborate with peers.	To get the knowledge and communicate over the Internet.
Type	Local Area Network, Wide Area Network, Campus Area Network, and Home Area Network.	World Wide Web.

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.