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UGC NET PAPER 1 · UNIT 08 · MODULE 3: INTERNET, NETWORKS AND COMMUNICATION · TOPIC 7

Internet and World Wide Web

From ARPANET to the web: internet versus WWW, connection types, protocols and ports, browsers and search engines, Web 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0, social media, intranet and extranet.

  • 8 sub-topics
  • 3 min read
  • Topic 7 of 18

What this topic covers

8 sub-topics, in the order to study them. Tap one to jump to it.

  1. 7.1History of the InternetCovers ARPANET (1969), TCP/IP, 1989 to 1991, Mosaic (1993), India.
    • ARPANET (1969)
    • ancestor of the internet
    • TCP/IP
    • 1 January 1983
    • 1989 to 1991
  2. 7.2Internet versus World Wide WebInternet World Wide Web Global network of networks (infrastructure) Collection of web pages and resources accessed through the internet (a service) Uses TCP/IP Uses…
    • one service on the internet
  3. 7.3Types of Internet ConnectionsCovers Dial-up, Broadband, DSL/ADSL, Fibre optic (FTTH), Leased line and more.
    • Dial-up
    • Broadband
    • DSL/ADSL
    • Fibre optic (FTTH)
    • Leased line
  4. 7.4Protocols and PortsA protocol is a set of rules for communication.
    • protocol
    • TCP/IP
    • HTTP
    • HTTPS
    • FTP
  5. 7.5Browsers and Search EnginesWeb browser: software to view web pages.
    • Web browser
    • Search engine
    • Google Scholar
    • Semantic Scholar
  6. 7.6Web 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0Version Nature Features Web 1.0 Read-only static web Static pages, few creators, many readers Web 2.0 Read-write , social web User-generated content, blogs, wikis, social…
    • Web 1.0
    • Read-only
    • Web 2.0
    • Read-write
    • Web 3.0
  7. 7.7Social Media and Educational UsesSocial media includes Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, WhatsApp, Telegram, Reddit and blogs.
    • Educational uses
    • Risks
    • blog
    • wiki
    • podcast
  8. 7.8Intranet and ExtranetCovers Intranet, Extranet, Internet.
    • Intranet
    • Extranet
    • selected outside users
    • Internet

Revision mode hides the full explanations and keeps each section's key terms, lists and tables and the Memory Capsule. Use it from your second read onward.

7.1History of the Internet#

In brief

Covers ARPANET (1969), TCP/IP, 1989 to 1991, Mosaic (1993), India.

  • ARPANET (1969)
  • ancestor of the internet
  • TCP/IP
  • 1 January 1983
  • 1989 to 1991
  • Tim Berners-Lee
  • CERN
  • HTML, HTTP and URL

  • ARPANET (1969): funded by the US Department of Defense (ARPA). It connected four nodes and used packet switching. It is the ancestor of the internet.

  • TCP/IP was formally adopted on 1 January 1983, creating the internet as a network of networks.

  • 1989 to 1991: Tim Berners-Lee at CERN proposed the World Wide Web, then built the first web server, browser and website (1991). He created HTML, HTTP and URL.

  • Mosaic (1993) was the first widely used graphical browser. Netscape followed.

  • India: ERNET began for academic use, and VSNL launched public internet access on 15 August 1995.

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7.2Internet versus World Wide Web#

In brief

Internet World Wide Web Global network of networks (infrastructure) Collection of web pages and resources accessed through the internet (a service) Uses TCP/IP Uses…

  • one service on the internet
Internet World Wide Web
Global network of networks (infrastructure) Collection of web pages and resources accessed through the internet (a service)
Uses TCP/IP Uses HTTP/HTTPS
Older (1969/1983) Newer (1989/1991)
Includes e-mail, FTP, VoIP and more Only linked hypertext and multimedia pages

The web is one service on the internet. This is among the most repeated concept questions.

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7.3Types of Internet Connections#

In brief

Covers Dial-up, Broadband, DSL/ADSL, Fibre optic (FTTH), Leased line and more.

  • Dial-up
  • Broadband
  • DSL/ADSL
  • Fibre optic (FTTH)
  • Leased line
  • Satellite and VSAT
  • Wi-Fi and mobile data
  • WiMAX

  • Dial-up: uses telephone line and modem, slow.

  • Broadband: always-on high-speed (DSL, cable, fibre).

  • DSL/ADSL: over telephone line.

  • Fibre optic (FTTH): fastest wired option, light pulses.

  • Leased line: dedicated, for organisations.

  • Satellite and VSAT: remote areas.

  • Wi-Fi and mobile data: 3G, 4G (LTE) and 5G.

  • WiMAX: wireless broadband over a wider area.

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7.4Protocols and Ports#

In brief

A protocol is a set of rules for communication.

  • protocol
  • TCP/IP
  • HTTP
  • HTTPS
  • FTP
  • SMTP
  • POP3
  • IMAP

A protocol is a set of rules for communication.

Protocol Full form Use Port
TCP/IP Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol Core suite for the internet, TCP splits data into packets and IP addresses them -
HTTP HyperText Transfer Protocol Web page transfer 80
HTTPS HTTP Secure (SSL/TLS) Secure web 443
FTP File Transfer Protocol Upload and download files 21
SMTP Simple Mail Transfer Protocol Sending e-mail 25
POP3 Post Office Protocol Downloading e-mail 110
IMAP Internet Message Access Protocol Syncing e-mail on server 143
Telnet Terminal Network Remote login (unencrypted, replaced by SSH) 23
DNS Domain Name System Domain name to IP address 53
DHCP Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol Assigns IP addresses automatically -

IP address: IPv4 is 32-bit (for example 192.168.1.1) and IPv6 is 128-bit. A URL (Uniform Resource Locator) has scheme, domain and path: https://www.ugc.gov.in/page. Domain suffixes: .com (commercial), .org (organisation), .edu (education), .gov (government), .net (network), .in (India), .ac.in (academic, India), .gov.in (Indian government).

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7.5Browsers and Search Engines#

In brief

Web browser: software to view web pages.

  • Web browser
  • Search engine
  • Google Scholar
  • Semantic Scholar

Web browser: software to view web pages. Examples: Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Safari, Opera. Features include tabs, bookmarks, history, cache, cookies, incognito (private) mode.

Search engine: a program that searches web content. Examples: Google, Bing, Yahoo, DuckDuckGo, Baidu. Remember: a browser is not a search engine. Tips: use quotation marks for exact phrase, AND, OR and NOT as Boolean operators, site: and filetype: operators. Google Scholar and Semantic Scholar are academic search engines.

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7.6Web 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0#

In brief

Version Nature Features Web 1.0 Read-only static web Static pages, few creators, many readers Web 2.0 Read-write , social web User-generated content, blogs, wikis, social…

  • Web 1.0
  • Read-only
  • Web 2.0
  • Read-write
  • Web 3.0
  • Semantic and intelligent
Version Nature Features
Web 1.0 Read-only static web Static pages, few creators, many readers
Web 2.0 Read-write, social web User-generated content, blogs, wikis, social media, YouTube
Web 3.0 Semantic and intelligent web, read-write-execute AI, machine learning, blockchain-style decentralisation, personalised experience

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7.7Social Media and Educational Uses#

In brief

Social media includes Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, WhatsApp, Telegram, Reddit and blogs.

  • Educational uses
  • Risks
  • blog
  • wiki
  • podcast
  • RSS
  • MOOC

Social media includes Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, WhatsApp, Telegram, Reddit and blogs. Educational uses: class groups, content sharing, collaboration, video lectures, discussion, professional networking (LinkedIn, ResearchGate and Academia.edu for researchers). Risks: distraction, misinformation, privacy violations, cyberbullying, addiction. Other web tools: blog (online journal), wiki (collaboratively edited, Wikipedia), podcast (audio series), RSS (feeds), MOOC.

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7.8Intranet and Extranet#

In brief

Covers Intranet, Extranet, Internet.

  • Intranet
  • Extranet
  • selected outside users
  • Internet

  • Intranet: private network within an organisation using internet technology, accessible only to its members (staff portal).

  • Extranet: an intranet extended to selected outside users such as suppliers, partners or students.

  • Internet: public.

Order of openness: Intranet (most restricted) \< Extranet \< Internet.

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↑ Module 3: Internet, Networks and Communication · All 18 topics in ICT · Unit overview and sample MCQs

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