Internet and Intranet

A network protocol is a set of formal rules explaining how software and hardware should interact within a network in order to transmit information. One such group of network protocols is the Internet protocol family. This is popularly referred to as TCP/IP reflecting the names of the two main protocols. TCP/IP provides service to many different types of host machines connected to heterogeneous networks. These networks may be local area networks (LANs), such as one you might install in a single building, but they may also be wide area networks (WANs), such as those based on the Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP).

The term ``Internet'' is widely used to refer to the wide area network which extends into many countries. It supports many services such as the World Wide Web, News, and electronic mail. If you need to gain access to the Internet, contact an ``Internet Service Provider'' (ISP). An ISP will be able to advise you on the services that you need, and the best way of connecting to the Internet to allow for future expansion of your organization's needs.

An ``Intranet'' can be thought of as an organization's private Internet. It can provide many of the Internet's services on a corporate LAN or WAN. It enhances the distribution of information within a company by providing a forum in which executives, departments, and employees can communicate quickly and freely.