EXPLORING THE INTERNET, Article 3: Connecting to the Internet

Story by: Colophon Editor
January 24, 2007

From the early days of the Internet we can all remember the crackling and buzzing of our modems as we dialed-up and connected. In the Industrialized world those sounds are being replaced with high-speed, always-connected broadband connections. While connection speeds are changing, the basic parts of a web connection more or less remain the same today as in the early 1990’s.

A typical Web connection consists of four basic parts: the desktop, client computer; the Internet access provider; the host or server computer at the other end of the connection; and the communications networks that link together the first three parts.

The source of your connection can come from a number of places. Most households and offices are connected through cables or phone lines that are provided by Internet Services Providers (ISPs). However, more and more connections are being made through satellite or via a television product like WebTV.