In this lesson: Explain the functions and basic requirements of a computer network.

Identify the origins of computer networking and the creation of the Internet.

Internets

Capital I or not?
The term internet (with a lowercase i) refers to a series of networks that are connected to each other.

The Internet (with a capital I) refers to the network of networks that spans the globe, allowing anyone with an Internet connection in one location to share information with other users almost anywhere on Earth.

Networks can be connected to each other to allow data transfer from one network to the other. For example, a retail store such as Walmart may want to connect to a shipping business such as UPS, and allowing computers on one network to exchange data with computers on the other network can be much more efficient than manually reentering data from one system into the other.

The network created by connecting two or more separate networks is called an internet, a contraction of the term inter network