The Internet:

The internet is the name given to the collective electronic network of computers and computer networks which are inter-connected throughout the world. The Internet spreads across the globe and consists of countless networks and computers, allowing millions of people to share information. The Internet is now maintained by the major Internet service providers (commonly called ISP's) such as MCI Worldcom, Sprint, GTE, ANS, and UUNET.

Many people think the Internet and the World Wide Web are the same thing. They're not! The WWW is one of the many features of the Internet. E-mail, FTP, and Instant Messaging are also features of the Internet.

Internet Access:

The users of the internet, pay fees to the ISP's to access the Internet. There are many different methods of access depending on the ISP used.

Dial-up is a computer connection that is brought up and brought down as needed. A simple version is dialling into an internet service provider over a modem as a dumb terminal.

PPP (Point to Point Protocol) is an internet standard for electronically connecting a remote computer to an IP network.

ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) is a digital telephone network that allows personal home computers to connect to remote networks, which in turn connect the whole network to the internet.

Hardware needed to Connect to the Internet

A Modem is a device that modulates and demodulates telephone toned to allow for the multiplexing of information on the telephone network.
Ethernet is a method for directly connecting a computer to a network in the same physical location.

A Cable Modem is a device that allows a computer to connect to a cable television system and connect to a computer network. cable modems work at speeds approaching Ethernet connections. This speed can approached speed well over 50 times the speed of the modem used in a telephone connection.

Wireless Network is a method using infra-red, ultra-violet or radio waves, to connect a computer(s) into a network. This maybe commonly known as a wireless router.

Once a user subscribe to an ISP and has the hardware in place, the computer can be connected to the internet. Some connections do use special software to be able to operate. This will again depend on the ISP used.