Principles of E-Commerce –

Unit 2
Dr. S. MEENA
Internet and Networking

 Internet
 INTERNET stands for Interconnected Network is a network system that connects millions of web
servers. The full meaning of the INTERNET can also be explained by the bunch of websites of
different organisations, schools, institutions and more. With the help of the INTERNET, the world
is connected.
 It is a network of networks that consists of private, public, academic, business, and government
networks of local to global scope, linked by a broad array of electronic, wireless, and optical
networking technologies.
 The terms internet and World Wide Web (WWW) are often used interchangeably, but they are not
exactly the same thing; the internet refers to the global communication system, including
hardware and infrastructure, while the web is one of the services communicated over the internet.
Networking

 A network consists of two or more computers that are linked in order to share resources
(such as printers and CDs), exchange files, or allow electronic communications. The
computers on a network may be linked through cables, telephone lines, radio waves,
satellites, or infrared light beams.
 Networking is about interacting with people and engaging them for mutual benefit. It can
help you establish a new business or grow an existing one. You can also use networking as
a tool for finding investors, customers, staff, suppliers and business partners with minimal
cost to your business.
Types of Network

 The Network allows computers to connect and communicate with different computers via
any medium. LAN, MAN, and WAN are the three major types of networks designed to
operate over the area they cover.
 There are some similarities and dissimilarities between them. One of the major differences
is the geographical area they cover, i.e. LAN covers the smallest area; MAN covers an area
larger than LAN and WAN comprises the largest of all.
Three major types of network

 Local Area Network (LAN) –

 Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) –

 Wide Area Network (WAN) –

Local Area Network (LAN) –

 LAN or Local Area Network connects network devices in such a way that personal computers
and workstations can share data, tools, and programs.
 The group of computers and devices are connected together by a switch, or stack of switches,
using a private addressing scheme as defined by the TCP/IP protocol. Private addresses are
unique in relation to other computers on the local network.
 Routers are found at the boundary of a LAN, connecting them to the larger WAN.
 Data transmits at a very fast rate as the number of computers linked is limited. By definition,
the connections must be high speed and relatively inexpensive hardware (Such as hubs,
network adapters, and Ethernet cables).
 LANs cover a smaller geographical area (Size is limited to a few kilometers) and are privately
owned. One can use it for an office building, home, hospital, schools, etc. LAN is easy to
design and maintain. It covers a short distance, and so the error and noise are minimized.
Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) –

 MAN or Metropolitan area Network covers a larger area than that of a LAN and smaller
area as compared to WAN.
 It connects two or more computers that are apart but reside in the same or different cities.
It covers a large geographical area and may serve as an ISP (Internet Service Provider).
 MAN is designed for customers who need high-speed connectivity.
 Speeds of MAN range in terms of Mbps. It’s hard to design and maintain a Metropolitan
Area Network.
Wide Area Network (WAN) –

 WAN or Wide Area Network is a computer network that extends over a large geographical
area, although it might be confined within the bounds of a state or country.
 A WAN could be a connection of LAN connecting to other LANs via telephone lines and
radio waves and may be limited to an enterprise (a corporation or an organization) or
accessible to the public. The technology is high speed and relatively expensive.
 There are two types of WAN: Switched WAN and Point-to-Point WAN.
 WAN is difficult to design and maintain.
 Similar to a MAN, the fault tolerance of a WAN is less and there is more congestion in the
network. A Communication medium used for WAN is PSTN or Satellite Link. Due to long-
distance transmission, the noise and error tend to be more in WAN.
Internet Protocol

 The Internet Protocol (IP) is a protocol, or set of rules, for routing and addressing packets
of data so that they can travel across networks and arrive at the correct destination.
 Data traversing the Internet is divided into smaller pieces, called packets.
 IP information is attached to each packet, and this information helps routers to send
packets to the right place.
 Every device or domain that connects to the Internet is assigned an IP address, and as
packets are directed to the IP address attached to them, data arrives where it is needed.
Network Protocol

 In networking, a protocol is a standardized way of doing certain actions and formatting

data so that two or more devices are able to communicate with and understand each other.

 To understand why protocols are necessary, consider the process of mailing a letter. On the
envelope, addresses are written in the following order: name, street address, city, state, and
pin code. If an envelope is dropped into a mailbox with the pin code written first, followed
by the street address, followed by the state, and so on, the post office won't deliver it.
IP address

 An IP address is a unique identifier assigned to a device or domain that connects to the

Internet.
 Each IP address is a series of characters, such as '192.168.1.1'. Via DNS resolvers, which
translate human-readable domain names into IP addresses, users are able to access
websites without memorizing this complex series of characters.
 Each IP packet will contain both the IP address of the device or domain sending the packet
and the IP address of the intended recipient, much like how both the destination address
and the return address are included on a piece of mail.
TCP / IP

 TCP/IP stands for Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol and is a suite of

communication protocols used to interconnect network devices on the internet. TCP/IP is
also used as a communications protocol in a private computer network (an intranet or
extranet).
 TCP enables data to be transferred between applications and devices on a network and is
used in the TCP IP model. It is designed to break down a message, such as an email, into
packets of data to ensure the message reaches its destination successfully and as quickly as
possible.
IP (Internet Protocol) Addressing

 IP address stands for “Internet Protocol address.” The Internet Protocol is a set of rules for
communication over the internet, such as sending mail, streaming video, or connecting to a
website. An IP address identifies a network or device on the internet.

 The internet protocols manage the process of assigning each unique device its own IP address.
(Internet protocols do other things as well, such as routing internet traffic.) This way, it’s easy
to see which devices on the internet are sending, requesting, and receiving what information.

 IP addresses are like telephone numbers, and they serve the same purpose. When you contact
someone, your phone number identifies who you are, and it assures the person who answers the
phone that you are who you say you are. IP addresses do the exact same thing when you’re
online — that’s why every single device that is connected to the internet has an IP address.
HTML

 HTML (HyperText Markup Language) is the code that is used to structure a web page and
its content. For example, content could be structured within a set of paragraphs, a list of
bulleted points, or using images and data tables.
 An HTML 4.0 document generally consists of three parts: a line containing version
information, a descriptive header section, and a body, which contains the document's actual
content.
HTML tags

 An HTML tag is a piece of markup language used to indicate the beginning and end of an
HTML element in an HTML document. As part of an HTML element, HTML tags help
web browsers convert HTML documents into web pages.
 As part of an HTML element, HTML tags help web browsers convert HTML documents
into web pages. For example, the <p> tag is used to organize text content into paragraph
elements and the <img> tag is used to embed image elements.

 Many tags, though not all, use an opening tag and closing tag to wrap around the content
that they are used to modify. Closing tags are denoted with a backslash like this:
</tag_name>. HTML tags are not visible in the browser.
Intranet and Extranet

 Intranet: An intranet site is an internal website (or portal) that helps employees stay up-to-date with
their company. It serves as a website, communications channel, knowledge management tool, and
collaboration platform
 The Internet is a globally-connected network of computers that enables people to share information
and communicate with each other. An intranet, on the other hand, is a local or restricted network
that enables people to store, organize, and share information within an organization.
 Here are some examples:
 Public Sector Intranet example. ...
 HR intranet.
 IT department Intranet. ...
 Educational Intranet. ...
 Extranet: An extranet is a private network that enterprises use to provide trusted third
parties -- such as suppliers, vendors, partners, customers and other businesses -- secure,
controlled access to business information or operations.
 It provides controlled access to authorized people outside of the company. Much like the
intranet, it allows for private communication, document and knowledge sharing, and
transfers between crucial external partners and an organization. A good example of an
extranet network would be Sharepoint.
Intranet Vs Extranet

 An intranet is typically accessed through a cloud-based portal. Administrators assign a login,

password, and permissions to employees. Once the employee is given access, they can
communicate with co-workers, managers, and executives. The employee also has access to
forms, documents, and company manuals within the scope of their permissions.

 An extranet is accessed by authorized users through a secure, web-based login. It allows the
clients, vendors, or suppliers to communicate with a business’s employees. The extranet only
allows these authorized users to have limited access to the business’s documents and files.

 For example, a supplier would be able to access their invoices and securely share product
information with a manufacturing business. The supplier will also be able to communicate with
the company’s customer service representatives and accounting staff.