The 2014 Guide to the Internet: Round Up of Terms Every Beginner Should Know

You'll be surprised at the different Internet terms that not only beginners are unaware of, but also among those who have been using the Internet for a long time on a daily basis. To address this information gap, we have here a 2014 guide to Internet terms for beginners – and the not-so-beginners alike. 

Internet and the Web: Is there a difference?

The Internet is a system of networks that connects computers from all over the world using a protocol called TCP/IP. What started as a communication experiment for the military, the Internet we know today is a public platform where anyone can freely broadcast want they want to say and share. To access the Internet (and contribute to it), you need to have an Internet connection. This connection can be provided privately by an ISP or publicly from a Wi-Fi network.

The Web is short for World Wide Web. A subset of the Internet, the Web is that portion of the Internet that we are most familiar using. We view the Web using a web browser software. Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Safari and Mozilla Firefox are examples of popular web browser software that we use.

http: VS https:

HTTP is a an acronym that stands for hypertext transfer protocol. When 2 computers communicate with each other, it follows a certain protocol of communication. HTTP is the default protocol that displays on our web browser when we browse a web page using its URL address.

The only difference between http: and https: is the latter is secure. You will notice https: on your web browser if you are on a website that requires a username and a password. If you need to access your bank account, transfer payment to a merchant or share sensitive information, the web browser should be encrypted with https: for your security and protection.

URLs

URL stands for Uniform Resource Locators. It is the address that you put on your web browser when accessing internet pages and other online media such as images and videos.

There are several parts of a URL address, but let us keep it short and simple here.

Typically, a URL address such as 'http://www.google.com' has 4 parts. 'http://' is the protocol. 'www' is the host name. 'google' is the subdomain name. '.com' is the domain name. Collectively, 'www.google.com' is the resource name.

IP Addresses

IP addresses are like home addresses. It is unique per household. For instance, if you are having pizza delivered, you need to let the delivery guy what your exact address is or else he can just send the pizza to anybody else. 

The Internet works the same way. Without an IP address, information cannot be received. Whether you are accessing the Web using your smart phone, your tablet computer or your laptop, a dedicated IP address (it is formatted in numbers) is assigned to your device.

Blogs

Blog is a contraction for 'web blog'. Blogs these days are like diaries without a lock. It is a highly public way to express your feelings. Both professional writers and amateurs have turned to blogs to share their expertise and ideas on a wide range of topics. Digital marketers have likewise used blogs in advertising their brand.

ISPs

ISP is an acronym for Internet Service Provider. It can be privately owned or a property of the government that allows you to explore the Internet. An ISP can offer you different internet services such as fibre broadband, fixed wireless, ADSL or mobile internet. You can select your preferred monthly data allowance and speed depending on what the ISP offers.

Child-Proofing 101: Steps to Safeguarding Internet Use at Home

If child-proofing the corners and sharp edges of your home is important, the same level of caution (and even more) should be applied when it comes to the internet. Kids as young as 4 or 5 know how to use computers. They can play with interactive games offline and online, and there are older kids who know their way around websites more even adults. Below, we share with you 5 simple steps to safeguarding your child (or children's) internet use at home.

Print for guidance, save for constant reminder, or share this with other parents you know!

A Slow Internet Connection? Factors that Could be Causing it to Slow Down

A slow internet connection is caused by different factors. Sometimes it is the poor delivery of internet services from your internet provider. Sometimes it is caused by technical and minor reasons that make it seem like your internet connection is failing you when it is actually not.

Regardless, a slow internet connection is frustrating. If the majority of your tasks at work requires a connection to the web, you will hardly get anything done before the shift ends. Correspondences will be delayed and your delivery of your tasks will take a while. 

What could be causing it to slow down anyway? Here are  a few reasons that could explain.

1.      The kind of internet connection you have. If your computer works fast, but you are stuck with a dial-up, your internet connection will naturally be slow. A dial up that runs a standard 56kb will take some minutes to load a web page compared to a broadband connection that can load the same web page in just a few seconds. If there is an option to go for broadband, it is highly suggested that you do.

2.     The website you are viewing. If you are viewing a website loaded with images or a website with a Flash animation on its homepage, it would seem like your internet connection is acting up on you. Loading a website that is 100% text is faster to load than a website like YouTube where you need to stream videos. 

Depending on the traffic the website you are visiting receives, this will affect the loading time on your end. More so if there are thousands of you loading the same website, there is also a good chance that the website may not even respond.

3.     Doing a variety of tasks at the same time. Since you are connected to the internet anyway, it is natural to do different tasks simultaneously to maximise it. However, if you have the knack of downloading 1800p movies as your kids play their respective games online on their tablets, your connection will naturally slow down if you decide to browse the web for info on more movies to watch. As your computer downloads huge amounts of data, your browsing will slow down.

4.     There is maintenance work going on. Speed-related issues are encountered if your internet provider or the web host is performing maintenance work on their networks. They are more likely to advise you if they are.

5.     There are a lot of subscribers on board. Especially for cable broadband subscribers, be advised of the peak hours your internet provider will tell you so you know the time when the quality of the internet connection will be affected by the number of subscribers connected at the same time. If the peak hour is said to at 6 in the evening, try not to log into the internet at this particular hour. 

When your internet connection gets immaculately slow, check your speed and your internet plan. You owe it to yourself to know whether you are getting what was quoted for you in exchange for your money. Look into your hardware. If your computer is fine, then the problem may be located in your modem or router and vice versa. Control the plugins and the apps that you run too. These may hog your bandwidth allowance, hence causing your daily web browsing to be slower than usual.

6 Things You Need to Know about the NBN Australia

With fibre, wireless and satellite being offered to Australian businesses and households, it is just a matter of time that we get to know what the NBN Australia is. Since the NBN is currently on its way to completion to make our connection with the global community a lot stronger and more meaningful, we need to know what it is and what it is all about in 6 ways.

1.       The National Broadband Network or the NBN is by far the largest communication infrastructure currently being built by the Australian federal government, which is being represented by the NBN Co. It is the first national wholesale-only network that aims to bring super fast broadband internet speeds in all of Australia from the urban centre down to the regional outskirts.

2.       The construction of Australia’s own national broadband network is just timely given the fact that Australia’s traditional copper wire technology is failing. Copper wire technology may have worked perfectly in the recent times, but with the rise in demand for an internet connection, the current copper wire infrastructure may not be enough to suffice the increasing need. 

3.       NBN Co.’s plan for Australia is to connect 93% of its population to the internet with fibre optic cable technology. Fibre broadband is conveniently referred to as FTTH, which means fibre to the home. 4% of the population will be connected to the internet via fixed wireless broadband and the remaining 3%, the percentage of the population in the regional outskirts, will be connected to the internet via satellite broadband.

4.       With the goal of delivering high-speed internet to Australian households and businesses, the benefits of the NBN are endless. Aside from allowing you to do a variety of online activities such as emailing, browsing, social networking and e-commerce, broadband subscribers can benefit from making high-quality video calls, accessing virtual and interactive content that concerns their health and education, working from home and downloading an array of digital media such as TV shows, movies and documentaries in a quick span of time such as 10 minutes or less.

5.       As a wholesale provider, the NBN Co. cannot sell directly to you; but you can from its recognised RSPs or Retail Service Providers. The same way you looked for an ISP or an internet service provider for your current ADSL or dial-up connection, you need to look for an RSP of the NBN Co. should you decide to make a switch. Ask around about the ISPs who can provide you with the broadband service you require. Who knows, your current ISP might just be a recognised RSP of the NBN Co. and all you need to do is to make an upgrade with them if the NBN is finally rolled out in your area. 

6.       It will take the NBN Co. some time to install its broadband infrastructures. As of the moment, they are going around Australia to install fibre optic cables, and installation may take about a year. Once it is complete, only then will you be able to subscribe to super fast internet speeds from RSPs servicing your area. Depending on the RSP that you will choose, they will also be in charge of adding the extra needed hardware outside and inside your home before you can actually use your broadband internet.

Challenges and Updates with Satellite Broadband

Satellite broadband internet allows households and businesses to connect to the internet. The limitations of several internet service providers in terms of signal coverage and presence of telecom towers are the reasons why for quite some time already, people in the rural areas have no way of connecting to the World Wide Web. 

Despite the technology, there are challenges surrounding satellite broadband internet. First, is the speed. For most residents and business owners who are connected via satellite, the feedback is almost always the same. Downloading and uploading files take some time. Streaming videos and popular shows on the web can be painstakingly long. Playing games can get frustrating to impossible at times. However, between satellite internet and dial-up, the former is a lot faster.

Why speed becomes an issue with satellite broadband is because the connection from a roof mounted satellite antenna on earth and an orbiting satellite in space takes some time to establish. It can take a few milliseconds for a signal to be established, and this is enough to delay the transmission of data.

Second, satellite broadband internet is also affected by the weather. If rain or snow is too severe, the reliability of the satellite internet connection ultimately becomes affected. However, this is a rare case since despite some outdoor equipment being rugged, it is still able to maintain a steady internet connection for the user. 

Another challenge is the latency. Latency is the amount of time a signal travels from its source (the satellite in space) to its destination (the internet user's computer). However, satellite internet, latency is multiplied twice because the computer needs to send a request first to a satellite orbiting in space. With satellites typically orbiting the earth at at 20,000 miles, it becomes a challenge to use VoIP applications and play with real-time strategy and first-person shooter games.

Further, with the challenges that are beyond the control of a satellite broadband connection and any kind of internet connection for that matter, there are inconveniences that the internet user should be wary about so as to manage expectations. These uncontrollable factors can be a congestion in the satellite system or the fact that the website you are visiting has various page elements such as a Flash animation homepage.

As far as the NBN Co is concerned, the eligible households and businesses today can connect to the NBN Co's interim satellite service until installation NBN Co's Long Term Satellite Service becomes complete in 2015. 

For the time being, if you are interested in applying for the interim satellite service, know the registered internet service providers that can link you with a satellite internet service. Make sure that you are eligible. If you are, a registration ID will be issued together with an information and declaration pack.