The Internet is a global network of networks where computers communicate with each other via Internet Protocol. Intranets, on the other hand, are private networks. Go through this article to find out the other major differences between the Internet and an Intranet.
What is Internet?
The Internet is the global
system of interconnected computer networks that use the Internet protocol suite
(TCP/IP) to link devices worldwide.
As the Internet is a
globally connected network, so it can have multiple more users as compare to
the number of users on Intranet.
Although the phrases
"Internet" and "World Wide Web" are sometimes used
interchangeably, they are not synonymous; the Internet refers to the worldwide
communication system comprising hardware and infrastructure. The web, on the
other hand, is one of the Internet's services.
The concept of Internet was
originated in 1969 and has undergone several technological &
Infrastructural changes as discussed below −
- The origin of Internet devised from the concept of Advanced Research Project Agency Network (ARPANET) which was developed by United States Department of Defense. The basic purpose of ARPANET was to provide communication among the various bodies of government.
- Initially, there were only four nodes, formally called Hosts.
- In 1972, the ARPANET spread over the globe with 23 nodes located at different countries and thus became known as Internet.
- By the time, with invention of new technologies such as TCP/IP protocols, DNS, WWW, browsers, scripting languages, etc., the Internet provided a medium to publish and access information over the web.
Advantages of Internet
- Internet allows us to communicate with the people sitting at remote locations. There are various apps available on the wed that uses Internet as a medium for communication. One can find various social networking sites such as Face book, Twitter, Yahoo, Google+, Flicker, etc.
- One can surf for any kind of information over the internet. Information regarding various topics such as Technology, Health & Science, Social Studies, Geographical Information, Information Technology, Products, etc. can be surfed with help of a search engine.
- Internet allows us to use many services like Internet Banking, Online Shopping, Online Ticket Booking, Online Bill Payment, Data Sharing, and E-mail among others.
- Internet provides the concept of electronic commerce that allows the business deals to be conducted on electronic systems.
Disadvantages of Internet
There
are always chances to loose personal information such as name, address, credit
card number. Therefore, one should be very careful while sharing such
information. One should use credit cards only through authenticated sites.
Another
disadvantage is Spamming which corresponds to the unwanted e-mails in bulk.
Various
types of dangerous computer virus can easily be spread through the systems that
are connected to the Internet. Such virus attacks may cause your system to
crash or your important data may get deleted.
There
are various websites that do not provide the authenticated information. This
leads to misconception among many people.
What is Intranet?
An intranet is a secure
private company network that uses the Internet Protocol to share data and application
resources (IP). Intranets, which refer to an organization’s internal website or
portion of its IT infrastructure, can house several private websites and are an
essential tool for internal communication and cooperation.
A firm's Intranet is built
on Internet concepts and technology, but it is only for internal use. The term
"Intranet" can refer to anything that is web-based but intended for
personal use, but it most commonly refers to a company's shared online apps.
Companies frequently keep internal contact information, calendars, and other
documents on their intranets, for example.
Difference between Internet
and Intranet
The following table
compares and contrasts the major differences between Internet and Intranet.
