You must have heard people say “internet” at times, and “intranet” at others. Yet, is this just the case of “tomatoes” and “tomatows”, or is there really a difference between both terms?
Well, the fact that you are reading this right now means that you know a thing or two about the internet. One thing you should add to your knowledge is that the internet is a global system of computer networks that are interconnected using a protocol (a set of rules for connectivity) called TCP/IP.
How the internet works is quite simple. Once you type an address (or URL) into your browser’s address bar, your browser will send a request to your ISP to ask it for a page. The ISP will locate the server of the website and request for the page you want. Once the request is approved, the host will send the page to the ISP server, which will forward it to you.
As for the intranet, it is a private computer network that uses the same protocol as the internet to share information within a certain organization. After hearing the word “private”, you may be wondering if it’s the same as LAN (Local Area Network), however, it isn’t. LAN has a smaller domain, thus can only be used by a small company or a group of computers at home.
The intranet will connect all computers to an organization’s internal website. Although this site can be accessed through the internet, it is password-protected and accessible only to authorized personnel. This is useful in increasing productivity by helping users locate information more quickly. In addition, intranets help workers communicate with one another without their wasting time on moving between floors.
So, the next time you hear internet or intranet, you will know exactly what is going on.
