Chapter 3: Internet

What's a ping?

A ping is a request for a response. It is used to check the path from a computer to a server over the internet using the Internet Control Message Protocol. Essentially a ping is a request to echo a signal and is used in network troubleshooting and to check speeds.

ARPAnet

ARPA, the US Defense Department's Advanced Research Projects Agency (now called DARPA), hired Professor J.C.R. Licklider to connect the computer networks of 4 universities; UCSB, UCLA, Stanford University, and the University of Utah. Licklider's challenge was to design a network, called ARPAnet, such that even if individual computers or networks failed, ARPAnet would continue to work.

Acceptable Use Policy (AUP)

Acceptable use policies are rules established by businesses to provide guidance for how its computing resources should be used. AUPs also restrict the way their network can be used, usually to minimize the risk of legal actions being required. Employers often require that AUPs be read and signed prior to using a company's network. AUPs usually describe what will occur if an employee violates the policy.

DSL vs. Cable

Choosing between cable or DSL Internet service can be tricky when both are available in your area. First compare costs at your desired upload and download speeds, then compare the top advertised speeds. Recall that cable may have a faster top speed, but DSL tends to provide more consistent bandwidth. Also, check bundling packages if you need TV or phone service too, but watch out for long contract obligations that limit your future flexibility. If possible, ask around in your neighborhood to see which provides the best service. Finally, once you're online, check your actual speed against the ISP's advertised speed.

Computer Ethics Violations

Computer and network ethics incidents fall into two major categories, illegal activity and organizational policy violations. Illegal activity involves using the business's computers or network in a criminal act such as theft of computer hardware, copyright infringement, software piracy, recording piracy, child pornography, computer scams, bomb threats, and Federal computer security violations, such as distributive computer viruses. Organizational policy violations are determined by the standards set by the employer. Often these include prohibitions against sending personal email, shopping online, visiting social media sites, or playing computer games.

Determining Internet Speed

Determining your Internet speed needs requires asking yourself several questions. First, how many people will be using your network at the same time? The more users, the more bandwidth and speed will be needed. Streaming and gaming also require more speed. If both cable and DSL are available, then compare prices, but watch out for contracts that limit your future options. It's usually best to start with a slower, less expensive package, and then upgrade as required by your needs. If you're the only one using your internet, you may want to check cell phone data plan packages if you're in an area with 4G LTE coverage.

DSL: Digital Subscriber Line

Digital Subscriber Line, or DSL, provides Internet service with signals that are carried over local telephone lines. DSL is available in most areas depending on the home's distance from the main telephone exchange. Because the signal is carried over individual wires that aren't shared, DSL download and upload speeds are very consistent. The bandwidth of telephone wires isn't as large as television coaxial cable bandwidth, so DSL's top speeds are usually less than cable Internet's top speeds. Many DSL providers include wireless routers with their DSL modems, simplifying the installation process.

Downloading

Downloading means accessing a file on the Internet and then copying it onto your computer. If you've ever purchased a song from iTunes, or placed an app onto your phone, you've downloaded files. Many users like to copy photos from Facebook, this is downloading. Even just saving an email to your computer you've downloaded a file.

Employee Monitoring Software

Employee monitoring software allows a network administrator to view all computer activity from a central location. It has the advantage of allowing the administrator to physically monitor what is occurring with every computer, but it has the major disadvantage of being easily abused. For this reason, and because the size of most networks makes monitoring software impractical, many large businesses use Internet filters and remote desktop software. Remote desktop software allows the administrator to display any single monitor over a separate device.

Ethics with Social Media

Every time you search for information on the Web, post to a social media site, or make an online purchase, your actions are being recorded. Every action you make online leaves a cyber footprint. Information is collected by nearly all online companies including Google, Apple, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and thousands of other companies. The data that is collected is beneficial to marketers, businesses, and any entity that needs data on online behavior. The collection of this data raises many ethical concerns because consumers have little control over what data is collected and how it is used.

FIOS: Fiber Optic Internet Service

Fiber-optic Internet service offers the fastest possible home Internet service. Unfortunately, it's currently only available in metropolitan areas. Typically the provider will run fiber under the street and then run separate coaxial cable to each home. Google Fiber is advertising speeds up to 1000 Megabits per second!

Geolocation

Geolocation is the process of identifying the physical location of a person or digital device using the information that is process/accessed using the Internet. Geolocation uses satellites and a variety of wired and wireless technologies to pinpoint your location on the globe. Geolocation databases are used to store information about specific locations and coordinates. While this technology is very useful for a variety of business and consumer applications, there are some ethical and privacy concerns that are present. Employers can use geolocation to monitor the location of employees. Advertisers can specifically target consumers with geo- specific advertisements. Location based monitoring used by many social medial sites can be used to track the exact location of individual

NeXT and GUI

In 1985, Steve Jobs left Apple and founded a computer company called NeXT. NeXT's first product was a futuristic computer called the Cube. The Cube was, for its time, very powerful and was able to capitalize on the capabilities of a Graphical User Interface (GUI). GUI allowed users to click and drag objects across a computer screen, instead of simply entering text in a line.

SAGE

In the 1950s the US developed a system of radar stations to warn of an incoming Soviet nuclear attack. The Semi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) network tied these stations together. The problem was that if an attack destroyed too many stations, the entire network of 187 stations would fail. Paul Baran, of the RAND Corporation, developed "packet switching". By sending information in many small packets over multiple lines, SAGE could be much less vulnerable than traditional, single-line, telephone circuits.

ISP: Internet Service Provider

Internet Service Providers (or ISPs) provide customers Internet access for a fee. ISPs offer services in a variety of categories including fiber optic, cable, cellular, DSL, dial-up, and cellular. You must have an ISP in order to access the Internet.

Ethical Employee Behavior

It is important to set ethical computer use standards in the workplace. Once appropriate standards have been established, business owners and network administrators must publish the standards, provide employee appropriate computer usage instruction, monitor employee computer behavior and periodically review the policies to ensure their continued viability. Often, employees think they can use business computers as they would their home computers. However, inappropriate computer use in the workplace can lead to decreased individual and network performance, a breach of network security, the loss of company data, and even charges of harassment.

Reporting an Ethics Violation

Most organizations require that all employees report any computer ethics incidents to their supervisors or to their network administrator. When reporting it's best to be brief and directly state what you witnessed. Before reporting a perceived organizational policy incident you may wish to consider if what you witnessed was subject to misinterpretation. Remember that your employer probably didn't hire you to monitor the activities of your co-workers.

INTERnetworking

Professor Licklider gathered some of the greatest computer pioneers in the US. He hired Paul Baran, who developed packet switching for SAGE and Dr. Leonard Kleinrock, who developed the first network protocols. Licklider's team built ARPAnet, the forerunner of today's Internet. Initially the network was for military use only, but it soon split into MILnet and the academic INTERnet.

Remote Desktop Software

Remote desktop software allows another device to control or display any computer on a network. This is a very popular feature for business network administrators because it allows them to provide computer assistance across the network from a central location. It is also commonly used by computer manufacturer help desks. Remote desktop software also allows for individual computer activity monitoring in cases of suspected network abuse.

Satellite Internet

Satellite Internet service makes broadband Internet available virtually everywhere. It uses microwaves to transmit and receive internet signals to satellites orbiting the Earth's equator. This means you can have broadband service in rural areas, on boats, RVs and even on airplanes. Subscribers usually purchase a data plan that limits downloading and uploading. Satellite service doesn't work well for gamers because the extremely long distance the signals must travel causes lag.

Cellular Internet Service

Smartphones are the most common means to access the Internet. The Internet signals are sent using cell phone radio waves. Currently, over 77% of US adults have Internet capable smartphones. Most smartphone data packages place limits on uploading and downloading. Most smartphones can send and receive WiFi signals as well as cellular signals. This allows these phones to become WiFi hotspots. Speeds vary greatly though 4G LTE has become the industry standard. Some cellular providers offer modem+router devices that can create WiFi hotspots anywhere adequate cell coverage is available.

Streaming

Steaming means watching or listening to a file on the Internet without saving or copying it first. Whenever you listen to a song on Pandora or Accuradio, or watch a YouTube video or a movie on Netflix, you're streaming. Unlike downloading files, which remain in the computer until the user deletes them, streamed content is never actually saved to the device.

URL

The Uniform Resource Locator (URL) describes how to access a specific Web page on the Internet. AURL has three major parts. The first is the protocol. For most Web pages, this is HTTP or the Hypertext Transfer Protocol. The second is the domain name. A URL is an address on the Web. The domain name identifies the server that hosts the webpage. The third is the file or resource name that identifies the specific file path on the server that leads to the Web page.

WWW

The World Wide Web refers to the billions of hypertext files accessible on the Internet. It is often called "The Web" or even "The Internet", though technically the Internet is the sum of all the connected individual networks and the transmission media that ties it all together. Examples of items that are available on the Web include billions of photos, billions of newspaper and magazine articles, billions of webpages, as well as songs, videos and other media forms available to access over the Internet.

WWW & W3C

The vast collection of hypertext documents now available on the Internet is known as the World Wide Web, or simply, the Web. The US government wanted the Web to remain current with emerging technologies, so through DARPA, it hired Tim Berners-Lee and other computer scientists to come up with a means of ensuring the Web is always up-to-date. These scientists founded the World Wide Web Consortium, known as the W3C. The W3C consists of hundreds of scientists and computer companies and organizations that validate and establish new Internet protocols.

Determining what ISP are available

To determine which internet service provider to choose, first find out what's available. The best way to find out is to search the web. •Dslreports.com •Broadbandmap.gov. •Enter your zip code or street address and you will see a list of available providers.

Cable Internet

Top cable Internet upload and download speeds are usually faster than top DSL speeds, but because the cable's bandwidth is shared with your neighbors, your speeds can be inconsistent, particularly during peak usage hours. Cable modems don't always include routers, so you may need to purchase one separately.

Uploading

Uploading means sending files from your computer to a server on the internet. Anytime you post a photo or video, place an advertisement on Ebay or Craigslist, or even just send an email, you're uploading a file.

Tim Berners-Lee and Hypertext

Using a set of NeXT Cubes, Tim Berners-Lee and Robert Callilau of the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) developed hypertext for computer networks. Just as GUI made it easy to drag images and documents across a computer screen, hypertext made it easy to drag images and documents across computer networks.