What is the internet?

Wide Area Network (WAN)

Typically consists of two or more LANs. The computers are farther apart and are linked by telephone lines, dedicated telephone lines, or radio waves.

Local Area Network (LAN)

Two or more connected computers sharing certain resources in a relatively small geographic location, often in the same building. Examples include home networks and office networks.

Server

A computer that "serves" many different computers in a network by running specialized software and storing information.

Network

A group of two or more computer systems linked together.

Internet

The largest computer network in the world, connecting millions of computers.

Client

Your computer when you access a web page. Runs familiar software such as web browsers or email software, and it communicates with the server to get the information it requires. In order for your browser to display a web page, it requests the data from the server where the page is stored. The server processes the request, then sends the data to your browser, where it is displayed.