Internet Protocol (IP) –cornerstone of all Internet communications.
IP address

TCP/IP - common language for network communication
TCP (Transmission Control Protocol)

File Transfer Protocol (FTP) – to move files from one computer to another.

Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) – to support e-mail communications.

Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) – designed so that web browsers could read documents on the Web.

Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP)

Serial Line Internet Protocol (SLIP)
These two protocols (PPP & SLIP) are used when a computer communicates with the Internet over a serial transmission line (such as analog telephone line) and the user wants to run a graphical Web browser such as Netscape.

Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) – high-speed digital lines typically used by institutional sites (expensive!!!)

Domain Name Service (DNS) is responsible for mapping symbolic names to their numeric equivalents, and symbolic host names are often called DNS names or DNS addresses.
The segment of a DNS name following the host machine’s name is called the domain name.
Alias- an alternative name

Internet Architecture and Packet Switching

Dynamic routing – means routes for data are always selected at the time of transmission, after taking current network condition into consideration.

Hierarchically – all transmissions move through a central routing site.

Heterarchically- instead of one central routing site, there are a large number of routing sites distributed all over the network.(makes the internet work)
The hosts that decide how to route the transmissions across the Internet are called routers. The Internet contains thousands of routers.

All data is moved across the Internet in units called packets.

Greater bandwidth in a communication channel means that more packets can be handled simultaneously on that channel.
Internet communication channels are very different from the dedicated lines that are used for telephone calls.

The Internet is really a collection of local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), high-speed backbones operated by long distance telephone companies, and thousands of on/off ramps that connect everyone to the backbone.

Special host machines called gateways are used to handle communication across network boundaries.

Gateways and routers are two critical components of the Internet.

The Client/Server Software Model – the basic design for all Internet applications. In the client/server model, one computer plays the role of the server and one or more other hosts play the role of the client. The server acts as a resource for all of its clients and provides a service for those clients.

Bandwidth and Asynchronous Communication

In computer circles, a two-way communication mediated by shared signals for starting and stopping is called synchronous communication.

High-bandwidth
When a communication exchange does not rely on shared signals for starting and stopping, it is called asynchronous communication. (Ex. E-mail)

E-Mail

E-mail is most popular activity on the Internet.
E-mail contains two parts: a message header and a message body. The header contains addressing information, such as who the message is from and who the message is being sent to, the time the message was sent, and physical subject header describing the contents of the message.

Case-sensitivity means that uppercase and lowercase characters are distinct and cannot be substituted for one another.

Cc: (Carbon copy) when you put an e-mail address on this field, a copy of your message is sent to that person. This is useful when your message is primarily intended for one person, but it is useful for five other people to see it as well.

Bcc: (Blind carbon copy) e-mail address not revealed to any of the message recipients

Inbox – like a mailbox, in which new mail waits for you to retrieve it

Emoticons. For example, smilee, shown as :-).
Angry e-mail messages are called flames, and people who write them are flaming.

Fourteen Mail Management Tips and Tricks

1. Use the Alias Feature
2. Use Signature Files
3. The To-do List Trap
4. Keep a Rotating Temp Folder of Nearly Fixed Length
5. Keep a Folder for Each Month of the Year
6. Header Searches and Body Searches
7. Don’t Recycle the Same Subject Header Over and Over Again
8. Use Automated Routing When Possible
9. An Autoreply May Be Helpful When You Go Away
10. Recycle Text for Routine Message Bodies
11. Manage Your E-mail Off-line Whenever Possible
12. You Don’t Have to Respond to Everything
13. Don’t Always Reply Right Away
14. Be Aware of How Much Time You Spend On E-mail