INTRANET

Private (company) network of computers using the same protocols as the Internet , but only for internal use. Some sort of small, private Internet.

The use of the Internet and Internet-type software for subsytems of computing for private organizations and individuals. Companies are storing key forms and documents on web sites inside their operations, making it easy for employees to find information using standard web browsers, not special-purpose database programs. Most intranets use the "free" connections of the Internet, and turn the Internet into an intranet with passwords or other access barriers to documents and databases.&nbsp Combinations of free Internet lines connected with leased (usually from telephone companies) private nodes are termed "virtual private networks" or VPN.&nbsp A VPN functionality of a dedicated line, but which is really like a privatenetwork within a public one, because it is still controlled by a telephone company. &nbsp&nbsp VPN's use encryption and other security mechanisms to ensure that only authorized users can access the network and that the data cannot be intercepted. &nbsp Some security mechanisms exist that are not available on intranets.&nbsp The finer points of VPN networking is discussed by&nbsp in a very long article by Mike Fratto in "VPNs Across Multiple Sites," Network Computing, July 1, 1998, 38-70.(See also TCP/IP , WAN ,&nbsp LAN , &nbsp and Extranet .)

A private network inside a company or organization that uses the same kinds of software that you would find on the public Internet, but that is only for internal use.

As the Internet has become more popular many of the tools used on the Internet are being used in private networks, for example, many companies have web servers that are available only to employees.

Note that an Intranet may not actually be an internet -- it may simply be a network.

See Also: internet , Internet , Network

A network of networks that interconnects within a single widespread organization and uses the Internet Protocol (IP).The sites within an Intranet are generally closed to the Internet and are accessible to organization members only

(compare Internet and extranet ) Internal systems, based on Internet technology, designed to connect the members of a specific group or single company (a closed-user group). An Intranet is nothing more than a private Internet. In other words, it is a private network, usually a LAN or WAN, that enables the use of Internet based applications in a secure and private environment. As on the public Internet, Intranets can host Web servers, ftp servers, and any other IP-based services.