Internet

When two or more networks  are connected, you have an internet (lower case i)."The" Internet (upper case i) is the largest of the internets (the mother-of-all-internets...)The Internet evolved from the ArpaNET (a U.S. military network) to an academic research network, to the current (global) commercial network. The Internet is growing tremendously in the number of connected servers  , and users. Other names: "the Net  ", "cyberspace  ", "the information superhighway  "...

An international grouping of computer networks. The Internet started as a relatively tiny United States Department of Defense (DOD) Advanced Research Project Agency (ARPA) project in 1969. It commenced with the networking of four computers.&nbsp The Internet was not widely known between 1969 and 1991.&nbsp Its popularity exploded when HTML , HTTP , and the World Wide Web made it much easier to use the Internet. &nbsp For interactive computing between computers on the Internet, see Distributed Network Computing . For web browsers see Web browsers , Java , GINA , Gopher , Mosaic , and SLIP . For accounting educator Internet networks see ANet , ADO and RDS , International Internet Association , Internet 2 , PIC-AECM , and RAW . (See also ABKY , IKE , Sonet , Telnet , FTP , TENet , ARPANet , BITNET , World Wide Web , Finger Gateway , Whois Gateway , UUCP , NSFNet , NYSERNet , Gateways , Outernets , Macmillan Information SuperLibrary , Remote login , Search engine , &nbsp TCP/IP , and USENet )

A global network connecting millions computers. As of 1998, the Internet has more than 100 million users worldwide, and that number is growing rapidly. More than 100 countries are linked into exchanges of data, news and opinions. Unlike online services, which are centrally controlled, the Internet is decentralized by design. Each Internet computer, called a host, is independent. Its operators can choose which Internet services to use and which local services to make available to the global Internet community. Remarkably, this anarchy by design works exceedingly well.There are a variety of ways to access the Internet. Most online services, such as America Online, offer access to some Internet services. It is also possible to gain access through a commercial Internet Service Provider (ISP).

A collection of networks interconnected by a set of routers which allow them to function as a single, large virtual network.

(note the capital "I") The Internet is the largest internet in the world. Is a three level hierarchy composed of backbone networks (e.g., NSFNET, MILNET), mid-level networks, and stub networks. The Internet is a multiprotocol internet. See also: backbone, mid-level network, stub network, transit network, Internet Protocol, Corporation for Research and Educational Networks, National Science Foundation.

While an internet is a network, the term "internet" is usually used to refer to a collection of networks interconnected with routers. See also: network.

A network of many networks that interconnect worldwide and use the Internet Protocol (IP) .When you connect to the internet,you actually become part of it.Always capitalized,the word Internet can also be referred to colloquially as the NET. An internet (lower case i) describes more than one local network interconnected by bridges or routers.See intranet and extranet