Internet Technologies

Whether you’re looking for information to keep your computer safe from viruses or if you just want to learn the purpose of an Internet browser – you’ve come to the right place. Read the text below to get helpful information about types of Internet connections, Internet browsers, and common Internet terminology.

A Guide to Internet Technologies and Related Topics

You may use the internet every day, but do you really know what it is? Do you know how it works? The key to understanding the internet is understanding the different kinds of technology that it’s made out of. There are several different kinds of internet technology, all of which work together in an elegant yet simple way that’s actually pretty easy to understand.

How Does the Internet Work?

The easiest way to understand how the internet works is to think of it as a very, very big version of your home network. If you’re like most people, you probably have a bunch of different devices connected to your router at home: a couple of desktops, maybe a few tablets, possibly a laptop or two. Because these devices are all connected together, either wirelessly or by cables, you can easily share pictures, files, and other data between them.

The internet is basically like that, on a worldwide scale. Because all of the devices on the internet are connected to each other, either wirelessly or with cables, you can potentially access any file stored on any computer on that vast network.

OK, it’s a little more complicated than that, because coordinating the activity of so many millions of computers takes some special efforts and equipment. To get a fuller picture, consider the following technologies.

Here is more about what is the Internet?

Web Servers

Web servers are one of the things that make the internet a little more complicated than your home network. Basically, servers are where web pages are stored. When you type a website’s address into your browser, the request is sent to the server that page’s data is stored on. These servers have specialized software that lets them understand the web addresses your browser sends them and lets them put the website information stored under that address into a form your browser can understand. Your browser then translates that information into a display.

Web Browsers

A web browser is a kind of software technology. More specifically, it’s the software that lets your computer or other internet-capable device send requests to the internet and display the results that it gets on your screen. Popular web browsers include Chrome and Firefox. Each browser interprets the data it gets from the web servers a little differently, so the same website will look a little different depending on which browser you are using.

Internet Connections

The connections between computers and other internet-capable devices are a crucial part of internet technology. This technology is the primary factor that determines how fast your internet connection is. There are several different ways that devices can be connected. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages.

• Dial-up: This is an internet connection that uses public telephone lines, the ones on telephone poles, with a modem to translate the signals into something your computer can understand. The advantages are that it’s cheap, it’s easy to connect to, and it’s not that vulnerable to cyber attacks. The disadvantages are that it’s slow (56 Kbps max) and has very limited bandwidth. This kind of connection is hardly ever used today, but it is still around in places.
• ISDN: ISDN, or Integrated Services Digital Network technology, also uses phone lines, but does so in a higher-tech way than dial-up. As a result, it’s more than twice as fast and has more bandwidth. However, it’s still relatively slow and is much more expensive than dial-up. ISDN, just as the dial-up, is not used much today to connect users to the Internet. Most of the providers have made it obsolete.
• DSL: Digital Subscriber Line technology also works over phone lines, but it uses much more modern technology. This gives it download speeds as high as 50 Mbps, enough for video streaming and some kinds of gaming. It’s still cheaper than many other internet connection technologies. Learn more about what is DSL Internet.
• Satellite: Satellite technology uses radio waves to broadcast signals to and from dedicated satellites in orbit. This allows people to get access to the internet even in areas where there aren’t any lines or cables. Download speeds range from 25 Mbps to 250 Mbps. However, bad weather can affect service, and high latency (signal delay) is a common problem. It also tends to be more expensive than other connection technologies.
• Fixed wireless: Fixed wireless technology uses radio signals broadcast from transmission towers. Speeds are often comparable to DSL, but can go up to 1 Gbps. It doesn’t have the latency issues that satellite connections have, and it doesn’t suffer from weather problems. It is, however, relatively expensive. Fixed wireless Internet is very popular in rural areas. AT&T offers Internet Air service which is of this type.
• Cable: Cable connection technology uses the same coaxial cables used to carry cable TV signals into your home. The cable connects to a router, and the router connects to your computer via an Ethernet cable. Because of the special design of the cables, speeds are high, ranging from 100 Mbps to 1 Gbps, and the connection is reliable. It’s not particularly expensive, either. Xfinity is a well known cable internet provider. Learn more about what is Cable Internet.
• Fiber optic: Fiber optic cables transmit signal with light instead of electricity, so speeds are much higher than other cables, as high as 10 Gbps. In the past, fiber internet was rather expensive, but with its expansion, prices have come down. Today, close to 50% of households in United States have access to fiber internet. We can say this because the study from 2021 revealed that 43% of U.S. households and 60% of Canadian households had access to fiber. Fast forward to 2023, it may even slightly go over 50% of households in the U.S. Some of the well known fiber optic internet providers:
  • AT&T Fiber Internet – Speeds up to 5 Gbps.
  • Frontier Fiber Internet – Speeds up to 5 Gbps.
  • Verizon Home Internet – Speeds up to 2 Gbps.
  • Xfinity Internet – Speeds up to 2 Gbps.

Learn more about what is Fiber Internet.

• Cellular: Finally, cell phones connect to the internet using the same technology they use to place phone calls, which often involve some combination of broadcast towers and satellites. Speeds can be as slow as 2 Mbps, although the most modern systems can reach 20 Gbps. It tends to be inexpensive, although latency is high and it is vulnerable to hackers.

Internet-Capable Devices

There are surprisingly many different kinds of devices that can connect to the internet. Computers with browsers installed on them are perhaps the most common kind. Cell phones are the other most common kind. There are also tablet computers, usually just referred to as tablets. Although they have similar capacities to more traditional computers, they are essentially like large smartphones, except that many of them can’t place calls.
These are not the only internet-capable devices, though. Many common things such as home security systems, lights, cars, and even coffee makers can hook up to the internet these days. This connection allows you to control these devices remotely, so that you can have a warm house and fresh coffee when you get home, for example, or so that your car’s electronic controls can get the latest software updates. The part of the internet that is made up of these devices is often called “the internet of things.”

Internet Threats

Unfortunately, many of these internet technologies are vulnerable to a wide variety of threats. Some cybercriminals go after individual users’ devices, which often have security vulnerabilities. They hope to gain passwords and personal data they can use to steal your money. Others go after large companies’ servers, to steal large amounts of personal customer data or to gain access to corporate funds or secrets.

Other internet threats are more related to blackmail or vandalism. Some of them are directed at servers, to overwhelm them and slow or even stop them entirely, shutting down access to individual businesses or even large parts of the internet. Some attack individual people’s computers, to deny access to the owners. Money is usually then demanded in exchange for regaining access.

Some internet threats involve hackers trying to gain access to or control of your device by exploiting security flaws. Others create fake websites designed to get you to enter personal information or click on links that can install harmful programs called malware on your computer. Still others send fake emails that pretend to be from people you know, and then try to scam you. There are a lot of different kinds of threats on the internet.

The Big Picture

To summarize, the internet is essentially an enormous network of specialized computers known as servers, which house all kinds of data, and the normal sorts of computers that people and businesses use, that request data from these servers or from each other. They are connected by a variety of different cables, radio signals, broadcast towers, and satellites. Coordinating all this activity is a complicated job, and criminals can exploit the vulnerabilities in it to create a variety of online threats. As technology develops, the internet is going to develop along with it, but it will probably always have this basic structure.

Internet Security

Learn the basics of Internet Security with this helpful guide. Internet security software is provided with each AT&T High Speed Internet package to protect your computer against Internet threats. Find out how AT&T’s All-in-One Protection Suite protects your computer against viruses, malware, and spam. No other Internet provider offers such a wide range of security features as AT&T High-speed DSL service.

Internet Browsers

Outdated Internet browser software leaves your computer vulnerable to identity theft and viruses. Get tips to keep your Internet browser up-to-date and functioning properly. With some Internet providers, you will receive firewall software to protect your device and Internet browser, and to keep computer hackers away from accessing your information.

High Speed Internet

Download speed up to 5 Gbps (Five Gigabits per Second)!

...more info about AT&T Fiber Internet

Glossary of Internet-Related Terms

Check here for a list of Internet-related terms. Whether you’re looking for the definition of Search Engine or Plug-in, you will find it in our glossary of common Internet terms.