Softech Computer Centre – Chuka Internet & E-mail Notes

INTERNET & EMAIL

Introduction to computer networks
Objectives
a) Define computer networking.
b) Describe networking software.
c) Describe networking architecture.
d) Access resources in shared communication networks.

Meaning of computer networks

A network is a group of computers and other devices such as printers or modems that are
connected by some type of transmission media such as copper or fibre optic cable.

Networking software
Some common types of software used in networking are
o Novel
o Windows NT
o Unix
o Linux

Novel
Novel is a local area network operating system that is commonly used for IBM-standard
computers running windows operating systems or OS/2 from Apple.
It was developed by a company known as Novel Inc. It provides a means of connecting
several computers on a network giving all the computers on the ability to access files,
programs, printers & E-mail.
In addition to the sharing of resources it also provides network administration services.

Windows NT
Windows NT is an operating system from Microsoft that was developed with the capability to
serve as a desktop operating system but also had many features that made it popular as a
network operating system.
Some of these features are like:
Stability – Applications running on NT did not interfere as much with each other as each
program run in it own protected memory area.
It also provides many enhanced security features such as protection for files, folders &
printers.
It supported peer web services where it contained a personal web server built to run
specifically on NT.
It also provided good administration features for networks such as user management and
windows messaging.

UNIX
This is an operating system that supports features such as multi-users & multi tasking.
It is known to a very stable operating system and is thus dependable for network situations.
It is popularly used to link the majority of mainframes, super computers and mini-computers

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Linux
Linux is open source software, which is freely available; however, the full distribution of
Linux along with technical support and training are available for a fee from vendors such as
Red Hat Software and Caldera. Due to its stability, Linux has gained popularity with ISPs as
the OS for hosting Web servers.
Linux is becoming popular as the basis for computer networks, and is commonly used as the
operating basis for Internet servers because it is cheap and reliable.

Networking architecture

Topologies
A topology describes the general layout of media or cabling, that connects all the
participating devices together.
The common types of available topologies are.
o Bus
o Star
o Ring
o Hybrid

Bus

A bus topology uses a single backbone cable that is terminated at both ends. All the hosts
connect directly to this backbone. A terminator is fitted at both ends to prevent signals from
echoing ie reflecting down the wire.
As data is transmitted down the wire each device receives the data and checks the address and
if it matches then it receives the data otherwise it discard the data.

Star

A star topology connects all cables to a central point. The central point may be a networking
device such as a hub or switch. The central point collects and distributes data over the
network. However in this type of network if the central device fails then te network will not
operate.

Ring

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A ring topology connects one host to the next and the last host to the first. Creating a physical
ring of cable. In this topology each station is responsible for regenerating and transmitting
signals around the network to its neighbour.

Therefore the failure of one node on the network will affect the performance of the network.

Hybrid
This is a network topology that combines the features of the other topologies in setting up a
network. It is meant to provide the highest efficiency and reliability in the network e.g. the
mesh topology

DATA COMMUNICATION CONCEPTS

Objectives
a) Explain the various data communication concepts.
b) Identify various communication media.
c) Identify transmission equipment.

Communication media
These are the physical paths along which data on a network travels. It may be of various
types such as
o Coaxial cable
o Shielded twisted pair cable STP
o Unshielded twisted pair cable UTP
o Fibre Optic

Coaxial cable

Coaxial cable consists of a copper conductor surrounded by a layer of flexible insulation.

The centre conductor can also be made of tin plated aluminium cable allowing for the cable
to be manufactured inexpensively.

Over this insulating material is a woven copper braid or metallic foil that acts as the second
wire in the circuit and as a shield for the inner conductor.

This second layer, or shield also reduces the amount of outside electromagnetic interference.
Covering this shield is the cable jacket.

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For LANs, coaxial cable offers several advantages. It can be run longer distances than
shielded twisted pair STP, unshielded twisted pair, UTP.

Shielded twisted pair cable STP

STP cable combines the techniques of cancellation, shielded, and twisted wires. Each pair of
wires is wrapped in metallic foil. The two pairs of wires are wrapped in an overall metallic
braid or foil. It is usually 150-ohm cable.

STP provides more protection from all types of external interference. However, STP is more
expensive and difficult to install than UTP.

Unshielded twisted pair

UTP is a four-pair wire medium used in a variety of networks. Each of the eight copper wires
in the UTP cable is covered by insulating material. In addition, each pair of wires is twisted
around each other. This type of cable relies on the cancellation effect produced by the twisted
wire pairs to limit signal degradation caused by EMI and RFI. UTP cable has many
advantages. It is easy to install and is less expensive than other types of networking media. In
fact, UTP costs less per meter than any other type of LAN cabling. It utilizes an RJ-45
connector.

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Fibre Optic

The light used in optical fibre networks is one type of electromagnetic energy. When an
electric charge moves back and forth, or accelerates, a type of energy called electromagnetic
energy is produced. This energy in the form of waves can travel through a vacuum, the air,
and through some materials like glass.
Every fibres-optic cable used for networking consists of two glass fibres encased in separate
sheaths. One fibres carries transmitted data from device A to device B. The second fibre
carries data from device B to device A. The fibres are similar to two one-way streets going in
opposite directions.

Fibre optic cable can be single mode or multimode.

i) Multimode
This allows the transmission of more than one light pulse along the cable.
Transmission is carried out using light emitting diodes LEDs.

ii) Single mode

This allows only one light pulse too be transmitted at a time along the cable
It carries out its transmission using Laser.
It can travel for longer distances than multimode fibres.

Wireless networks
In a wireless network the nodes on the network are equipped with a wireless network card
and then a network can be established with the machines being servers & clients to each
other. This is much the same like a peer to peer network.

Although with this type of set up problems usually arise due to compatibility problems with
the network cards that may be from different manufacturers.
To solve the problem of compatibility, an access point (AP) is commonly installed to act as a
central hub for the WLAN infrastructure mode. The AP is hard wired to the cabled LAN to
provide Internet access and connectivity to the wired network. APs are equipped with
antennae and provide wireless connectivity over a specified area referred to as a cell.
When a node on the network becomes active it ‘listens’ or ‘scans’ the network searching for
an access point to associate with. Once one is found it requests authentication data from the
NIC and once the correct information is provided the node is granted access to the network.
Wireless networks may either use Infra-red or radio frequency for transmission.

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Transmission Equipment

Telephone
The telephone was among the first communication device to be created using its own
dedicated communication lines to transmit its signals.

As the telephone advanced it was discovered that it was possible to send data signals along
the telephone line. This facilitated the creation of large networks.

Modems (modulator/demodulator)
Equipment that converts digital signals into analog signals for purpose of transmission over a
telephone line. Signal is then converted back to digital form so that it can be processed by a
receiving computer. Modems are typically used to link computers via telephone lines. Short
for modulator-demodulator. Typical modems for home use are 14.4 kbps. 14 kilobytes per
second translates into a transmission or receiving rate of approximately 1600 bytes per
second.

Repeater
This is a networking device that is used to regenerate a transmitted signal & pass it on. It can
regenerate and retime network signals at the bit level to allow them to travel a longer distance
on the media.

Gateways
A gateway is node that translates between two otherwise incompatible networks or network
segments. Gateways perform code and protocol conversion to facilitate traffic between data
highways of differing architecture, for example Ethernet and Token Ring - a device that acts
as an interface between two or more networks to connect dissimilar communications systems.
A gateway translates from one set of protocols to another, at levels from the Physical layer
(Level 1) up through the Application layer (Level 7) of the OSI Reference model.

Satellites
These are devices that are located very high above the earth or in space and are used for
communication purposes and data transmission.

They usually communicate with devices on the earth that have the receiving satellite dishes
that are set to receive the signal at a specific transmission range.
When used for data transmission they are very fast but are very expensive to set up and
maintain.

Booster
This is a device that is used to amplify or boost a communication signal. Such that the signal
can be received or transmitted clearly.

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INTRODUCTION TO THE INTERNET

a) Specific objectives
b) Define the internet
c) Explain the historical development of the internet
d) Describe internet connectivity
e) Connect to the internet

What is Internet?
The internet is a vast network of networked computers (hardware and software) that connects
millions of people all over the world. It is a network of information stored on many
computers around the world, these computers are internet worked to allow the information to
be accessible to people around the world.

Historical development of the internet

 It began in 1957 when the US government formed a military research agency to keep up
with its cold war enemy the Soviet Union, which had launched the first satellite, called
Sputnik 1.
 The United States wanted to remain technologically ahead of the Soviets so it formed
DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) whose scientists investigated
new technologies.
 Worried about having to keep what they were investigating and learning all in one
location, DARPA sought to protect the nation’s information by linking togethercomputers
so as to guard against losing all the information should a key computer fail.
 These connected computers formed ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency
Network), which scientist also used to talk to one another and share files. This was the
grandparent of the Internet as we know it today.
 The ARPANET started with only four (4) computers in 1969. Today, over 95 million
across the world form our Internet. The Internet is still growing.
 In 1991, a computer scientist named Tim Barners – Lee created a program that worked on
his employer’s computer system enabling people to link their documents and files
together. This became the World Wide Web.
 A couple of years later, Marc Anderson released Mosaic for X, a graphical web browser.
 He later founded Netscape Navigator.
 Other companies e.g. Microsoft Corporation have come up with web browsers as well.
 In 1993, there were only 130 web sites. Today, one can visit millions of web sites.

Importance of the internet (Uses of the Internet)

The internet has developed to include very many facilities and services that have made it very
important in society. Some of these are:-
o Communication
o Education
o Research
o Information and entertainment
o E-mail
o News
o E-commerce/E-business
o E-government

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Communication
There are a number of communication services supported by the internet such as
E-mail – This is the most popular use of the internet where users send e-mail
messages to each other. It is a fast and convenient way to communicate.
Chatting – This allows many users from various locations to chat with each other in
real time.
Conferencing – Conferencing on the web may be defined as the dynamic exchange of
all kinds of information text, graphics, HTML links to information audio video etc.
All these are in a context of structured conversations organised by item and allowing a
participant to contribute spontaneous responses to any item in the conversation.

Education
The internet has greatly assisted learning and education through services such as
Virtual learning – This is the latest addition to distance learning that had traditionally been
dominated by correspondence via traditional postal mail. Through the internet it is now
possible to attend a class by connecting to the internet. The major advantage of virtual
learning is flexibility especially to those who are working fulltime who can now take classes
after work.
Books - In developing countries schools may lack adequate libraries but with the internet
these schools can now be able to access a wide variety of up to date reading materials for
both students and teachers.

Research
In the area of research the internet has also helped through
Journals & Research - With the internet a researcher has at his disposal many journals and
databases. He can therefore be able to view many up to date journals and relevant literature
required for ones area of research.
Joint research – The internet is increasing co-operation efforts in selected joint research
projects of common interest, especially on basic technology.

Information and Entertainment

In terms of providing information the internet has very many types of information available
such as news headlines, sports, travel information and news groups.
So depending in ones interest the internet can provide valuable information.
The entertainment available on the internet is also very vast ranging from games that can be
downloaded or played online to other services such as listening to music, downloading music
and movies.

Electronic mail (E-mail)

E-mail is a quick, convenient, efficient and cheap way to communicate with both individuals
and groups. It is the most popular and most pervasive Internet service.

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Internet connectivity
For one to have a connection to the internet there are a number of things that must be
available such as
o Telephone line
o Modem
o Internet service providers
o Internet software

Telephone line
The telephone line is the most widely use method of connection to the internet as data is
usually sent over the telephone line

Internet software
These are programs that enable you to access web pages on the internet. E.g web Browsers
help in navigating the web. E.g Internet explorer or netscape

Modems
A modem is a device that converts a computer's outgoing data to a format that can be
transferred via telephone lines. Modems can also convert incoming data so the computer can
read it.
A modem can be located inside or outside your computer. Some of the different types of
modems are internal, external, voice/data, and fax modems.

ISP
Internet service providers (ISP are companies that provide access to the Internet.
For a monthly fee (and an initial activation fee), you can purchase a software package from
your ISP. These packages feature different levels of Internet access. Flat-rate service will buy
you unlimited
.hours, whereas a less-expensive hourly package buys limited Internet access. In either case,
the speed with which you access the Internet factors into how much you pay per month)

Connecting to the internet

There are various methods of connecting to the internet such
o Dial up connection.
o Leased line
o ISDN

Dial up
Refers to connecting a device to a network via a modem and a public telephone network.
Dial-up access is really just like a phone connection, except that the parties at the two ends
are computer devices rather than people. Because dial-up access uses normal telephone lines,
the quality of the connection is not always good and data rates are limited. In the past, the
maximum data rate with dial-up access was 56 Kbps (56,000 bits per second).

Leased line
A permanent telephone connection between two points set up by a telecommunications
common carrier. Typically, leased lines are used by businesses to connect geographically
distant offices. Unlike normal dial-up connections, a leased line is always active. The fee for
the connection is a fixed monthly rate. The primary factors affecting the monthly fee are

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distance between end points and the speed of the circuit. Because the connection doesn't carry
anybody else's communications, the carrier can assure a given level of quality.

This type of connection to the internet is therefore very fast and reliable thus it is preferred by
companies and large organisations that use the internet heavily.

ISDN
Integrated services digital network (ISDN), an international communications standard for
sending voice, video, and data over digital telephone lines or normal telephone wires. ISDN
supports data transfer rates of 64 Kbps (64,000 bits per second).
 It is therefore reliable for sending information over the internet.
 It mainly uses digital signals to transmit information over the internet.

Browser Basics
A web browser is a program that enables a user to view the pages that are available on the
internet. It is can retrieve and display the information on the internet in a way that can be
understood by the user.
Examples of browsers are like. Internet explorer, Mozila, Opera
When you use a web browser to view the various pages on the internet you are said to be
surfing the internet.

Browser Basics
Here is a quick review of web browser basics:
 To return to the last page you viewed, click your Back button.
 To return to the page you visited before you clicked the Back button, click the Forward
button.
 Click the drop down menu to the right of the back and forward buttons to view and select
from a list of recently visited sites.
 To visit a web page, type the URL in the address bar and click the Go button or simply hit
the Enter (Return) key on your keyboard.

Cache
Have you ever started typing your favorite website's address, and the entire address
displays?

Or, have you tried clicking the address bar's drop down menu to display a list of sites
you've recently visited?

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What about the Back and Forward button's drop down lists of recently visited sites?

 If you've used any of the methods listed above to surf the Web, you are using your web
browser's cache.

 Your web browser stores recently visited sites (as temporary Internet files) on your
computer's hard disk. When you revisit your favorite sites, the browser displays the
pages from the cache instead of requesting them from the web server.
 This makes surfing the web faster and easier.

Refreshing and Stopping Web Pages

While using your browser's cache may increase ease of use, you may not be getting the most
up-to-date information a site has to offer. To do so, you need to refresh, or reload, a web
page. Refreshing requests fresh pages from the web server rather than from the cache stored
on your machine's disk.

Most browsers include a Refresh button on the toolbar. (F5)

Refresh a web page when:
 You want to view the latest version of the page. For example, when viewing a discussion
forum, or a news-driven website.
 You get a message that a web page cannot be displayed. For example, "Error 404, File
Not Found."

Most browsers include a Stop button on the toolbar. (Esc)

Stop a web page when:

 You want to stop a web page from loading.
 A page is taking too long to load.
 You mistyped a URL.

Refreshing and Stopping Web Pages

While using your browser's cache may increase ease of use, you may not be getting the most
up-to-date information a site has to offer. To do so, you need to refresh, or reload, a web

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page. Refreshing requests fresh pages from the web server rather than from the cache stored
on your machine's disk.
Most browsers include a Refresh button on the toolbar. (F5)

Refresh a web page when:

 You want to view the latest version of the page. For example, when viewing a discussion
forum, or a news-driven website.
 You get a message that a web page cannot be displayed. For example, "Error 404, File
Not Found."
Most browsers include a Stop button on the toolbar. (Esc)

Stop a web page when:

 You want to stop a web page from loading.
 A page is taking too long to load.
 You mistyped a URL.

Toolbars
Internet Explorer features customizable toolbars to help you navigate the Web. Below are the
toolbars featured in IE 5.
The Standard buttons bar displays commonly used buttons such as the Back, Forward,
Stop, Refresh, Home, Search, Favorites, History, and Print buttons.

The Address bar displays the address, or URL, of the web page you are currently visiting.
Type new URLs or search terms into the Address bar.

The Links bar is a convenient place to add frequently used links.

The Radio bar, available when Windows Media Player is installed, includes a radio station
guide and control button such as "play" and "volume."

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Status bar and Explorer bar

Internet Explorer's Status bar and Explorer bar offer additional web navigation methods.
The Status bar, located at the bottom of the IE window, indicates when a web site is found,
loading, waiting for reply, or if you have a secure connection. It is always a good idea to
display the Status bar, particulary for security reasons discussed in Unit 4.

The Explorer bar is a sidebar located in the left side of the IE window. It's a convenient
way of accessing the Favorites list, History list, and Search function.

Show and Hide Toolbars, Status bar and Explorer bar

In newer versions of Internet Explorer, you can show and hide the toolbars, Status bar and
Explorer bar.

To show or hide the toolbars:

 Choose View Toolbars from the IE menu bar.
 Click the clear or show the checkmark for each item.

OR

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 Right-click the toolbar and click to clear or show the checkmark for each item.

To show or hide the Status bar:

 Choose View and click to clear or show the checkmark.
 To show or hide the Explorer bar:
 Choose View Explorer bar.
 Choose from Search, Favorites, History, or Folders.

OR
 Click on the Standard button toolbar.
 Click button again to hide the Explorer bar or click the X in the upper right corner or the Explorer

Saving Pictures
It's easy to return to previously visited web pages using tools such as Favorites and History.
You can also save specific pictures, text, or links from web pages for later reference.

To save pictures:
 Go to the web page that features a picture you want to save.
 Right-click the item you want to save. The shortcut menu opens.
 Choose Save Picture As from the shortcut menu.
 The Save Picture dialog box opens.
 The default save location is My Pictures. Click the Save in drop down box arrow to
navigate to a new save location.
 Rename the image in the File name text box if needed.
 Click Save.

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To set a web page image as desktop wallpaper:

 Go to the web page.
 Right-click the image, choose Set as Wallpaper from the shortcut menu.
 It will be saved in the list as Internet Explorer wallpaper.
 Minimize the window. Your new wallpaper should display.
 Each new graphic you set as wallpaper will replace the old one.

To edit wallpaper:
 Choose Start Settings Control Panel.
 Double-click the Display icon to open the Display Properties window.
 Click the Background tab and adjust image settings.
 The Start menu is fully explained in our self-paced Windows 98 course.

Copying and Pasting Text

You can save specific text from web pages for later reference. For example, if you want to
save content from a site that features regularly changing content, (an online newspaper, for
example); you might want to copy and paste text.

To copy and paste text from a web page:

 Go to the web page.
 Select the text you want to copy.
 Choose Edit Copy from your web browser's menu bar or right-click the text and choose
Copy from the shortcut menu.
 Open another application, such as Word, for example.
 Choose Edit Paste from the menu bar or right-click and choose Paste from the shortcut
menu to paste the text into the document of choice (for example, a Word document).

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For a complete explanation on saving, copying and pasting, see our self-paced Office
2000 course.

Emailing Links
While surfing the Internet, you may come across an interesting site you want to share with
friends or family. There are several different methods of sending a web page via email.

To cut and paste a link:

 Go to the web page.
 In the Address box, select the URL. For example: [Link]
 Right-click and choose Copy from the shortcut menu.
 Open your email program.
 Compose your email message.
 Right-click the body of the email message, and choose Paste from the shortcut menu.
 Send the message.

Some web pages include a "Tell A Friend" or "Email this Article" feature. This may be
convenient, but you may want to be wary of who you give your email address to.

OR

To send a link in email:

 Go to the web page.
 Choose File Send.
 Click Page by Email or Link by Email.
 Compose your email message, and then send the message.

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You need to specially configure your e-mail program for the send a link in email
method to work.

Print a Web Page

Let's say you need to print a web page, such as a map, for offline reference.

To print a web page:

 Choose File Print. The Print dialog box opens.
 Set printing options as you normally would.

To print a frame or item in a web page:

 Right-click the frame or item. The shortcut menu opens.
 Choose Print, Print Frame, or Print Target.
 The Print dialog box opens.
 Set printing options as you normally would.

Work Offline
You can revisit useful web sites whether or not you have an Internet connection available.
Using the Work Offline feature, you can view web pages without connecting to the Internet.

To View Web Pages Offline:

 Go to the site you want to visit later.
 Add it to Favorites.
 Before you disconnect from the Internet, choose Tools Synchronize from the menu bar.
 The Items to Synchronize dialog box appears.
 Click Synchronize.

When you want to work offline:

 Choose File Work Offline.
 Open Favorites.
 View the pre-set page offline.

IE synchronizes when you shut down and

reboot your machine.

Search Engines
Instead of trying to guess where certain
information may be located on the Web,
search engines allow you to search both the
Web and newsgroups.
A search engine searches for keywords and
returns a list of documents where the
keywords can be found. Most search
engines allow you to search using plain
language relevant to the topic of interest,
meaning you don't have to know any
special programming tricks to effectively
search the Web.

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You're probably already familiar with search engines such as Yahoo, Google, Excite, or
AltaVista. You may have even used a search engine to find our site.
With a search engine, keywords related to a topic are typed into a search "box." The search
engine scans its database and returns a file with links to websites containing the word or
words specified. Because these databases are very large, search engines often return
thousands of results. Without search strategies or techniques, finding what you need can be
like finding a needle in a haystack.

There is tons of information available on the Web; you just have to know how to find it
fast.

Techniques for using search engines

IDENTIFY KEYWORDS

When conducting a search, break down the topic into key concepts. For example, to find
information on what the FCC has said about the wireless communications industry, the
keywords might be:

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BOOLEAN AND

Connecting search terms with AND tells the search engine to retrieve web pages containing
ALL the keywords.

FCC and wireless and communication

The search engine will not return pages with just the word FCC. Neither will it return pages
with the word FCC and the word wireless. The search engine will only return pages where
the words FCC, wireless, and communication all appear somewhere on the page. Thus, AND
helps to narrow your search results as it limits results to pages where all the keywords appear.

Practice AND

BOOLEAN OR

Linking search terms with OR tells the search engine to retrieve web pages containing ANY
and ALL keywords.

(FCC or wireless or communication)

When OR is used, the search engine returns pages with a single keyword, several keywords,
and all keywords. Thus, OR expands your search results. Use OR when you have common
synonyms for a keyword. Surround OR statements with parentheses for best results. To
narrow results as much as possible, combine OR statements with AND statements.

For example, the following search statement locates information on purchasing a used car:
(car or automobile or vehicle) and (buy or purchase) and used

Practice OR & AND

BOOLEAN AND NOT

AND NOT tells the search engine to retrieve web pages containing one keyword but not the
other.

dolphins and not Miami

The above example instructs the search engine to return web pages about dolphins but not
web pages about the "Miami Dolphins" football team. Use AND NOT when you have a
keyword that has multiple meanings. The need for AND NOT often becomes apparent after
you perform an initial search. If your search results contain irrelevant results (e.g., Saturn the
car rather than Saturn the planet), consider using AND NOT to filter out the undesired
websites.

Practice AND NOT

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IMPLIED BOOLEAN: PLUS & MINUS

In many search engines, the plus and minus symbols can be used as alternatives to full
Boolean AND and AND NOT. The plus sign (+) is the equivalent of AND, and the minus
sign (-) is the equivalent of AND NOT. There is no space between the plus or minus sign and
the keyword.

NOTE: AltaVista's Simple Search requires the use of plus and minus rather than AND, OR,
and AND NOT.
+welding +process

+Saturn -car

couch sofa

IMPORTANT: Use AltaVista's Simple Search for implied Boolean (+/-) searches, and use
AltaVista's Advanced Search for full Boolean (AND, OR, AND NOT) searches.

Practice Implied Boolean (+/-)

PHRASE SEARCHING
Surrounding a group of words with double quotes tells the search engine to only retrieve
documents in which those words appear side-by-side. Phrase searching is a powerful search
technique for significantly narrowing your search results, and it should be used as often as
possible.
"John F. Kennedy"

"Walt Disney World"

"global warming"

For best results, combine phrase searching with implied Boolean (+/-) or full Boolean (AND,
OR, and AND NOT) logic.

+"heart disease" +cause

"heart disease" and cause

The above example tells the search engine to retrieve pages where the words heart disease
appear side-by-side and the word cause appears somewhere else on the page.

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NOTE ON IMPLIED BOOLEAN LOGIC (+/-): When a phrase search is combined with
additional keywords using implied Boolean logic (+/-), you must put a plus or minus sign
before the phrase as well as the other keywords. If the search involves a phrase with no
additional keywords (e.g., "Walt Disney World"), the plus sign before the quotes is optional.

Practice Phrase Searching (Implied)

Practice Phrase Searching (Full Boolean)

PLURAL FORMS, CAPITAL LETTERS, AND ALTERNATE SPELLINGS

Most search engines interpret lower case letters as either upper or lower case. Thus, if you
want both upper and lower case occurrences returned, type your keywords in all lower case
letters. However, if you want to limit your results to initial capital letters (e.g., "George
Washington") or all upper case letters, type your keywords that way.

Like capitalization, most search engines interpret singular keywords as singular or plural. If
you want plural forms only, make your keywords plural.

A few search engines support truncation or wildcard features that allow variations in spelling
or word forms. The asterisk (*) symbol tells the search engine to return alternate spellings for
a word at the point that the asterisk appears. For example, capital* returns web pages with
capital, capitals, capitalize, and capitalization.

Practice Truncation (Implied)

Practice Truncation (Full Boolean)

TITLE SEARCH

Field searching is one of the most effective techniques for narrowing results and getting the
most relevant websites listed at the top of the results page. A web page is composed of a
number of fields, such as title, domain, host, URL, and link. Searching effectiveness
increases as you combine field searches with phrase searches and Boolean logic. For
example, if you wanted to find information about George Washington and his wife Martha,
you could try the following search:

+title:"George Washington" +President +Martha

title:"George Washington" and President and Martha

The above TITLE SEARCH example instructs the search engine to return web pages where
the phrase George Washington appears in the title and the words President and Martha appear
somewhere on the page. Like plus and minus, there is no space between the colon (:) and the
keyword.

Practice Title Searching (Implied)

Practice Title Searching (Full Boolean)

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DOMAIN SEARCH
In addition to the title search, other helpful field searching strategies include the domain
search, the host search, the link search, and the URL search. The DOMAIN SEARCH
allows you to limit results to certain domains such as websites from the United Kingdom
(.uk), educational institutions (.edu), or government sites (.gov).
+domain:uk +title:"Queen Elizabeth"

domain:uk and title:"Queen Elizabeth"

+domain:edu +"lung cancer" +smok*

domain:edu and "lung cancer" and smok*

The current U.S. domains are the following:

.com = a commercial business

.edu = an educational institution
.gov = a governmental institution
.org = a non-profit organization
.mil = a military site
.net = a network site

Most websites originating outside the U.S. have a country domain indicating the country of
origin.

Practice Domain Searching (Implied)

Practice Domain Searching (Full Boolean)

HOST SEARCH

The HOST SEARCH comes in handy when you need to find something located at a large
site that does not have an internal search engine. With this search technique, you can search
all the pages at a website (contained in the engine's database) for keywords or phrases of
interest.

NOTE: Because the major search engines do not always log an entire website, use an internal
search engine, if the website has one, for best results.

+host:[Link] +"special offer"

host:[Link] and "special offer"

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Practice Host Searching (Implied)

Practice Host Searching (Full Boolean)

URL SEARCH

The URL SEARCH limits search results to web pages where the keyword appears in the
URL or website address. A URL search can narrow very broad results to web pages devoted
to the keyword topic.

+url:halloween +title:stories

url:halloween and title:stories

Practice URL Searching (Implied)

Practice URL Searching (Full Boolean)

LINK SEARCH

Use the LINK SEARCH when you want to know what websites are linked to a particular
site of interest. For example, if you have a home page and you are wondering if anyone has
put a link to your page on their website, use the Link search. Researchers use link searches
for conducting backward citations.

Tips for Effective Searching

Beware of using slang or partial words. If you use slang or parts of words, you may have
some luck, but your results may be too broad. For example, flick instead of movie, or Macs
instead of Macintoshes may yield different results.

Correct Spelling, Pluralization and Capitalization. Be aware of pluralizing your words, and
spell them correctly. For example, good will, goodwill, Goodwill, Goodwills, and Good Will
may yield different results.

AND. Use AND (all caps) to search for multiple words that must appear in a web page. Some
search engines support a plus sign (+) in place of AND. For example, free AND coupon, or free
+ coupon.

NOT. Use NOT (all caps) to exclude certain words or phrases. For example, casserole NOT
chicken NOT beef.

OR. Use OR (all caps) to include any of the search words (rather than most.) For example,
George Washington OR Bush.

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Wildcards. The percentage symbol (%) can be used to replace only one character. The
asterisk (*) can be used to replace multiple characters. For example, post* could produce
postwar, postgame, or postmarital.

Phrases. Put quotes around a phrase so each word in the phrase isn't searched for
separately. For example, if you put quotes around "free online computer training," the
search engine searches for that entire phrase in a web page. However, if you simply
type, free online computer training, the search engine searches for each of the words
individually in a web page.

Get Help. Go to your search engine's Help page for more specific information on a
particular engine.

Try Something New. There are many different search engines on the Web. If you can't
find what you are looking for using your favorite engine, go somewhere else.

Bookmark it. Add your favorite search engines to your Favorites to increase ease of
use. If you're not sure how to do this, you'll learn how later in this unit.

Internet services
Objectives
a) Identify internet services
b) Use internet services

WWW (World wide web)

The Web is a system of Internet servers that support specially-formatted documents.

These specially formatted documents are text documents created in HTML, a formatting
language. In conjunction with the World Wide Web, your web browser interprets these text
documents so they become web pages.
Web pages contain formatted text, graphics, sound, animation, and video, allowing point and
click navigation.

Web Browser

A piece of software used to navigate the Web. Internet Explorer and Netscape are web
browsers.

GUI (Graphical User Interface)

A GUI (pronounced GOO-ee) takes advantage of your computer's graphics (picture)

capabilities to increase ease of use. For example, the buttons you point and click to surf the
web is part of your web browser's GUI . Most operating systems include a GUI, such as

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Windows and Mac OS. In the past, there was no pointing and clicking; rather, the user had to
know a command language to operate the computer.

HTML (Hypertext Markup Language)

The formatting language used to create web documents.

Hypertext
The system of electronically linking words or pictures to other words or pictures.

URL (Uniform Resource Locator)

Each web page has its own address on the Internet, which is called a URL. To recognize one
another over the Internet, computers convert human-friendly addresses like
[Link] to numerical IP addresses. You may type in either [Link]
(GCF Global Learning's IP address) or [Link] (our human-friendly domain
name) to get to our homepage.

Domain name
A name that identifies one or more IP addresses. For example, the domain name
[Link] represents about a dozen IP addresses. Domain names are used in URLs to
identify particular Web pages. For example, in the URL
[Link] the domain name is [Link].

Every domain name has a suffix that indicates which top level domain (TLD) it belongs to.
There are only a limited number of such domains. For example:

.gov - Government agencies

.edu - Educational institutions
.org - Organizations (nonprofit)
.mil - Military
.com - commercial business
.net - Network organizations

Some domain name extensions also identify countries e.g

.[Link] – Identifies a web page in Kenya
.uk - Identifies a web page in the united kingdom
.ca - Identifies a web page in Canada.
.[Link] - Identifies a web page in South Africa

HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol)

You may have noticed the http:// preceding URLs. For example:
[Link] The first part of the URL, usually HTTP, indicates the file type.
HTTP, the system for transferring web documents, defines how messages are formatted and
transmitted over the Internet.

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Electronic commerce
This is the buying and selling of goods and services over the internet. E-commerce involves
being able to carry out trade over the internet without meeting physically.

Multi-media technology
Multi–media is a term that refers to the use of sound, graphics and video.

Remote
This is where a user can be able to log or monitor another computer from a different location
Remote logging - This is used for logging (recording) data away from the computer.
The data logger needs to be set up first by the computer, before it is taken away to
start recording.

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ELECTRONIC MAIL (E-MAIL)

Objectives
a) Define Electronic mail
b) Define types of Email software
c) Explain requirements for e-mail connectivity
d) Use E-mail facilities

E-mail

Electronic mail
This is the sending of electronic messages over the internet. E-mail services are usually
provided by various companies such as yahoo, MSN or even companies that offer internet
services.

An email address is required to send and receive email. Email addresses are
different from "snail mail" addresses. They usually consist of three parts: a user
name, an "at" symbol (@), and a domain name.

jdoe@[Link]
1. User name: jdoe

Located to the left of the @ symbol, a user name identifies your account on the email
server that handles the email. For example, John Doe might choose "jdoe" as his
username. However, someone may have already chosen jdoe, so have some other choices
ready. Choose a user name that sounds professional and is easy to remember.

2. @

Means "at" and separates your account name and the name of the mail server name. For
example, jdoe "is located at" [Link].

3. Domain Name: [Link]

The domain name usually consists of two pieces of identifying information. The first
piece is the name of the email server and is located to the right of the @ symbol. For
example, gcflearnfree is the name of the email server. The second piece, usually a three-
letter extension, indicates the top-level domain. They are separated by periods, called
"dots."
Consider choosing a user name that protects your identity instead of your first and/or last
name.
Simply put, email, or "electronic mail," is the process of sending and receiving messages over
the Internet.

Types of Email software

Some common types of email software are like
Ms Outlook – This is an email software that comes as a part of the Microsoft office package.

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It allows email messages to be sent over the internet and is popular mainly because of its
formatting features that are similar to those available in ms word.

Eudora - Eudora is a classic, powerful, flexible and efficient email client, software that
scans unwanted mail. Efficiently and was developed by a company known as
QUALCOMNN.

Pine -Program for Internet News & Email - is a tool for reading, sending, and managing
electronic messages. Pine was developed by Computing & Communications at
The University of Washington. Though originally designed for inexperienced email
users,
Pine has evolved to support many advanced features, and an ever-growing number of
configuration and personal-preference options
It used for machines using the unix operating
System.
CCmail - Description: CcMail 1.0 is a FREE, powerful Mailing List Manager that doesn't require
any database or language knowledge. CcMail is very simple to install and set up: you
have *only* to include a php line. The main features are: Groups and Users managing,
Mail sending with virtually any option, HTML editor, Privacy

Requirements
The requirements for using e-mail are just the same as those for accessing the internet except
that one must have an email provider such as Yahoo or MSN

Email Clients
To send and receive email, both the sender and recipient must have the right tools: an Internet
connection, an email client, and an email address.

An email client (sometimes referred to as a composer) is software that runs on a personal

computer, and relies on an Internet connection to perform some of its operations.

Email clients work with any ISP (Internet Service Provider) that uses standard Internet email
protocols. These protocols make it possible for people using different email client software
to communicate with one another. For example, if I use Microsoft OutlookTM, I can send
and receive email with someone who uses QUALCOMM EudoraTM.

To set up your email client correctly, you need:

 POP3 (Post Office Protocol, version 3) server address
 SMTP (Standard Mail Transfer Protocol) server address
 Your Internet service provider gives you this information.

Free web mail accounts, such as Hotmail or Yahoo, rely on an Internet connection and use
an email client that appears in a web page. Additional email client software is not required.
Web mail is fully

Today's powerful email clients feature a user-friendly interface. The colorful icons and drag
and drop capability can help manage email and improve your experience.

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The first time you open your email client, many items you see will look familiar. A few
things are specific to your email client, so be sure to read the Help file. Pictured below is the
Microsoft OutlookTM window

Main Features of an Email Client Window

Menu Bar
The menu bar contains a list of options to manage and customize email. Using the View
menu, you can change the display of the email client window. For example, you can sort
email messages (most recent messages, by sender, by unread messages, and more) and
show/hide toolbars.

Toolbar
Toolbars may be customized to display most commonly used tools.

INBOX
The INBOX displays a list of received messages. Each message header shows you who sent
the mail, the subject line, the time and date it was sent, and at times, the size of the message.

Preview Pane
Click a message header once to preview a message without opening it. Many email clients let
you show, hide, or resize the folder list and panes.
Use the email message window to compose and send email messages.

To send a new message:

 Once you've opened your email client's window, click the New Mail or Compose button.
 The email message window appears.
 Look for a menu bar and toolbar to help compose and format your message.
 Below the menu bar and toolbar, there are several fields. These fields may include To,
CC, BCC, Subject, and the message body area.

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To and From
In the email message window, type the recipient's email address in the To: field. This tells the
email server where to send the email message.

The person who is composing the email is called a sender. When the recipient receives a
message, a message header (sender's email information, subject line, and time received,
usually) appears in the recipients INBOX.

Carbon Copy (CC) and Blind Carbon Copy (BCC)

CC: (short for Carbon Copy) and BCC: (short for Blind Carbon Copy) are additional fields used
to send multiple copies of a message.

To send copies of your message:

 You can type multiple email addresses into the To: field.

OR

 Type additional email addresses into the CC: field.

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 Typing additional email addresses into the BCC: field allows you to send a copy to
someone else without the main recipient knowing you have done so. The BCC:
recipient sees the main message and all intended recipients.

The Subject Line and Body of the Message

When sending an email, the sender has the option to write a subject line. When the recipient
checks their email, the subject line
appears in the message header.
Make sure your subject line
describes the topic of your email
message. A well-written subject
line helps recipients prioritize their
email responses.

The body of the email message is

typed directly into the large blank
space (message area). Most email
clients support cut, copy, and paste
functions, so you don't need to
retype information needlessly.

Send and Receive

Now that you can compose a new
email message, you'll want to send
your message. That's easy; just
click the Send button.

To receive new messages (known as "checking your email"), you may need to click the Send
and Receive button to display new email. To automate this process, some email clients let
you set up a schedule. Others display a graphical or audio notice.

Replying to an Email Message

Now that you can check your email, you will need to know how to reply to a message.

To reply to an email message:

 Check your email.
 Open a new message.
 Read the message.
 Click the Reply button. (Or, click Reply All to send a copy to everyone who received the
original message.)

 A new email message window opens.

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 You may see a message such as, "on 5/23/02 10:46 AM, Wiz Kid at
gwienc@[Link] wrote:" followed by the text of the message you're answering.
 Notice that the text from the original message is "quoted," or preceded by carat symbols
(>).
 Type your reply.
 Click the Send button.

Forwarding an Email Message

The ability to compose a message, check your email, and reply to a message are basic email
skills. It's also helpful to know how to forward a message. Forward when you want to send
email message you've received to co-workers, friends, or family.

To forward an email message:

 Open the email message you want to forward.

 Click the Forward button.

 A new email message window opens.
 You may see a message such as, "----------Forwarded Message"
Followed by "from, date, and to" and the original message.
 The text from the original message may be "quoted," or preceded by carat symbols (>).
 Type any new information at the top of the message.
 Click Send.

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What is an Attachment?
Email is one of the quickest ways of sharing information with others. Learning to create,
send, and open an email attachment is the next step to becoming an email pro.

Using your email client's attachment feature, you can attach and send different file types
along with your email messages. When sending an email attachment, your email program
changes (encodes) your file so it can be sent across the Internet.

To send an email attachment:

 Enter a message into an email message window.

 Click the Attachment button.

 A dialog box opens (depends on email client). Browse until you locate the file you want
to attach.

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 Select the file.

 Click OK or Insert or Choose (depends on email client).
 The dialog box closes. Look for the file icon or name in your email client's attachment
area. The file should be attached.
 Click Send. You might get a message such as, "Encoding Attachment," meaning the
attachment is being sent.

To open an email attachment:

1. Check your email.
2. Double-click a message header to open a new message. Read the message.
3. Double-click the email attachment header to open the file.

Viruses are often transmitted through email attachments. Therefore, when opening email
attachments, do the following to safeguard your computer.

Strongly Recommended:
 Right-click the email attachment header and chose Save As. Choose a destination.
 Right-click the file to scan with Anti-virus software. (Read your Anti-virus software's
Help file for more information.)
 Double-click the file to open it.

AND

 Don't open email attachments that come from a suspicious source or from people you
don't know.
 Don't open email attachments if the subject lines seems strange (misspelled words, puns,
etc.) or is unexpected.

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 Don't open email attachments unless you know what it is, even if it appears to come from
a friend.
 Regularly visit your Anti-virus software company's website. They list recent threats to
your computer's safety. Stay informed and update your Anti-virus software regularly.

Web Mail Advantages and Considerations

Convenient
Web mail is kept on an Internet server, so you can access it with any computer that is
connected to the Internet. You can also set up new web mail accounts easily.

Accessible
Even if you change ISPs, you'll still be able to access your web mail account.

Choice
Pick a web mail service that best suits your needs. For example, is the access point (URL)
always available? How much storage space are you allotted? Does it feature an electronic
address book? Is your privacy being protected?

Waiting
If the speed of your computer and bandwidth are slow, you may have to wait long periods of
time to read simple text messages.
check out [Link]." Also, some web mail providers sell member lists to a
dvertisers, which may result Advertising
Not only will you have to view ads as you check your email, most services will affix some
sort of advertising line to your email message. For example, "For the best free web mail, in a
lot of unwanted mail in your INBOX.

Privacy
Keep your web mail password secret and change it often. You never know who may want to
read your email.

INTRANETS
An intranet is a restricted-access network that works like the Web, but isn't on it. Usually
owned and managed by a company, an intranet enables a company to share its resources with
its employees without confidential information being made available to everyone with
Internet access.

An intranet is a network that is contained within an enterprise. It may consist of many

interlinked local area networks and also use leased-lines in the wide-area network. It may or
may not include connections through one or more gateways to the outside Internet.

The main purpose of an intranet is usually to share company information and computing
resources among employees.

An intranet can also be used to facilitate working in groups and for teleconferences

Importance

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It allows for

 The sharing of information internally, not world wide. Such information might include
organization policies and procedures, announcements, or information about new products.
 An intranet's Web sites look and act just like any other Web sites, but the firewall
surrounding an intranet fends off unauthorized access. Like the Internet itself, intranets
are used to share information.

Extranet
An extranet is a private network that uses the Internet protocols and the public
telecommunication system to securely share part of a business's information or operations
with suppliers, vendors, partners, customers, or other businesses. An extranet can be viewed
as part of a company's intranet that is extended to users outside the company. An extranet
requires security and privacy viewed as part of a company's intranet that is extended to users
outside the company. An extranet requires security and privacy.

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