Excellent — that’s a strong foundational request.
Here’s a comprehensive compilation of key terminologies associated with Internet,
Networking, and Cloud Computing, presented in a clean, educational format suitable for Year
9–12
INTERNET, NETWORKING & CLOUD COMPUTING TERMINOLOGIES (COMPILED NOTES)
A. INTERNET TERMINOLOGIES
Term Brief Summary
A global network that connects millions of computers for communication and
Internet
data exchange.
A private internal network that uses internet technologies within an
Intranet
organization.
A controlled network that allows external partners (e.g., suppliers) to access
Extranet
parts of an organization’s intranet.
A collection of interlinked web pages and multimedia content accessed via the
WWW (World Wide Web)
Internet.
Web Browser Software used to access and view web pages (e.g., Chrome, Edge, Firefox).
URL (Uniform Resource
The address of a web resource (e.g., [Link]
Locator)
HTTP (HyperText Transfer
A protocol for transmitting web pages between web servers and browsers.
Protocol)
HTTPS A secure version of HTTP that encrypts communication using SSL/TLS.
HTML (HyperText Markup
The standard language for creating and structuring web pages.
Language)
IP Address (Internet Protocol
A unique number identifying a device on a network (e.g., [Link]).
Address)
DNS (Domain Name System) Converts domain names into IP addresses (e.g., [Link] → [Link]).
Domain Name A readable address of a website (e.g., [Link]).
Web Hosting A service that stores website files and makes them accessible online.
Term Brief Summary
Search Engine A program that helps users find information online (e.g., Google, Bing, Yahoo).
Email (Electronic Mail) A system for exchanging digital messages across the Internet.
ISP (Internet Service A company that provides Internet connectivity to users (e.g., MTN, Airtel,
Provider) Spectranet).
Bandwidth The maximum data transfer rate of a network connection.
Small files stored by websites on a user’s browser to remember preferences or
Cookies
track activity.
A security system that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing network
Firewall
traffic.
VPN (Virtual Private
A secure tunnel that encrypts internet connections to protect privacy.
Network)
A regularly updated website where individuals or organizations share articles or
Blog
posts.
Online platforms for sharing content and networking (e.g., Facebook, X,
Social Media
Instagram).
Streaming Real-time transmission of audio or video content over the Internet.
E-commerce Buying and selling goods or services online.
Cybersecurity The practice of protecting internet-connected systems from digital attacks.
Phishing Fraudulent attempts to obtain sensitive information via fake emails or websites.
🖧 B. NETWORKING TERMINOLOGIES
Term Brief Summary
A system of interconnected computers that share resources and
Computer Network
data.
LAN (Local Area Network) A network covering a small area like an office or school.
A network that covers a large geographical area, such as the
WAN (Wide Area Network)
Internet.
Term Brief Summary
MAN (Metropolitan Area Network) A network that covers a city or large campus.
PAN (Personal Area Network) A small network around a person (e.g., Bluetooth connection).
The physical or logical arrangement of network devices (e.g., star,
Topology
ring, bus).
Router A device that forwards data packets between networks.
A network device that connects multiple computers within a LAN
Switch
and forwards data intelligently.
A basic device that connects multiple computers but sends data to
Hub
all ports.
Converts digital data to analog signals for transmission over phone
Modem
lines and vice versa.
Network Interface Card (NIC) A hardware component that connects a computer to a network.
A computer that provides resources or services to other
Server
computers on a network.
Client A computer or device that requests services from a server.
Packet A small unit of data transmitted over a network.
A set of rules governing communication between devices (e.g.,
Protocol
TCP/IP).
TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol /
The core communication protocol of the Internet.
Internet Protocol)
A unique identifier assigned to a network interface card (hardware
MAC Address
address).
The capacity of a network to transmit data, usually measured in
Bandwidth
bits per second.
Latency The delay between data transmission and reception in a network.
Versions of the Internet Protocol; IPv6 provides more address
IPV4 / IPV6
space than IPv4.
Gateway A device that connects different types of networks.
Term Brief Summary
Used to divide an IP network into sub-networks for efficient
Subnet Mask
routing.
A professional responsible for managing and maintaining network
Network Administrator
systems.
Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) A technology that allows wireless connection to a network.
Ethernet A wired networking standard for LAN communication.
Hotspot A physical location where Wi-Fi access is provided.
Bandwidth Throttling Deliberate slowing of internet speed by an ISP or administrator.
A network model where computers share resources directly
Peer-to-Peer (P2P)
without a central server.
Network Security Protection of a network from unauthorized access or misuse.
C. CLOUD COMPUTING TERMINOLOGIES
Term Brief Summary
The delivery of computing services (servers, storage, software) over the
Cloud Computing
Internet.
A facility that houses servers and storage systems used for cloud
Data Center
computing.
The creation of virtual versions of computing resources (e.g., servers,
Virtualization
desktops).
Provides virtualized computing resources like servers and storage (e.g.,
IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service)
AWS EC2).
Provides a platform for developers to build and deploy applications (e.g.,
PaaS (Platform as a Service)
Google App Engine).
SaaS (Software as a Service) Delivers software over the Internet (e.g., Gmail, Microsoft 365).
Public Cloud Cloud services offered to the general public over the Internet.
Private Cloud Cloud infrastructure used exclusively by one organization.
Term Brief Summary
Hybrid Cloud A mix of public and private cloud environments.
Saving data on remote servers accessed via the Internet (e.g., Google
Cloud Storage
Drive, Dropbox).
Scalability The ability to increase or decrease computing resources as needed.
Elasticity Automatic scaling of resources up or down in response to demand.
Virtual Machine (VM) A software-based emulation of a physical computer.
Packaging applications and their dependencies into containers (e.g.,
Containerization
Docker).
A company offering cloud computing services (e.g., Amazon, Microsoft,
Cloud Provider
Google).
The amount of time a system or service remains operational without
Uptime
interruption.
Disaster Recovery Procedures for restoring data and systems after a failure or cyberattack.
Data Backup Copying data to protect it from loss or damage.
The process of moving data or applications from local servers to the
Cloud Migration
cloud.
Multi-Tenancy When multiple users share the same computing resources securely.
API (Application Programming
Allows software applications to communicate with cloud services.
Interface)
Processing data near the source (devices) instead of in the cloud to
Edge Computing
reduce latency.
Serverless Computing Running code in the cloud without managing servers directly.
Cloud Security Practices and technologies that protect cloud-based systems and data.
Summary Tips for Students
• Internet → Connects the world.
• Networking → Connects devices and computers.
• Cloud Computing → Provides shared computing power and storage online.
• Security → Protects all three from data loss, hacking, and misuse.