Web design terminology beginning with the letter I

Internet

Not to be confused with the World Wide Web. The internet is the term for the International networked collection of computers that communicate with each other via a standard set of network protocols - Internet Protocol. E-mail, WWW and FTP are communication protocols that sit on top of the internet.

IP (Internet Protocol) address

Internet protocol is the method by which digital information is sent from one computer to another on the internet. Every computer on the internet has a unique identifying number, known as an IP address. This functions as a kind of virtual telephone number.

An IP address can be static - as in the case of web sites - or it can be dynamically assigned by an internet service provider when a user connects to the internet. All web sites have an IP number, but this is usually translated into a domain name, for the sake of usability.

See also: TCP/IP

Internet Service Provider (ISP)

ISPs are companies that provide a bridge between the user and the internet. They can provide these connections via a dial-up modem connection or ADSL, Cable or other broadband connections.

Some ISPs also provide other services such as Email, web hosting and domain name purchasing.