| Here we have listed the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions regarding the Internet and OVIS. For answers or help with more advanced questions and problems, please see our other technical support pages. |
A. The Internet is the world's largest network of computers, and is the fastest growing segment of both the computing and telecommunications industries. A network of networks, the Internet offers anyone with a computer direct access to information in hospitals, libraries, and colleges; the ability to communicate with others over long distances for just the cost of Internet service; a source of entertainment; a way to enjoy multi-player games with people from around the world; and an inexpensive way to publish multimedia materials on a large scale, before a prospective audience of millions. An Internet account turns your computer into a communications and data access device that can bring you information from almost all the world's great computing centers. The Internet is a network that operates primarily using TCP/IP; the standards and engineering progress of the Internet technology are maintained by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). Q. How much computer knowledge is required? A. You don't have to be a computer expert to use the Internet; however, you will find the Internet more enjoyable and less frustrating if you already possess a few very simple and basic computer skills before you set out. These are a few basic skills necessary to use the Internet:
A. ISP stands for Internet Service Provider. OVIS is an Internet Service Provider. We provide access to the Internet for home and business users and consulting of various kinds related to the Internet. Our primary job function is to correctly deliver TCP/IP packets to our subscribers, to produce and maintain services on our Internet servers, and to provide custom consulting related to inter-networking, the Web, UNIX, and TCP/IP. A. TCP/IP stands for Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. It is the standard, basic protocol for all services on the Internet. Invented by the Department of Defense, it was first put in use as a basic, native networking protocol for the Berkeley UNIX operating system. A. A PPP account is a TCP/IP networking type of account. When you dial in to one of our modems, our Terminal Server begins a PPP (point-to-point protocol) session with your computer. This means that your computer gets a unique IP number, and that traffic destined for your IP number is successfully routed to your machine. When you connect to OVIS with a PPP account, it means that your computer is now another 'host' or 'peer' on the Internet -- able to interact with any other Internet computer that gives you permission. Unlike a BBS, shell, or terminal-type connection, the PPP connection is a network connection -- your computer is not talking directly to another computer, it is just given a network address and routing is begun. Q. What is the World Wide Web? A. The World Wide Web, which uses Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP), is a connectionless client/server protocol that was invented in 1993 by Tim Berners Lee at CERN. Web servers can deliver a wide variety of media files using MIME. Web clients, like Netscape and MS Internet Explorer, make requests (i.e., they send URL's to servers) of Web Servers, to which the Web server responds by delivering the requested file, running the requested script, or generating an appropriate error message (like "Error 404 file not found"). Q. What is FTP? A. FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol. FTP is the best means for moving large files across the Internet. FTP is a client/server protocol that enables a user with an FTP client to log on to a remote machine, navigate the file system of that remote machine, and upload and download files from that machine. There are two basic types of FTP on the Internet: Anonymous FTP and Private FTP. With Anonymous FTP, one logs in as user "anonymous," giving one's e-mail address as a password. With Private FTP, one logs in with the username and password one has established on that particular system. You are logged into your home directory, with all the file permissions you would normally have there. A. Telnet is a protocol for remote computing on the Internet. It allows a computer to act as a remote terminal on another machine, anywhere on the Internet. This means that when you telnet to a particular host and port, the remote computer (which must have a telnet server) accepts input directly from your computer (which must have a telnet client), and output for your session is directed to your screen. There are many library and information resources that are accessible through telnet. Q. What is IRC? A. Internet Relay Chat, or IRC, is a protocol for real-time chatting and file transfer on the Internet. There are several large IRC networks, such as the popular Efnet. These large networks usually have around 4,000 servers, with as many as 20,000 users on over 1,000 channels active at any one time. You can use IRC from an IRC client like mIRC, or you can use IRC from your UNIX shell account. |