The internet is a huge network of connected computers, cables, routers, and Wi-Fi. It lets all of them send and receive information.
People mix up two words: the internet and the web. They are not the same.
The internet is the roads and connections, the big network. The web is the websites and pages you visit. The web rides on the internet. Think of it like this: the internet is the roads, and websites and pages are the vehicles.
Here is how it works. Your device asks for something, your router or Wi-Fi sends the request out to the internet, the network carries it to a server, and the answer travels back to your screen.
So many things use the internet every day: websites, email, video calls, games, streaming, and messages.
Remember: the internet connects devices, it carries all kinds of information anywhere, and the web is just one of the things we use on it.
What to remember
- The internet is a giant network of connected computers.
- It carries all kinds of information, anywhere.
- The internet is the roads; the web is one thing we use on it.
- Email, games, video calls, and streaming all use it.
Words to know
- Internet
- The worldwide network of connected computers.
- Network
- Computers connected so they can share.
- Router
- The device that connects you to the internet.
- The web
- Websites and pages that ride on the internet.
For grown-ups
The internet is the global network of networks that moves data between devices over routers, cables, and wireless links. The web is one application layered on top of it, sites and pages over HTTP. Distinguishing the network from the services running on it clears up a lot of confusion.
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