No surprise - you have heard it before ! The Internet is a global network of computer-networks.

Though computer networks have been around for decades, what makes Internet so unique is the ability of any two computers in its fold to talk to each other no matter the physical location, network, hardware or software that separate them

This is possible because computers are connected with each other using a simple standard common addressing system and communications protocol called TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol). The connection between the different networks are called "gateways". These gateways serve to transfer electronic data worldwide.

There are mainly two kinds of computers in the Internet - servers and clients. The resources of the Internet -- information and services -- are provided through host computers, known as servers. The server is the computer system that contains information such as electronic mail, database information, or text files. As a customer, or "client," you access those resources via client programs (applications) which use TCP/IP to deliver the information to your screen in the appropriate format for your computer. If you are using Internet access from VSNL, then your computer is client of VSNL server. Once you are connected to VSNL server, your computer becomes part of Internet and can access any other server in the Internet.