If two computers are hooked together, they can share a file or even a CD-ROM drive. This is called a network. You can control which of your files you want to share and which ones you don’t.

The Internet is like a million computers, all hooked together, in which many files are shared for anybody that is hooked up to one of the computers that is connected. Every computer is somehow connected to all the others, which creates a "World wide web" of connections. No one controls it and all information can be exchanged without limits.

Every file is in some folder on some computer. To know which file is where, every computer is assigned an address. When you dial up to the Internet you get a temporary address, too. Thanks to this address, your computer can find a file on a remote site, and other computers know where to send their files when you need them. Addresses are in the form of four numbers. The address for www.sayreschool.org is 206.28.51.155. However, it is easier to remember the name and it works just as well.

There is a difference between Internet providers and their clients however. The Internet providers (IP) own a computer, which is always connected to the web. These are called servers. The Internet providers can charge you for the use of their computer, for their dial up telecommunications service and/or the space of their hard drive. These Internet providers need special software to control all their connections and all their files.

If you do not own a computer with a permanent web connection, you would be called a client, and you need different software to connect to the web. The Internet is a crossing between a library, a mall, and a meeting place. You can get information, buy things, play games, chat with people, etc. The only question is HOW. The Internet is getting SO big that it gets confusing to get around. The following pages are filled with tips to make your web experience easier.

Help: "My software can't find the provider."