Chapter 12: Creating an Intranet


No, I'm not mispronouncing the word Internet. The term intranet has gained popularity in recent years. It's similar to the Internet, but with a twist: Rather than connect your computer to millions of other computers around the world, an intranet connects your computer to other computers in your company or organization. How is an intranet different from your ordinary, run-of-the-mill network? Read on, and I'll explain.

What Is an Intranet?

Everyone knows that the Internet, and especially the World Wide Web, has become a phenomenon. Millions of computer users worldwide surf the Web, and many join the bandwagon every day.

Recently, ingenious network managers at large companies figured out that although the Web is interesting for distributing public information to the world, the Web is even better for distributing private information within a company. Thus, the idea of intranets was born. An intranet is a network that is built by using the same tools and protocols that are used by the global Internet but applied instead to an organization's internal network.

Tip 

Think of an intranet as a small, private version of the World Wide Web. Anyone who connects to your local-area network (LAN) can access your intranet. The intranet is accessed by using a Web browser, such as Internet Explorer or Firefox. However, users don't need an Internet connection because the information on the intranet is stored on the company's server computers rather than on a computer that must be accessed from the Internet.

The intranet is analogous to a closed-circuit television system, which can be viewed only by people within the organization that owns the system. In contrast, the Internet is more like cable television in that anyone who's willing to pay $20 or so per month can watch.

Here are two interesting but contradictory points of view about the significance of intranets:

  • Some computer industry pundits say that intranets are more popular than the Internet. For example, many companies that sell Web development tools make more money selling software used for intranets than for the Internet.

  • On the other hand, other industry pundits think that the intranet phenomenon is merely a fad that some other promising new technology, such as pet rocks or hula hoops, will replace in a few years. Only time will tell.




Networking For Dummies
Networking For Dummies
ISBN: 0470534052
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2004
Pages: 254
Authors: Doug Lowe

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