Internet vs Intranet

Internet

This is the world-wide network of computers accessible to anyone who knows their Internet Protocol (IP) address - the IP address is a unique set of numbers (such as 209.33.27.100) that defines the computer's location. Most will have accessed a computer using a name such as http://www.alertclub-differ.blogspot.com.

Intranet

This is a network that is not available to the world outside of the Intranet. If the Intranet network is connected to the Internet, the Intranet will reside behind a firewall and, if it allows access from the Internet, will be an Extranet. The firewall helps to control access between the Intranet and Internet to permit access to the Intranet only to people who are members of the same company or organisation.

In its simplest form, an Intranet can be set up on a networked PC without any PC on the network having access via the Intranet network to the Internet.

For example, consider an office with a few PCs and a few printers all networked together. The network would not be connected to the outside world. On one of the drives of one of the PCs there would be a directory of web pages that comprise the Intranet. Other PCs on the network could access this Intranet by pointing their browser (Netscape or Internet Explorer) to this directory - for example

U:\inet\index.htm.

From then onwards they would navigate around the Intranet in the same way as they would get around the Internet.