Some people use the words “internet” and “World Wide Web” interchangeably. They believe they are the same, although this is not the case. The difference between the Internet and WWW (World Wide Web ) is essential to understand.
WWW or web is one of the key services offered by the internet. The World Wide Web, or simply “web,” is the term for the collection of web pages that you view on your computer or other device using the internet.
On the other hand, the internet is the network of interconnected computers on which the web runs and the conduit through which emails and data pass. The internet has made many things feasible for humans, such as playing online games, electronic mail, internet calling, chatting, file sharing, etc
What is the Internet?
The internet is the most important tool and prominent resource that practically everyone on the planet uses. It links millions of computers, websites, and servers. We can send emails, images, movies, messages, and many more things to our loved ones via the internet. In other words, the Internet is a vast network of interconnected computers and electronic devices (that support the internet). It establishes a communication medium for sharing and receiving information. If your device is connected to the internet, you can access all the applications, websites, social networking apps, and other services. Nowadays, the internet is regarded as the fastest medium for transferring and receiving data.
The Internet is set up using various physical media such as optical fiber cables or copper wires, as well as different networking mediums such as LAN, WAN, MAN, and so on. Even 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G services, as well as wifi, require this physical cable setup to access the internet. The Internet and its related protocols, such as IP addresses, are managed by an organization called ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers), located in the United States.
What is the World Wide Web (WWW)?
The World Wide Web, commonly known as the web, is a collection of websites or web pages stored in web servers and linked to local computers via the internet. These websites include text pages, digital photos, audio, and videos, among other things. Users can access the content of these sites through the internet from anywhere in the world using devices such as computers, laptops, cell phones, etc. The WWW, along with the internet, allows you to retrieve and display text and media on your device.
The web, or www, serves as a communication platform for users to acquire and exchange information across the internet. Unlike in a book, where we move from one page to another sequentially, on the World Wide Web(WWW), we follow a web of hypertext links to visit a web page and then use that web page to move to other desired web pages. To access the internet, you must have a browser installed on your computer. For example, web browsers such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, and so on allow you to access the internet.
WWW vs Internet: Difference between Internet and WWW
| Basis of Comparison | Internet | World Wide Web (WWW) |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | The internet is a global network of interconnected computer networks that use the TCP/IP protocol to connect devices worldwide. | The World Wide Web or WWW refers to online content that is formatted in HTML and accessible via the HTTP/HTTPS protocol. |
| Founded | Internet was founded in the late 1960s. | In 1989, Tim Berners-Lee, an English scientist, created the World Wide Web. |
| Architecture | The internet’s architecture is decentralized and follows a peer-to-peer model. It is a network of networks, meaning that it connects various autonomous systems and networks that use the TCP/IP protocol to communicate with each other. | The World Wide Web is based on a client-server architecture. Clients (typically web browsers) send requests to web servers, which then respond by serving web pages and resources to the clients. |
| Functionality | The internet is a vast network that connects computer networks all over the world. | World Wide Web is a service provided by the internet. |
| Connectivity and Browsing | The internet enables various means of connectivity, including direct connections, wireless networks, satellite links, and more. | Browsing the World Wide Web involves using web browsers (e.g., Chrome, Firefox, Safari) to access websites and navigate through hyperlinks to view different web pages. |
| First Version | ARPANET was the first version of the internet. | WWW was initially known as NSFNET. |
| Type | The internet is primarily hardware-based. | In comparison to the Internet, WWW is more software-oriented. |
| Protocol | The Internet utilizes the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). | The World Wide Web utilizes the Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP). |
| Application | The Internet has a wide range of applications in entertainment, education, research, navigation, advertising, and banking. | The World Wide Web is utilized to access resources all across the world. |
Conclusion
- The internet is the most important tool and prominent resource that practically everyone on the planet uses. It links millions of computers, websites, and servers.
- The internet is set up using various physical media such as optical fiber cables or copper wires, as well as different networking mediums such as
LAN,WAN,MAN, and so on. - The World Wide Web or WWW refers to online content that is formatted in HTML and accessible via the HTTP protocol.
- WWW vs Internet: The Internet and WWW are entirely different. The World Wide Web, or simply “web,” is the term for the collection of web pages that you view when you are online on a computer or other device. On the other hand, the internet is the network of interconnected computers on which the web runs and the conduit through which emails and data pass.
- The Internet utilizes the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) while the World Wide Web utilizes the Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP).
