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Computer Fundamentals and Programming 1

 Module
COMPUTER FUNDAMENTALS AND
4 PROGRAMMING

OVERVIEW:

The Internet is a global network of computers. Ever computer that is connected to

the Internet is considered a part of that network. This means even your home computer. It’s
all a matter of degrees, you connect to your ISP’s network, and then your ISP connects to a
larger network and so on. At the top of the tree is the high-capacity backbone, all of these
interconnect at ‘Network Access Points’ ‘NAPs’ at important regions around the world.

The entire Internet is based on agreements between these backbone providers who
set in place all the fiber optics lines and other technical aspects of the Internet. The first high
speed backbone was created by the ‘National Science Foundation’ in 1987. The Internet was
first created by the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) of the U.S. government in
1960’s, and was first known as the ARPANet. At this stage the Internet’s first computers
were at academic and government institutions.

They were mainly used for accessing files and to send e-mail. From 1983 onwards
the Internet as we know it today started to form with the introduction of the
communication protocol TCP/IP to ARPANet. Since 1983 the Internet has accommodate
such things as network LANs and ATM and frame switched services. The Internet continues
to evolve with it becoming available on mobile phones and pagers and possibly on
televisions in the future. The actual term “Internet” was finally defined in 1995 by FNC (The
Federal Networking Council (FNC) agrees that the following language reflects our definition
of the term “Internet”. “Internet” refers to the global information system.

Computer Fundamentals and Programming 2

 Topic Learning Outcomes

At the end of the lesson, you will be able to:

 define internet
 discuss the world wide web
 learn how to connect to the internet
 identify the services provided by the internet
 identify search engines that allow users to search the web
 identify the parts of the Internet Explorer
 learn how to search for information on the web
 learn how to get and save information from the web

Pre-activity (Get Set)

1. What is internet?
2. It is a device for transmitting data over phone wires, converting the digital form
into an analog form and back again to digital form.
3. A program which allows the user to view an HTML document.
4. What is the collection of linked web pages with a common topic?
5. It provides the server computer and the software to connect to the internet.
6. It is one of the most popular and most frequently used internet services.
7. It is the name used to log on to your internet account.
8. It is a system that lets you communicate with others in a public arena.
9. This is like a giant electronic bulletin where messages are posted for everybody
to read and respond to.
10. It is software that allows users to locate information stored on a Gopher server
through series of menu that are organized in a hierarchical structure.

Computer Fundamentals and Programming 3

 Self-Assessment (Are you ready?)

Below is a list of knowledge that maybe you have encountered in your previous
computer subjects. Check the appropriate box corresponding to your agreement to
the statement using the scale given below.

5-advanced 4-Proficient 3-approaching proficiency 2-developing 1-beginning

Statements 5 4 3 2 1
I am a competent Internet browser.

I am comfortable surfing the Internet.

I am comfortable conducting searches, setting bookmarks, and
downloading files.
I am comfortable installing software and changing configuration
settings on my computer.
I am connected to the Internet with a fairly fast, reliable
connection such as DSL or cable modem.
My browser will play several common multimedia (video and
audio) formats.
I have an email account and frequently communicate through
emails.
I have fairly good typing skills.

Computer Fundamentals and Programming 4

Read and Learn Module
4

Lesson 1 The Internet

The internet is considered as the world’s largest computer network commonly

termed as the network of networks. It is a giant public highway system containing vast
amount of information. Initially, it was conceived in the 1960s as a communication system
for the military to link computers throughout the U.S. so that messages could still be
transmitted even in times of crisis. This project called ARPANET (Advanced Research Project
Agency Network) which was then operated by the U.S. Department of Defense’s Advanced
Research Project Agency (ARPA) linked government data centers to research facilities and
some universities which were given defense related funding. In time, it became so big that
everybody wanted to use it as a communication tool. Today, aside from its popular use as a
communication tool, it has also become a good source of information not only for research
purposes but also for any conceivable application like job search, shopping, sharing files,
music and videos, learning online, voicing ideas and opinions on specific topic of interest,
getting new software, reading the latest news, and so much more.

The World Wide Web

In 1990, Dr. Tim Berners-Lee designed a set of links to connect all information found
in the giant superhighway. He wrote a program which allowed pages of information to be
linked together using keywords. The document formatting language used to link these
documents is called HTML (Hypertext Markup Language). This allows text to be formatted
based on a generally accepted standard. The link which established the physical connection
of documents from one computer to another formed like a spider web, hence was called the
world wide web (www), the web or sometimes known as W3 (W cubed). The collection of
information or files publicly available, which is the web, resides on computers called web
servers. These web servers located all over the world are linked together through the
internet. Whenever you connect to the internet and become part of the web, your
computer becomes a web client. The web, which was originally text based, can now accept
graphics, audio and video files as well.

1.2 Connecting to the Internet

To connect to the internet, we need the hardware, a connection via telephone lines,
an Internet Service Provider (ISP), and a web browser.

1.2.1 Hardware
The hardware needed to be connected consist of the personal computer (preferably

Computer Fundamentals and Programming 5

with multimedia capabilities) supported by a phone line connection to the ISP provider. This
phone line connection may be in the form of a modem, DSL, ISDN or T1 line.

Modem

The most popular type of account or connection is with the use of modems
(Modulator-Demodulator). A modem is a device for transmitting data over phone wires,
converting the digital form into an analog form and back again to digital form. This may be
an internal modem which is connected within the CPU circuitry or an external modem which
is placed outside the CPU and connected to a telephone. As always, the quality of the phone
lines affects the speed of the connection. For the internet connection to work, the user
must subscribe to an Internet Service Provider (ISP) through a dial-up connection. When the
connection is activated, the signal is passed to the modem, then through the phone lines
and to the subscribed ISP. Homes usually subscribe to this kind of connection because of its
affordability and easy connectivity.

DSL

The DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) is a broadband access service connection available
from major companies like PLDT, Bayantel and Digitel. It provides high-speed access and
connectivity to the internet, minimum speed of which may be about five times faster than
the ordinary phone lines. The price of this connection is much higher than the use of dial-up
connections so that it caters best to corporate customers and high-end residential
customers.

ISDN

The ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) is a digital technology that enables a
single pair of copper wire to transmit voice, data, image at a high speed, singly or all
together, with virtually no communication error. It allows high-speed internet access, real
time video conferencing, and simultaneous usage of voice and data via phone lines. It is best
for large corporations, small-medium enterprises (SMEs) and high-value residential users. To
avail yourself of this kind of connection, look for the services of your major phone
companies. Take not that small ISPs do not usually provide this kind of service.

T1 Line

The T1 Line is a high-speed international digital leased service that allows point-to-
point connections between the Philippines and places abroad. It is very fast, about 10 times
faster than ISDN but the price is very high. Again, this kind of connection is only available
from major phone companies.

1.2.2 Internet Service Provider

The ISP (Internet Service Provider) is the company that sells access to the internet. It
provides the server computer and the software to connect to the internet. A subscription to

Computer Fundamentals and Programming 6

the ISP is needed to be able to connect to the internet. It is either you arrange to pay the ISP
on a monthly basis, or by prepaid cards. It is best that the user pick an ISP that has reliable
and fast connection to the internet. Also, consider those ISPs which provide affordable
subscription fees, good customer service and a user-friendly set-up program.

1.2.3 Web Browser

To explore the web, we need graphical interface software called web browser. This
is a program which allows the user to view an HTML document, usually called a web page.
The collection of linked web pages with a common topic or focus is known as a website.
They may be located in different web servers or different computers. There are plenty of
web browsers in the market (see http://browsers.evolt.org/) but the most popular are
Microsoft’s Internet Explorer and the Netscape Navigator. Incidentally, the first graphical
web browser was called Mosaic, invented by the team of Marc Andreessen in 1993.

When the browser is invoked, it is automatically dials the ISP provider to establish
connection. Once a connection is made, the initial web page called homepage is displayed.
This start web page contains an address called a Uniform Resource Locator (URL
pronounced as either “earl” or “u-r-l”). The distinct parts of the URL are 1) the transfer
protocol specification, 2) the domain, and 3) the document name.

Example:

Website name type of site

http://www.internet101.org/start.html

transfer protocol domain name document name

specification

These transfer protocols define the set of rules that the computer need to follow or
use to be able to transfer files from one computer to another on the internet. This transfer
protocol specification, which is found in the beginning of the URL, can either be an http://
(hypertext transfer protocol); ftp:// (file transfer protocol), gopher:// (gopher site); news:
(address of a newsgroup, take note that there is no // after the name); mailto: (links to an e-
mail address, no // after the name); telnet:// (telnet site) or wais: // (wais site).

The domain contains the website name and the type of site. The website name is a
unique name which is associated to a unique identification number on an Internet host
computer. The type of site defines the category of the website which can either be a .com
(commercial site), .org (organizations other than government agencies), or .net (network
services provider or resource), to name a few.

Computer Fundamentals and Programming 7

 The document name may contain the directory and the name of the file. The
directory, which may be multiple in most cases, defines where the web server may find the
file needed. The name of the file is also specified in some cases and may generally have an
.htm or html extension.

Lesson 2 Internet Services

There are other internet services available aside from the web. These are e-mail,
chat, internet phones, newsgroup/discussion group and information retrieval.

2.1 Web Browser

The most popular and most frequently used internet service is the electronic mail (e-
mail). It has the same concept as the postal mail (which is now called snail mail) where
sending messages is done from one computer to another rather than through the postal
service. It eliminates delay and other problems associated with physical delivery.

There are different e-mail programs which can be used such as:

 Microsoft Exchange (comes with the Microsoft Windows version)

 Outlook Express (comes with the Microsoft Windows version)
 Eudora (the free program is available at http://www.eudora.com/)
 Pegasus (found in http://www.Pmail.com/)
 Nestcape Messenger (which comes with the Netscape Communication package)

Of course, to make sure that the receiver will receive the e-mail sent, and e-mail
address should be provided. The e-mail address has three parts: the account name, the @
sign and the domain name. An example is provided below”

E-mail address

mayo@yahoo.com

account name @ (at sign) domain name type of institution

The E-mail address is pronounced as:

mayo “at” yahoo “dot” com

Figure 2.1 Sample of E-mail Address

The account name is the name used to log on to your internet account. It is
sometimes called USER ID, Member Name, Screen Name, Username, or Log on ID. The @

Computer Fundamentals and Programming 8

(“at sign) is used as a pointer to separate the username from the domain name. The domain
name provides the address of ISP provider or online service.

The two common systems used for handling e-mail are POP and IMAP. POP (Post
Office Protocol) serves to receive all e-mails sent to you and hold it until you use your e-mail
program to retrieve it. IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) generally works the same
way but it is used by corporate networks.

2.2 Chat and Talk

Chat is a system that lets you communicate with others in a public arena called “chat
room” on real time through typed words or messages. The messages typed are instantly
seen by others in the chat room and thus, immediately responds to you. This venue of
people wants to meet and communicate to exchange ideas with other people of varied or
similar interest. Take note that you need a nickname, which may be real or make-believe to
be identified as a chat mate. It is advised that the following rules should be observed by
“newbies” when joining chat or discussions groups.

1. Observe and listen first before joining the chat sessions (termed as “lurking”).

2. Go over the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) to avoid asking the same questions
answered previously.

3. Be polite and levelheaded during the chat sessions.

4. Be sure to know the rules and regulations of the particular chat group before joining
to avoid embarrassment.

The ISPs usually provide good chat services like the MSN chat site,
http://chat.msn.com/. Other Internet chat software are the Internet Relay Chat (IRC) and
the Yahoo Messenger (YM).

Talk sometimes known as “instant messaging,” allows two people to chat privately
online. All you need to do is enter the address of the person you want to talk with and start
typing messages. All “Instant Messaging” programs can be downloaded and used for free.
Examples of instant messaging programs are:

Yahoo Messenger http://messenger.yaho.com/

MSN Messenger http://messenger.msn.com/
ICQ http://web.icq.com
Excite Messenger http://messenger.excite.com/
Lycos Messenger http://www.messenger.lycos.com/

Computer Fundamentals and Programming 9

2.3 Internet Phones
The internet can also be a venue where users can talk across any computer equipped
to receive a call anywhere, anytime for the price of an internet connection. Internet phones
may be termed as Internet telephony or Voice on the net (VON). It is able to carry voice or
text, transfer and compile files as you speak and is less expensive to use than ordinary
phones especially for international calls.

Of course, it needs special devices such as the sound card, a microphone, a headset
and speaker and internet phone software, which should be compatible with the devices of
the one you, will be talking with. It does have problems like the quality of sound produced
which is inferior to that of ordinary phone calls, and it is inconvenient to use because the
internet connection should be open 24 hours and 7 days to be able to receive calls anytime.

The more popular systems available for this kind of service are the:

AOL Instant Messenger

Yahoo Messenger
AOL Messenger
Net2Phone (Net2Phone (http://www.net2phone.com/)
Microsoft Netmeeting (http://www.microsoft.com/netmeeting)
Dialpad.com (http://www.Dialpad.com/)

2.4 Newsgroup
It is just like a giant electronic bulletin where messages are posted for everybody to
read and respond to. There are different news groups on different topics of interest where
questions and opinions can be raised and responded to via e-mail. Common terms used for
news groups are discussion groups, bulletin boards and message boards on forum. It is
distributed by a service group called Usenet where service providers can subscribe. If your
service provider subscribes to the specific newsgroups, you as a user may be able to read
and post messages to the group.

The program, which is used to retrieve the newsgroup messages from the service
provider, is called “news reader.”

A list of Usenet newsgroups is found in http://www.tile.net/ or you can try

http://dir.yahoo.com/Computers and Internet/Internet/Usenet/Newsgroup directories/.

2.5 Information Retrieval

Internet users can do information retrieval through access to thousands of online
library information, databases open to the public and high quality software made available
by developers as freeware, shareware or open source.

Computer Fundamentals and Programming 10

 Because of the enormous data found in the internet, accessing and locating these
files is very hard. Some methods used are File Transfer Protocol (FTP), Gophers and Wide
Area Information Server (WAIS).
File Transfer Protocol (FTP) allows users to search and access files residing on
remote computers. Its original purpose was to simply transfer files from one location to
another. An FTP site can be opened by: 1) either selecting a link in a web page that connects
to the FTP server or by 2) entering the address directly into the web browser like Internet
Explorer via either the address field or the Open dialog box. To explore the FTP sites, visit
http://tile.net/ftplist/. An FTP site usually starts with ftp://.

Gopher Software is a tool that allows users to locate information stored on a Gopher
server through a series of menu that are organized in a hierarchical structure. Gopher sites
usually start with gopher://.

A Wide Are Information (WAIS) also enables users to search for files in specific
databases. It requires the names of the databases effect search. A WAIS usually starts with
wais://.

2.6 Other Internet Services Available

Aside from those enumerated above, we can also use the internet to listen to audio
and view some videos using some free software available. The free software available are:

1. Shockwave
Software which allows you to download and play arcade games, see new learning
applications and product demos on the web using exciting 3D technology.

2. IncrediMail
Software which provides different e-mail backgrounds to enhance the look of
you e-mail.

3. CNET Catch Up
Software that helps you find quickly and easily software upgrades, which will
make your computer fit and up-to-date.

4. Rhapsody
An interactive digital music service that integrates high fidelity, professionally
programmed internet radio, rich contextual music information, and music-on-
demand subscription services in a single unified application.

5. Spinner
A free net music player that gives you access to different kinds of music and
more than 300,000 songs.

Computer Fundamentals and Programming 11

 6. RealPlayer
Allow you to enjoy streaming audio and video with the internet access to
different radio stations, news and entertainment in CD quality audio and full screen
video quality.

Lesson 3 Types of Networks

There are three (3) types of networks mainly:

1. Local Area Network (LAN). A group of computers located in a small area connected
by a communications link to be able to interact within the group. The first LAN called
ETHERNET connected mainframes and computers in the entire building. In this setup
people in different parts of the organization.

2. Wide Area Network (WAN). The network is now extended outside of the building to
different locations but within the country.

3. Global Area Network (GAN). The network is extended to different countries.

4. Wireless Network. A wireless network uses frequency emitted by the router to

connect to the network.

Networks are usually connected to mainframes and/or services in. Mainframe

computers, sometimes called supercomputers perform various computations. Servers on
the other hand provide information to users.

There is also some equipment needed to be able to connect to networks:

1. Network Interface Card (NIC). An NIC is usually inserted in a slot in the

motherboard. This is to allow the unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) connection to the
computer for connection to the network.

2. Routers. Are used to connect computers to the same network or another network.

3. Modem. This equipment that convert digital signal transmitted by the sender
produced by a computer to analog signal and will be converted back to digital signal
by the modem on the receiver’s end.

The following are the uses of the internet:

1. Electronic Mail (E-Mail). This can send and receive mail type communication. Files
can also be attached as part of the mail. Common e-mail service providers include
yahoo, gmail and Hotmail.
Offices that use their trade name in their email address use Microsoft Outlook.

Computer Fundamentals and Programming 12

 2. Research. Various sources are available for different topics being searched in the
internet.

3. Entertainment. Entertainment comes in different forms. From watching videos,

listening to music and games.

4. File Download and Upload. When a file is being uploaded or downloaded the file
transfer protocol (FTP) is used.

5. Electronic Commerce (E-commerce). Business transactions can now be made by

using the internet. Transaction inquiry, purchasing and ordering can now be done
using e-commerce systems.

6. Chat. Communication via text or voice can be used.

Internet connections are provided by internet service providers (ISP). The ISPs
assign internet address to users. Internet address are usually typed in text form then
converted to numeric form. For example, the internet address typed by the user is
http://www.school.edu.ph. The internet address in text form is converted to numeric form
like 192.175.34.213. Internet addresses are known as universal resource locators (URL).

http://www.school.edu.ph

The following are the different parts that comprise the internet address:

1. Hypertext Transfer Protocol (http). This controls the access to different web sites.

2. World Wide Web (www). A form of communication to gain access to information,

do business transactions and to communicate with other individuals when
connecting through the internet.

3. Domain Name. In the example above school is the domain name. It is the name
assigned to the web site owner (individual or organization).

4. Domain Top. This determines the type of organization that owns the website. There
are different types of domain top mainly:

a. .com. For commercial sites

b. .gov. For government sites
c. .org. For organizations
d. .edu. For education like schools, colleges and universities
e. .tv. For television network sites

5. Country Code. Country code is sometimes specified as to distinguish the web site
from others.

Computer Fundamentals and Programming 13

 Let us look at a sample setup in connecting to the internet. The computer connects
to the modem from the NIC. The modem is then connected to the ISP to connect to the
internet. This type of setup is for home use.

Figure 3.1 Home Use

Let us look at a setup of large organization with large volumes of computers.

Organizations usually have a network setup where computers are connected to a router.
The router is connected to a server. The server aside from providing information network
security is also done here. For example, access to different websites and restrictions in
accessing websites and other information in the network. The server will be connected to
the modem and the modem will connect to the ISP for access to the internet.

Figure 3.2 Large Organization

Computer Fundamentals and Programming 14

3.1 Network Security
Network security tries to prevent damage, destruction or theft of data in the
computer system from different threats coming from the internet or within the network.
The following are the threats to security of data.

1. Hackers. Hackers are people that are able penetrate computer security systems.
They may come from within or outside the company. The attack on the network may
be intentional or unintentional. Intentional may be theft of information, spying,
changing the contents of the data and destroying the data. Unintentional can be
trying a program that turns out to be a virus. Some hackers brag about the networks
that they have hacked to establish a reputation of how good the hacker is.

2. Viruses. Viruses attaches itself to a file or program, once the file is activated it will be
loaded into the main memory. When another file or program is called the virus will
attach itself again. This cycle happens over and over until the hard disk drive is
flooded and the files or programs may become damaged or corrupted.

3. Trojans. Trojans are programs that appear to be performing a useful function but in
reality it is actually doing damage to the computer system.

4. Worms. Worms often reside in the memory when activated it sometimes sends
information to the hacker like passwords or registry.

Security

Threat to security will always be present and it can be difficult to predict where the
threat will be coming from. Detection can be difficult as new viruses and hackers coming up
with new ways to penetrate network security. One of the solutions is to employ policies in
addressing the problems like the action an organization can undertake in case of security
breach. Security threats can be minimized by using the following:

1. Firewall. Firewalls blocks unauthorized access and changes to the computer system.
A limitation of firewalls is it cannot prevent internal attacks or threats nor can it
protect against the transfer of files or programs infected with viruses.
2. Anti-virus Software. Anti-virus software cleans viruses, trojans and worms residing in
the computer system. New viruses appear frequently it would be best to keep the
anti-virus software updated to be able to clean the new viruses.

3. Access Rights. Grant access only to information that will be needed by the user to
prevent theft of information or espionage.

4. Backup. Backup replicating the data stored in the computer. It is particularly useful
in case of destruction or vandalism of data. In this case the data can be restored and
the organization can continue its operation.

Computer Fundamentals and Programming 15

Lesson 4 Searching Information on the Web
Information on specific topics or key words may be accessed through programs
called Search engines.

Each of the search engines given below locates a specific web page differently hence,
different search engines may provide a different list of WebPages. It does not matter what
search engine you use. It is a matter of preference.

Yahoo http://www.yahoo.com
Google http://www.google.com
MSN http://www.msn.com
AltaVista http://www.altavista.com
Pinoy Central http://www.pinoycentral.com
Yehey http://www.yehey.com
Ask Jeeves http://www.ask.com
Infoseek http://www.infoseek.com
Excite http://www.excite.com
Northern Light http://www.northernlight.com
Hotbot http://www.hotbot.com

Efficient searching may be done using simple rules given below.

1. Key words or phrases to be searched may be enclosed in quotation marks to mean

that the search engine should find the exact word or phrase enclosed within quotes.

Ex. “Video Conferencing”

List all web pages with phrase containing video conferencing.

2. A plus sign before the word to be search means that the specific word should be
found in the web pages.

Ex. + Internet + Web + Chat + Philippines

The list of web pages searched should contain all the four words specified.

3. A minus sign before the word means that the specific word should not be in the web
pages.

Ex. + “Diving Spots” – Philippines

Computer Fundamentals and Programming 16

 List all WebPages with the phrase “Diving Spots” but no word containing Philippines
in the web pages located.

4. The asterisk (*) may be used as a wild card to replace unknown portion of words that
you are not sure.

Ex. Encryp*

List all web pages with words starting with Encryp. This may include web pages,
which contain the word encryption, encrypt, encryptor, and the like.

Computer Fundamentals and Programming 17

 Try this . . .

Identify and describe the following concepts:

1. Internet 16. Transfer Protocol
2. Arpanet 17. E-mail
3. WWW 18. chat
4. HTML 19. talk
5. ISP 20. lurking
6. modem 21. IRC
7. DSL 22. Internet phones
8. ISDN 23. VON
9. T1 Line 24. Newsgroup
10. web browser 25. FTP
11. web page 26. WAIS
12. URL 27. Gopher
13. web site 28. Yahoo Messenger
14. Outlook Express 29. Rhapsody
15. e-mail address 30. Link bar

You connect . . .
. . . with the class

 Submission of activity to Moodle/Google classroom

 Active participation in an open discussion using Google Meet/Facebook

Messenger

. . . with the world

 Albano, Gisela May A., Atole, Ronnel R., Ariola, Rose Joy Y. (2003).
Introduction to Information Technology. Philippines: Trinitas Publishing, Inc.

 Sharma, Kuldeep (2014). Computer and Management Information System.

India: Thomson Press, Ltd.

 Fajarito, Dennis T. (2009). Computer Fundamentals. Philippines: National

Book Store, Quad Al[ha Centrum Blgd. 125 Pioneer Street Mandaluyong City
1550.

 www.google.com

Computer Fundamentals and Programming 18

 Do this . . .

Main Task

1. How the internet was first introduced?

2. What is a modem?
3. Give the difference of using an e-mail and the traditional “snail mail” by citing
at least three advantages and disadvantages for each.
4. List the different services that the internet can provide.
5. How important is the internet in this age of globalization?
6. If the internet was not introduced, what would be the effect in the modern
ways of communication? Explain.
7. What hardware and software are needed in using the internet?
8. Write an example of a uniform resource locator and identify its parts.
9. How can you retrieve information from the internet? Elaborate.
10. Differentiate chatting from talking in the internet.

Note: Upload/attach your main task to Google Classroom.

Computer Fundamentals and Programming 19

 Look back . . . share your thoughts

Computer Fundamentals and Programming 20