35  Basics of Internet, Intranet, E-mail, Audio and Video-conferencing

35.1 What the Syllabus Covers

This sub-unit covers the four examined heads:

  1. Internet — its history, governance, and basic services.
  2. Intranet vs Extranet — internal organisational networks.
  3. E-mail — protocols, structure, etiquette.
  4. Audio and Video Conferencing — synchronous remote communication.

PYQs: (a) full forms (ARPANET/HTTP/SMTP/POP3/IMAP/VoIP), (b) match Internet milestones to years (1969 ARPANET, 1989/1991 WWW), (c) distinguish Internet, Intranet, Extranet, (d) identify email parts and protocols, (e) name conferencing tools (Zoom, MS Teams, Webex, Google Meet, Indian Jitsi/Sandes).

35.2 The Internet — A Network of Networks

The Internet is a global, decentralised network of interconnected networks using the TCP/IP protocol suite.

35.2.1 Key Milestones

TipInternet Milestones
Year Milestone
1969 ARPANET — US Dept of Defense’s first packet-switched network
1971 First e-mail (Ray Tomlinson, used “@”)
1972 Telnet specified
1974 TCP/IP designed (Vint Cerf & Bob Kahn)
1983 TCP/IP adopted as ARPANET standard (“the Internet’s birthday”)
1984 DNS introduced
1986 NSFNET (US National Science Foundation backbone)
1989 WWW proposed by Tim Berners-Lee at CERN
1990 ARPANET decommissioned; HTML and HTTP designed
1991 First web server and page made public; NSFNET opened to commercial use
1993 Mosaic browser; web takes off
1995 VSNL (Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd.) launches commercial Internet in India (15 August 1995)
1998 Google founded
2004 Web 2.0 era — Facebook, Gmail, Flickr
2007 iPhone — mobile internet era
2009 Bitcoin (decentralised currency)
2010s Cloud, smartphone-first, social-first
2020s AI / GenAI / IndiaAI

35.2.2 Internet Governance

TipInternet Governance Bodies
  • ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) — domain names + IP addresses.
  • IANA (Internet Assigned Numbers Authority) — under ICANN; allocates IPs.
  • IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force) — technical standards (RFCs).
  • W3C (World Wide Web Consortium, 1994) — web standards (HTML, CSS).
  • ISOC (Internet Society) — policy and education.
  • NIXI (National Internet Exchange of India) — manages .in domain.

35.2.3 Internet Services (Layered View)

TipInternet Services
  • Communication: Email, IM, VoIP, video conferencing, social media.
  • Information access: Web, FTP, search engines.
  • Commerce: E-commerce, online banking, UPI, e-tickets.
  • Education: MOOCs, LMSs, online libraries.
  • Government / Civic: e-Governance, e-Filing.
  • Entertainment: Streaming, gaming, OTT.
  • Cloud and IoT.

35.3 Indian Internet Journey

TipIndian Internet Milestones
  • 1986 — ERNET (Education and Research Network) — India’s first academic network.
  • 1991 — Liberalisation; demand grows.
  • 15 August 1995 — VSNL launches commercial Internet in India.
  • 1998 — Internet policy opens to private ISPs.
  • 2000 — IT Act enacted.
  • 2003 — Wi-Fi revolution; broadband policy.
  • 2009 — UIDAI created.
  • 2014 — Digital India Programme announced; launched 2015.
  • 2015 onwards — Make in India, Smart Cities.
  • 2016 — UPI launched; Jio enters with 4G.
  • 2020 — PM e-Vidya, Atmanirbhar Bharat, COVID surge in Internet use.
  • 2023 — DPDP Act; 5G rollout across India.
  • 2024 — IndiaAI Mission launched.
  • National Knowledge Network (NKN) — 10 Gbps research/education backbone (NIC).
  • BharatNet — rural broadband programme (started 2011 as NOFN; renamed BharatNet 2015).
  • ERNET India — autonomous body under MeitY.
  • NIXI (National Internet Exchange of India, 2003) — manages .in TLD, IXPs.
  • TRAI — Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (1997).

35.4 World Wide Web vs Internet

TipInternet vs WWW
  • Internet = global network infrastructure (hardware + protocols TCP/IP).
  • WWW = an application running on top of the Internet — connected hypertext documents accessed via HTTP/HTTPS and browsers.

Email, FTP, VoIP are also Internet services but not part of the WWW.

35.5 Intranet and Extranet

35.5.1 Three-Way Comparison

TipInternet vs Intranet vs Extranet
Dimension Internet Intranet Extranet
Audience Global public Internal to organisation Organisation + selected partners
Access Open Restricted (login from within) Restricted (login from outside)
Security Public High (firewall) Controlled (VPN, login)
Examples google.com Office portal, HR system Vendor portal, supply-chain network
TipUseful Definitions
  • Intranet uses standard Internet technologies (TCP/IP, HTTP) inside an organisation; accessible only from within (or via VPN).
  • Extranet is an intranet extended to selected outside parties — vendors, partners, customers.

35.6 E-mail

35.6.1 The Invention

TipEmail’s Origin
  • Ray Tomlinson (1971) — sent the first networked email and chose “@” to separate user from host.
  • SMTP standard codified in 1982.
  • Hotmail (Sabeer Bhatia, Jack Smith, 1996) — first major free webmail; Microsoft bought it 1997.

35.6.2 Email Components

TipEmail Address Structure

localpart@domain — e.g., alice@example.com.

TipEmail Message Components
  • Header — From, To, Cc (carbon copy), Bcc (blind carbon copy), Subject, Date, Message-ID.
  • Body — message text (plain or HTML).
  • Attachments.
  • Signature.

35.6.3 Email Protocols

TipThree Major Email Protocols
  • SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) — for sending. Port 25 (or 587 with TLS).
  • POP3 (Post Office Protocol v3) — for receiving; downloads and deletes from server. Port 110.
  • IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) — for receiving; keeps mail on server, synchronises across devices. Port 143.
  • MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) — encodes attachments, non-text.
  • HTTPS / Webmail — Gmail, Outlook on web.

35.6.4 Major Email Services

TipMajor Email Services
  • Gmail (Google, 2004).
  • Outlook / Hotmail (Microsoft).
  • Yahoo Mail.
  • Apple iCloud Mail.
  • ProtonMail — encrypted.
  • Tutanota.
  • Zoho Mail (Indian).
  • Rediffmail (Indian, 1996).
  • Indian government email: NIC email (gov.in domains).

35.6.5 Email Etiquette and Best Practices

TipEmail Best Practices
  • Clear subject line.
  • Concise body.
  • Proper greeting + closing.
  • Use Cc and Bcc thoughtfully.
  • Reply within 24-48 hours.
  • Avoid all-caps (= shouting).
  • Proofread.
  • Beware of phishing.
  • Use signature.
  • Don’t reply-all by accident.

35.7 Audio and Video Conferencing

35.7.1 Definitions

TipAudio vs Video Conferencing
  • Audio conferencing — voice-only, multi-party (conference call).
  • Video conferencing — voice + video; standard for remote meetings.
  • Web conferencing — multimedia (slides + chat + screen-share + audio + video).
  • Webinar — one-to-many web seminar.

35.7.2 Major Tools

TipMajor Video-Conferencing Tools
  • Zoom — most popular post-2020.
  • Microsoft Teams — corporate/education.
  • Google Meet — easy access via Google account.
  • Cisco Webex — enterprise legacy.
  • GoTo Meeting / GoTo Webinar.
  • BlueJeans (Verizon).
  • Skype — early leader (acquired by Microsoft 2011; sunset 2025).
  • Jitsi Meet — open-source.
  • BigBlueButton — education-focused open-source.
  • WhatsApp / Signal / Telegram — mobile-first call/video.

Indian: - Sandes — Government Instant Messaging System (MeitY, NIC). - Jio Meet, Airmeet, Hubilo. - VC-Anywhere (Bharat-OS based).

35.7.3 Underlying Technologies

TipConferencing Technologies
  • VoIP — Voice over IP.
  • WebRTC — Web Real-Time Communication (browser-native).
  • H.323 · SIP — legacy conferencing protocols.
  • Codecs: H.264, H.265 (HEVC), VP8, VP9, AV1 (video); Opus, AAC (audio).
  • Bandwidth needs: ~1 Mbps for HD video; ~ 100 kbps audio-only.
  • Encryption: TLS, end-to-end (Zoom adopted E2E post-2020).

35.7.4 Pedagogical Use

TipVideo Conferencing in Education
  • Synchronous teaching during COVID lockdowns.
  • NEP 2020 allows up to 40 % UG online.
  • SWAYAM, NPTEL — recorded; conferencing used for live tutorials.
  • NMEICT — umbrella mission.
  • PM e-Vidya (2020).
  • NDEAR — digital architecture.

35.7.5 Hosting a Good Video Meeting

TipTips for Good Conferencing
  • Stable network (1 Mbps minimum).
  • Camera at eye level.
  • Good lighting (in front of you, not behind).
  • Quality microphone + quiet space.
  • Mute when not speaking.
  • Use raise-hand feature.
  • Record if permitted, with consent.
  • Plan agenda before meeting.
  • Test screen-share in advance.

35.8 Instant Messaging and Social Media

TipIM and Social Platforms
  • WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram — encrypted messaging.
  • Sandes — Indian government IM (NIC, MeitY).
  • Slack, Discord, Mattermost — team chat.
  • Twitter/X, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube — social.
  • Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon — newer platforms.

35.9 Online Collaboration Tools

TipCollaboration Tools
  • Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Drive, Calendar, Meet, Forms).
  • Microsoft 365 (Word, Excel, OneDrive, Teams).
  • Notion · Obsidian · Roam.
  • Trello · Asana · Monday · ClickUp.
  • Miro · Mural (whiteboards).
  • GitHub · GitLab · Bitbucket (code collaboration).
  • Figma · Sketch (design).

35.10 Theory Anchors

TipKey Persons and Bodies
Person / Body Year Contribution
ARPA / DARPA 1969 ARPANET
Ray Tomlinson 1971 First email; the “@” sign
Vint Cerf & Bob Kahn 1974 TCP/IP
Tim Berners-Lee 1989 WWW; 1994 W3C
Marc Andreessen 1993 Mosaic / Netscape browser
Sabeer Bhatia & Jack Smith 1996 Hotmail (free webmail)
VSNL / Sam Pitroda’s reforms 1995 Indian commercial Internet
TRAI 1997 Telecom regulation
NIXI 2003 .in domain, IXPs
ERNET 1986 India’s academic Internet
Eric Yuan 2011 Founded Zoom
Skype founders Janus Friis, Niklas Zennström 2003 Skype
DigitalIndia Programme 2015 Umbrella programme
5G in India 2022-23 Rollout

35.11 Practice Questions

Q 01 ARPANET Easy

ARPANET — the precursor to the Internet — was launched in:

  • A1956
  • B1969
  • C1983
  • D1995
View solution
Correct Option: B
ARPANET launched in 1969 by ARPA (US DoD).
Q 02 India Internet Medium

Commercial Internet was launched in India by VSNL on:

  • A15 August 1995
  • B26 January 1991
  • C15 August 2000
  • D14 November 1989
View solution
Correct Option: A
15 August 1995 — VSNL (Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd.) launched commercial Internet in India.
Q 03 Email Medium

The first networked email and the use of "@" as a separator are credited to:

  • ARay Tomlinson, 1971
  • BTim Berners-Lee, 1989
  • CVint Cerf, 1974
  • DSabeer Bhatia, 1996
View solution
Correct Option: A
Ray Tomlinson, 1971 — chose "@" to separate user from host.
Q 04 SMTP Easy

SMTP is the protocol used to:

  • AReceive email
  • BSend email
  • CTransfer files
  • DManage networks
View solution
Correct Option: B
SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) — for sending. POP3 and IMAP are for receiving.
Q 05 IMAP vs POP3 Hard

The main difference between POP3 and IMAP is:

  • APOP3 sends mail; IMAP receives
  • BPOP3 downloads and removes from server; IMAP keeps mail on server
  • CPOP3 is newer than IMAP
  • DPOP3 uses TLS; IMAP does not
View solution
Correct Option: B
POP3 — download and delete from server. IMAP — keep on server, sync across devices.
Q 06 Intranet Medium

An "intranet" is BEST defined as:

  • AA global open network
  • BA private network within an organisation using Internet technologies
  • CA part of the WWW
  • DA satellite-based network
View solution
Correct Option: B
Intranet = internal organisational network using TCP/IP, HTTP, etc., but restricted access.
Q 07 Extranet Medium

An "extranet" extends the intranet to:

  • AThe whole public
  • BSelected outside partners (vendors / customers)
  • CAnyone with internet
  • DGovernment departments only
View solution
Correct Option: B
Extranet = controlled extension to selected outside parties.
Q 08 WWW Medium

Tim Berners-Lee proposed the World Wide Web in 1989 at:

  • ACERN
  • BMIT
  • CStanford
  • DARPA
View solution
Correct Option: A
CERN, Geneva. WWW proposal 1989; first server and pages 1991.
Q 09 Internet vs WWW Hard

Which of the following is TRUE?

  • AInternet and WWW are identical
  • BWWW is the network; Internet is the application
  • CInternet is the global network; WWW is an application running on it
  • DEmail is part of WWW, not the Internet
View solution
Correct Option: C
Internet = network infrastructure; WWW = application running on it. Email is part of Internet, not WWW.
Q 10 NIXI Hard

NIXI (National Internet Exchange of India) manages the:

  • A.in country-code TLD
  • BAadhaar database
  • CUPI transactions
  • DMobile spectrum auction
View solution
Correct Option: A
NIXI (2003) manages the .in TLD and Indian Internet Exchange Points.
Q 11 Hotmail Medium

Hotmail (1996), the first major free webmail, was co-founded by:

  • ABill Gates
  • BSabeer Bhatia
  • CVinod Khosla
  • DSundar Pichai
View solution
Correct Option: B
Sabeer Bhatia (and Jack Smith), 1996. Microsoft bought Hotmail in 1997.
Q 12 CC vs BCC Medium

In an email, "BCC" stands for:

  • ABulk Carbon Copy
  • BBlind Carbon Copy
  • CBackup Carbon Copy
  • DBusiness Carbon Copy
View solution
Correct Option: B
Blind Carbon Copy — recipient list hidden from other recipients.
Q 13 VoIP Easy

VoIP stands for:

  • AVoice over Internet Protocol
  • BVideo over IP
  • CVoice on Indian Platform
  • DVideo on Internet Portal
View solution
Correct Option: A
Voice over Internet Protocol.
Q 14 Conferencing Medium

Which of the following is an INDIAN secure government messaging platform?

  • AZoom
  • BMicrosoft Teams
  • CSandes
  • DSlack
View solution
Correct Option: C
Sandes — Government Instant Messaging System by NIC / MeitY.
Q 15 WebRTC Hard

The browser-native real-time conferencing technology is called:

  • ASIP
  • BH.323
  • CWebRTC
  • DSMTP
View solution
Correct Option: C
WebRTC = Web Real-Time Communication. Enables P2P audio/video/data in the browser.
Q 16 ERNET Hard

ERNET — India's first academic Internet network — was set up in:

  • A1976
  • B1986
  • C1995
  • D2003
View solution
Correct Option: B
ERNET, 1986 — Education and Research Network. India's first academic Internet.
Q 17 TRAI Medium

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) was established in:

  • A1985
  • B1997
  • C2000
  • D2010
View solution
Correct Option: B
TRAI Act 1997.
Q 18 Email Header Medium

Which of the following is NOT a typical email header field?

  • AFrom
  • BTo
  • CSubject
  • DAttachment-size
View solution
Correct Option: D
Standard headers: From, To, Cc, Bcc, Subject, Date, Message-ID. "Attachment-size" is not a standard header.
Q 19 Zoom Hard

Zoom Video Communications was founded in 2011 by:

  • AEric Yuan
  • BSteve Jobs
  • CBrian Chesky
  • DPatrick Collison
View solution
Correct Option: A
Eric Yuan, ex-Cisco Webex engineer, founded Zoom in 2011.
Q 20 Match Hard

Match each protocol with its purpose:

(i) SMTP (a) Receive mail (server-side)
(ii) POP3 (b) Send mail
(iii) IMAP (c) Domain name resolution
(iv) DNS (d) Download mail then delete
  • A(i)-b, (ii)-d, (iii)-a, (iv)-c
  • B(i)-a, (ii)-b, (iii)-c, (iv)-d
  • C(i)-d, (ii)-c, (iii)-b, (iv)-a
  • D(i)-c, (ii)-a, (iii)-d, (iv)-b
View solution
Correct Option: A
SMTP → send; POP3 → download & delete; IMAP → receive (server-side); DNS → domain resolution.

35.12 Quick Recall

ImportantQuick recall
  • Internet = global TCP/IP network of networks. Origin: ARPANET 1969 (US DoD).
  • Key milestones: ARPANET 1969 · Email “@” Tomlinson 1971 · TCP/IP Cerf & Kahn 1974 · 1983 TCP/IP standard · DNS 1984 · WWW Berners-Lee 1989 · NSFNET commercial 1991 · India VSNL 15 Aug 1995 · Hotmail 1996 · Google 1998 · iPhone 2007 · IndiaAI Mission 2024.
  • Indian Internet: ERNET 1986 · VSNL 1995 · IT Act 2000 · NIXI 2003 (.in TLD) · UPI 2016 · Digital India 2015 · 5G 2022-23 · DPDP Act 2023 · IndiaAI 2024.
  • Internet vs WWW: Internet = network (TCP/IP); WWW = application on top using HTTP/HTML.
  • Governance bodies: ICANN · IANA · IETF · W3C (1994) · ISOC · NIXI (India) · TRAI (1997).
  • Internet services: Email · Web · FTP · VoIP · IM · Streaming · Cloud · IoT.
  • Intranet vs Extranet vs Internet: Internal vs Internal+Partners vs Global.
  • Email: Ray Tomlinson 1971 (“@”); SMTP (send, port 25/587), POP3 (receive+delete, port 110), IMAP (receive+sync, port 143), MIME (attachments). Headers: From/To/Cc/Bcc/Subject/Date/Message-ID. Hotmail (Sabeer Bhatia 1996) → Microsoft 1997. Indian: Sandes, Zoho, Rediffmail, NIC email.
  • Email best practices: clear subject · concise body · proper greeting · thoughtful Cc/Bcc · no all-caps · proofread · 24-48 hr reply · beware phishing.
  • Conferencing: Audio vs Video vs Web · Webinar (one-to-many). Tools: Zoom (Eric Yuan 2011) · MS Teams · Google Meet · Cisco Webex · GoTo · BlueJeans · Skype (Microsoft 2011) · Jitsi Meet (open-source) · BigBlueButton (education). Indian: Sandes · Jio Meet · Airmeet · Hubilo.
  • Conferencing tech: VoIP · WebRTC (browser-native) · H.323 · SIP · codecs (H.264, H.265, VP9, AV1, Opus, AAC) · TLS encryption.
  • Pedagogical use: NEP 2020 40% UG online · NMEICT · SWAYAM · PM e-Vidya · NDEAR.
  • IM: WhatsApp · Signal · Telegram · Slack · Discord · Mattermost · Sandes (Indian government).
  • Collaboration: Google Workspace · Microsoft 365 · Notion · Trello/Asana/Monday · Miro · GitHub · Figma.