Internet Basics Questions for SBI CLERK

What is the Internet

The Internet is a global network of millions of computers and devices connected together using standardised communication protocols. Think of it as a giant postal system where every computer has an address and messages travel through various routes to reach the destination. It is not owned by any single person, company, or government. The World Wide Web (WWW) is a service that runs ON the internet, not the internet itself. Many aspirants confuse these two.

• Internet = the physical global network of computers
• WWW = a collection of web pages accessible via the internet using HTTP
• Internet was developed from ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network) by the US Department of Defense
• Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web in 1989
• India got internet access in 1995, first provided by VSNL (Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited)

Key Protocols

A protocol is a set of rules that governs how data is sent and received over a network. Think of protocols like traffic rules — without them, data packets would crash into each other. SBI Clerk loves asking full forms and what each protocol does.

• HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol) — transfers web pages; HTTPS is the secure version
• FTP (File Transfer Protocol) — used to transfer files between computers
• SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) — sends emails
• POP3 (Post Office Protocol v3) — receives/downloads emails from server
• IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) — accesses emails directly on the server without downloading
• TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol) — the foundational protocol suite of the internet

IP Address and Domain Name System

Every device connected to the internet has a unique IP (Internet Protocol) address, just like every house has a unique postal address. IPv4 addresses are 32-bit numbers written as four groups of digits (e.g., 192.168.1.1). IPv6 is the newer 128-bit version that allows far more addresses. Since numbers are hard to remember, DNS (Domain Name System) acts like a phonebook — it converts human-readable names like www.sbi.co.in into IP addresses.

• IPv4 — 32-bit, written as four octets separated by dots (e.g., 172.16.0.1)
• IPv6 — 128-bit, written in hexadecimal (e.g., 2001:0db8:85a3::0000)
• DNS — Domain Name System; translates domain names to IP addresses
• URL (Uniform Resource Locator) — the full web address, e.g., https://www.sbi.co.in
• Domain extensions: .com (commercial), .edu (education), .gov (government), .in (India), .org (organisations)

Web Browsers and Search Engines

A web browser is the software used to access and view websites. A search engine is a web-based tool that helps you find information on the internet. These are different things — Chrome is a browser, Google is a search engine. Both can be confused because Google is also the name of a company that makes Chrome.

• Popular browsers: Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Safari, Opera
• Internet Explorer (IE) was Microsoft's older browser, now replaced by Edge
• Popular search engines: Google, Bing, Yahoo, DuckDuckGo, Baidu (China)
• Default search engine of Chrome is Google; Edge defaults to Bing
• A browser uses a rendering engine to display web pages (Chrome uses Blink, Firefox uses Gecko)

Types of Internet Connections

There are different ways a device can connect to the internet. SBI Clerk sometimes asks about connection types and their speeds or technologies. Think of these like different roads — from a dirt road (dial-up) to a highway (fibre optic).

• Dial-up — oldest, uses telephone lines, very slow (56 Kbps)
• DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) — uses telephone lines but faster than dial-up; ADSL is most common
• Cable — uses cable TV lines, faster speeds
• Broadband — high-speed internet; covers DSL, cable, fibre; generally above 512 Kbps
• Fibre Optic — fastest, uses light signals through glass/plastic cables
• Wi-Fi — wireless connection using radio waves; standard is IEEE 802.11

Internet Services and Terminology

The internet offers many services beyond just web browsing. SBI Clerk frequently tests terms like email, VoIP, ISP, and cloud computing. Knowing these terms with their full forms is enough for most questions.

• ISP (Internet Service Provider) — company that provides internet access, e.g., Jio, BSNL, Airtel
• Email (Electronic Mail) — sending messages electronically; Gmail, Yahoo Mail are providers
• VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) — making voice calls over internet, e.g., WhatsApp calls, Skype
• Cloud Computing — storing and accessing data/programs over the internet instead of local storage
• Bandwidth — amount of data that can be transmitted in a fixed time; measured in Mbps or Gbps
• Cookie — small file stored on your computer by websites to remember your preferences

• Confusing WWW with the Internet — WWW is just one service running on the internet, not the internet itself
• Mixing up SMTP and POP3 — remember SMTP Sends mail (S for Send), POP3 is for receiving/downloading
• Thinking Internet Explorer is still Microsoft's current browser — it has been replaced by Microsoft Edge
• Confusing a browser with a search engine — Chrome is a browser, Google is a search engine (even though Google made Chrome)
• Assuming broadband and Wi-Fi are the same — broadband refers to the type/speed of connection, Wi-Fi is a wireless technology to deliver that connection locally

• Protocol memory trick — SHIP: SMTP (Send), HTTP (Hypertext), IMAP/IP (Internet), POP3 (Pickup/receive)
• DNS is the internet's phonebook — converts names to numbers, just like you look up a name to find a phone number
• IPv4 vs IPv6 — 4 is old and short (32-bit), 6 is new and long (128-bit); newer version, bigger number of bits
• Connection speed order (slowest to fastest): Dial-up → DSL → Cable → Broadband → Fibre Optic — remember Dial uncle Drives Cars But Flies

• SBI Clerk Computer Awareness questions on Internet are mostly full-form based and definitional — 20-25 seconds per question is enough if you have memorised key terms
• Questions on protocols frequently appear — especially differentiating SMTP vs POP3 vs IMAP for email, and HTTP vs HTTPS for security
• Tim Berners-Lee as inventor of WWW and ARPANET as origin of the internet are high-frequency factual questions — expect at least one per paper
• Domain name extensions (.gov, .edu, .in) and URL structure questions appear occasionally — know the order: protocol, domain, path
• Recent papers have also included questions on ISPs in India (BSNL, VSNL history) and basic cloud computing terms — do not skip these as they are easy marks