When people think of the internet they tend to think mainly of the World Wide Web. However there are a number of different ways to access and retrieve information from the internet. These different types of internet connections are referred to as protocols.
Although you could use separate software to access different protocols, most different types of protocols can be easily accessed by using a normal web browser. According to the Online Library Learning Center these are main categories of protocols:
File retrieval protocols
This was one of the earliest ways of getting information from the internet, by viewing the list of files available on the serving computer. However there were no graphics and there was not always a description of the file's content. Specialist knowledge would be required to retrieve the particular information that you wanted.
File Transfer Protocol (FTP)
FTP allows users to transfer files from one computer to another. By using the FTP program, a user can log on to a computer at a remote location, browse through files and either download or upload files. Any type of file can be uploaded or downloaded using FTP, but it is only possible to view the file's name, not a description of its content. Internet users may come across FTP if they try to download software applications from the World Wide Web.
Gopher
Unlike FTP, Gopher offers file description to make it easier for users to find whatever content they are looking for. The files are arranged on the remote computer in a hierarchal manner similar to that on your own computer's hard drive. This is no longer a widely used protocol.
Telnet
Telnet is a protocol that requires specialist software. It allows you to connect to a remote computer as if you were using your own computer.
Although you could use separate software to access different protocols, most different types of protocols can be easily accessed by using a normal web browser. According to the Online Library Learning Center these are main categories of protocols:
File retrieval protocols
This was one of the earliest ways of getting information from the internet, by viewing the list of files available on the serving computer. However there were no graphics and there was not always a description of the file's content. Specialist knowledge would be required to retrieve the particular information that you wanted.
File Transfer Protocol (FTP)
FTP allows users to transfer files from one computer to another. By using the FTP program, a user can log on to a computer at a remote location, browse through files and either download or upload files. Any type of file can be uploaded or downloaded using FTP, but it is only possible to view the file's name, not a description of its content. Internet users may come across FTP if they try to download software applications from the World Wide Web.
Gopher
Unlike FTP, Gopher offers file description to make it easier for users to find whatever content they are looking for. The files are arranged on the remote computer in a hierarchal manner similar to that on your own computer's hard drive. This is no longer a widely used protocol.
Telnet
Telnet is a protocol that requires specialist software. It allows you to connect to a remote computer as if you were using your own computer.