In today’s era, almost everyone is aware of the internet and has access to it. As technology advances, the internet is becoming more and more popular daily. A few years ago, people could only access the internet on their computers or laptops. But as the world progresses, users across the globe can access the internet on other devices, i.e., smartphones, smart watches, etc.
The Internet has become a necessity for every household, and even a minute without it can feel like a disaster for many people. But we must remember the intranet and extranet when talking about the internet. All of these are networks used to connect computers and other devices with each other.
Various broadband deals can be found in your area online for you to get access to a better and faster internet connection. But before gaining access to the internet or changing your current internet service provider, you must know about the different kinds of networks used for the same purpose. Let us dive further into the difference between the Internet, Intranet, and Extranet!
What Is the Difference Between the Internet, Intranet, and Extranet?
Most of you might already know about the internet. This is a global collection of networks connecting computers worldwide, also known as the world wide web (www). Contrary to this, an intranet is an online network connecting computers within a specific company. On the other hand, an extranet is an extension of the intranet, which grants access to restricted information to approved third parties, i.e., vendors or customers.
So, each of these three is used to connect various computers worldwide or within a specific organization. The Internet is the most expansive, as it creates connections between computers globally. An intranet is a local network connecting people with a particular organization and is the most restricted network of these three.
The extranet falls in the middle if we talk about the expansiveness of the network. It is mainly a local connection like an intranet with some connections outside of the company. But this doesn’t mean that the extranet is also available to the public. It is only available to the outside computers having network access within the company.
The general public can easily access a good internet connection through specific internet providers working in the area. These providers can be accessed with the help of certain comparison websites that give clear and precise information about the different aspects of the network provider along with their rates. So now that we have a clearer idea of these three, let us learn more about the advantages of using the internet, intranet, and extranet by the users!
So now that we have a clearer idea of these three, let us know more about the advantages of using the internet, intranet, and extranet by the users!
Advantages of Each!
Each has specific advantages according to the user’s particular requirements.
1. Internet
As discussed earlier, in this era, almost everyone knows the advantages of the internet, how it connects you with other computers worldwide, and how it gives you access to specific data. Some of the significant benefits are mentioned below:
- Unlimited Knowledge: You can access every type of data with a single click on the internet. So, whatever you are curious about, you can easily access the details of it through the internet.
- Limitless Communication: With the internet, you can communicate with anyone with an active internet connection worldwide.
With all this, the internet allows you to access anything available online in any part of the world. But what about internet downtime? If you experience downtime more often, it is time to change your service provider!
2. Intranet
An intranet allows companies’ data to be more secure and organized! The following are some significant advantages of intranet for organizations:
- Streamline Knowledge: Organizations can safely save and share data across the computers connected to the intranet. This helps every employee to access the relevant information without any extra effort.
- Improved Communications: The employees can interact more efficiently and receive company-wide updates with a secure intranet.
- Productivity Boost: Private messages and threads makes communication between employees and department much more secure and faster.
3. Extranet
Extranet has the same benefits as the intranet, but one added benefit is that you can connect computers from networks outside the organization as well. This allows you to add specific vendors and other stakeholders to access the needed data without hassle.
Which One Should You Opt for?
Well, it entirely depends on your specific requirements. If you need a network connection for your home, you must always go for the internet as it provides you access globally. But suppose you are a business owner looking for a secure and fast connection to connect the computers in your organization. In that case, you must always look for intranet or extranet accordingly.
