The Internet and the Intranet share many similarities that might confuse them, particularly how the two phrases are spelled. However, some distinctions aid in understanding both functions and requirements. These will also aid in determining which one of the two is required for personal or commercial use.
Table Summary
| Internet | Intranet |
| A very large, public network | A smaller, private network |
| Minimal security of data. | Data is highly secure. |
Definitions
The internet is a global network of interconnected computer networks that interact using the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP). It is a network comprised of local to global private, public, academic, corporate, and government networks linked by various electrical, wireless, and optical networking technologies. The internet provides many information resources and services, such as the World Wide Web’s (WWW) interconnected hypertext pages and applications, electronic mail, telephony, and file sharing.
An intranet is a computer network used within an enterprise to share information, facilitate communication, and provide collaboration tools, operational systems, and other computing services, generally with no outside access. The name is used in contrast to public networks such as the internet, yet it employs much of the same technology based on the Internet protocol suite. In its most basic form, an intranet is built using technologies for local area networks (LANs) and wide area networks (WANs).
Internet VS Intranet
The internet is a network formed by linking countless computers or computer networks. It is a network that a specific organization cannot hold. Intranets are still a component of the internet, although they are privately owned and utilized by an enterprise. It is mostly used to link all computers and create a private network for an organization’s employees. Within its architecture, many modern intranets include search engines, user profiles, blogs, mobile apps with alerts, and event organizing. Usually, organizations use Intranets to keep their data safe from others, making suspicious data and project details unavailable. On the other hand, the internet is a relatively unsafe medium for its users and their information. This is why an Intranet frequently includes a firewall to prevent unauthorized users from accessing the network.