| The Internet (cap "I" refers to the public network) is a collection of machines running software that speaks the TCP/IP protocol. Any service that is established using the TCP/IP protocol (including http, ftp, ssh, telnet, SSL, LDAP, etc.) would be part of the Internet. Specifically, a computer (including a router or a programmable switch, which are computers) is part of the Internet if it has a public IP address. If a machine has a private IP address, it may be connected to the Internet (via a gateway machine) but it is not, strictly speaking, part of the Internet. |
