Almost everyone uses the Internet and Intranet for various purposes, but only a handful of techies actually know the difference between the Internet and Intranet. However, there is no obligation to know the distinctions of this but being a part of the Internet’s ecosystem, knowing the differences will undoubtedly be helpful.
In this article, you will know What is the difference between the Internet and Intranet by defining their root structures? In general, the Internet and Intranet are almost similar to the basic working structure, but in technical terms, both have a lot of dissimilarities. I am beginning the article with the definition of both.
What is Internet?
Internet is a wide form of connectivity and a globally-connected network of computers to share information from anywhere to everywhere. In other words, the Internet is not owned by anyone and can be used as open-source, which is accessed from any location by any person.
The Internet can also be defined as the web of interconnected devices that work under Internet Protocols (IPs) and Transfer Control Protocols (TCP) standards. Internet could have unlimited users and connected systems across the globe.
Features of Internet
To understand the Internet more closely, let’s have a look over essential features of the Internet:
- First of all, the Internet is a global network that anyone can access anywhere.
- The Internet is Ubiquitous.
- It is easy to use the Internet as it is an open-source platform which neither encrypted nor password-protected.
- Flexible communication system.
- Most important, the Internet is a decentralized system.
What is Intranet?
Intranet is a part of the Internet, but unlike the Internet, Intranet is a private network owned by a company, organization, and institution. It is connected through a Local Area Network (LAN) and can be accessed by only a limited/shared person.
Every individual’s computer is connected via LAN, and the files, documents, and other information can be accessed by only specific individuals/organizations. Intranet also has IP addresses, TCPs, and Internet Protocols but only to the limited folks.
Features of Intranet
- First of all, Intranet is a private network owned by a specific group.
- Intranet is unarguably fast and accurate.
- Easy to manage and secure from threats make it safer.
- Share private information with a specific organization.
- Useful for confidential work.
- It can’t be accessed by anyone.
What is the difference between the Internet and Intranet?
Just for pronunciation and reading, you can say both are almost the same. Still, after going through the above discussion, you may understand there is a lot of difference between the Internet and the Intranet.
The above image well described the differences between the Internet and Intranet. Apart from basic structure and technicalities, there are also “wording differences.” [Apart from the Internet and Intranet, a 3rd layer is known as Extranet, which I discussed below sections].
Let’s compare through a detailed table on how the Internet is different from Intranet:
| Internet | Intranet |
| A global network. | A private network. |
| Access from anywhere by anyone. | Access by only a small group of people. |
| Could have unlimited users. | Have only limited users. |
| Internet may have some risks. | The Intranet is entirely safe. |
| It can have massive traffic. | Only limited traffic. |
| Internet is a decentralized system. | Intranet is a centralized system owned by a few persons. |
| The Internet has many subparts like an intranet. | Intranet is a subset of the Internet. |
| Connected with innumerable computers. | Connected with limited computers. |
What Is Extranet?
By exploring the difference between the Internet and Intranet, we encounter the term “Extranet.” The Extranet is very much similar to the Intranet with a basic difference. It is also somewhat a private network like Intranet, but it has a wider range of accessibility, unlike Intranet.
The Extranet is a web portal that is accessible by an organization and its related partners, vendors, customers, suppliers, and other related services. In other words, an Extranet is neither an Internet nor an Intranet but lies between both two. The information is shared between an organization and its related partner along with controlled accessibility.
What is faster, Internet or Intranet?
Intranet is usually faster than the Internet; Intranet is 100-1000 times faster than the Internet. As we know, the Intranet has only a limited number of users and a connected system, so the obstructions are comparably negligible. While on the other hand, the Internet faces low bandwidth issues due to latency and massive traffics.
Final Thoughts
Internet and Intranet both have their own applications, requirements, positives, and negatives. If we closely analyze, we can see that the Internet and Intranet are different but complementary. They are not separable but can be used in different conditions; that’s why we discussed the difference between the Internet and Intranet.
We discussed that Intranet and Extranet are the subsets of the Internet. We discussed the Internet, Intranet, and Extranet as well as their features. I hope you like this article, do not forget to comment with your views, queries, and any suggestions.
