"Internet" vs "Internets"?

Janita Tetlow: I didn't know that intranet was a thing. But thanks for explaining that "internet" actually refers to the collection of different networks all over the world currently hooked up together. But the internet is decentralized! Yes, there are higher up centers that may house all the connections of an area, but that's normally as far as it goes. They're referred to as hubs or nodes and, usually, have no purpose but getting all the computers in it's area online. But even a large ISP will not have one center. It will have a backbone of centers and connections that make up it's network (not it's own internet as I've been told), but this is, by fare, not a center. The internet is like the highway system. There may be places where they collect, but no one center. Previously I was told that each ISP is it's own internet, but, thankfully, now I'm starting to get the slightest comprehension on the internet. Still a long way to go though....Show more

Oda Mauson: No,! the entire system is called the Internet. You are overthinking it.

Felicitas Phildor: It's internet. Really. Look up internet in the dictionary and see if there can be a plural.

Toshiko Reimers: "Internet"You say it's multiple networks, but clearly, it's actually one huge network. Otherwise, if it's separate networks, then the computers wouldn't be able to directly communicate with each other.The internet actually isn't decentralized - at the top, it's actually one large network of Tier-1 providers with redundant connections to each other which they provide to each other for free in a mutually beneficial agreement.So sure, there isn't a big, giant, singular center for the internet, but it sure is one network with multiple centers.Your home router and computer cannot be called "internets" because "internet" refers to the large decentralized network that we all connect to. They can be considered their own networks, but not "internets". And technically, they're j! ust a subnetwork of the "internet".There are other networks th! at are similar to the "internet", but are not part of the "internet", eg.: ATM networks, MILNET, Internet2 (an academic experiment). Those are *not* directly accessible from the public internet. Eg. if you get an internet connection, there is no guarantee or expectation that you can access them....Show more

Nestor Klan: yes but "a bunch of networks" are actually the "internet." just because a octopus has 8 arms doesn't mean that we should call them octopuses (octopi or whatever).

Hai Biggart: It's definately just the internet. Other networks are of specific types - LAN - local areas network, MAN - metropolitan area network, WAN - wide area network and so on. For other types see sites like http://compnetworking.about.com/od/basicnetworking...The correct name for a private network, such as your own computer(s) and a router - which may or may not connect to the internet is an intranet not an internet....Show more