The following devices are used to establish an Internet connection:

* Modem – If you are connecting via a telephone line, a modem is needed to turn your computer’s digital signal into an analogue signal. This process is reversed when data moves back the other way.

* Broadband is the name given to a very fast telecommunications signal. It is ‘broad’ because it is able to transfer a large amount of data at any given time. Imagine a super motorway carrying ten lanes of traffic, as opposed to merely six. It is sometimes called ADSL.

* Mobile devices include Smartphones and tablets, both of which connect to the Internet wirelessly.

* File servers store files for an entire network. There may be a file server for each section of a company. One for the finance section, for example, and another for human resources. Print servers and e-mail servers offer designated file storage for each of the functions named. Servers will often be locked up in a safe area of the building and accessed only by trained staff.