A host is a computer that offers information and services to another computer. Internet information is available from about four million host systems around the world. If your PC and modem use TCP/IP software, your system has direct access to the Internet router system, and it becomes an Internet host. This allows you to send messages and computer files directly to other computers throughout the Internet system. The term 'client' is used for software or hardware that receives and processes information from a server. A server is hardware or software that offers information to a client. For example, your PC is running a program called a browser, a software that displays Internet information in sound, text, and pictures through your PC's speakers and monitor. If you wish to receive the latest weather images from a host computer that distributes this kind of information, your browser software would be the client receiving and processing information from the weather server computer that was contacted for this data. In a client / server computer, the client and the server share the processing load so that neither performs too much of the processing. For more information on hosts, clients, and servers, please contact your local Internet service provider.
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