The IT area presents several terms that can confuse those who do not have extensive knowledge of the subject. Two of them are internet providers and servers.Do you know what the difference is between the two? Many people believe they have the same meaning, but thinking like that will only make understanding these two concepts even more cloudy.Do you want to understand this subject better? Then follow this article, as we will explain exactly what internet providers are and in what ways they differ from servers. Check out!

What is an ISP? 

The internet provider, or Internet Service Provider (ISP), is the intermediary that makes the internet reach the devices. It is a service promoted by specialized companies, which offer broadband internet with cable, satellite internet providers, radio, or fiber connections. 

These providers are true traces of technological evolution. For those who lived in the 90s, one of the first memories of connecting to the internet is those little noises from the dial-up internet... This connection also needed a provider, which made the connection between the residence and the access to the network. The provider is the company that offers internet plans to consumers, in addition to making them available, guaranteeing the stability of the connection, and making repairs when necessary. 

ISPs were created by companies responsible for user authentication on the network. That is, it is through them that people can access the internet. Do you remember the times of dial-up internet, which started in the 90s? So, this connection needed a provider, which made the connection between your residence and where the network access providers were. 

However, this dial-up connection had constant instabilities, drops, and high phone bills at the end of the month. In fact, at that time, the provider was mandatory when contracting the service. 

The connections worked as follows: the companies that hired the signal made the distribution to the users. It is worth remembering that the providers are usually companies with a connection to the telecommunications sector or they are the telephone companies, providing access through a plan signed with the customer. 

Thus, internet providers were service providers of additional value, making the computer connected to the internet to allow browsing. However, with broadband arriving in the country in the 2000s, dial-up connections became scarce. Still, it is present, requiring the presence of the provider, but it is not necessary to pay an additional amount for this. In the case of broadband, the operator itself offers the connection authenticator, as the service is included. 

Therefore, currently, the provider is no longer just an online service responsible for connecting people to the internet and has started to present other functionalities. In this sense, internet providers now offer basic tools such as search engines, cloud storage, email server, website hosting, and even news portals. 

Regarding hosting, it works as follows: for the website to be accessible over the internet, the files are copied to the provider, which is located at the company where you chose the hosting. Thus, it is delivered to all users. 

Files are created on a local computer or in cloud services. Subsequently, they are sent to the server and then made available on the network. It is worth noting that, nowadays, internet providers are much more than just hosting websites. So, when you hire them, you are acquiring a series of tools whose quality, functionality, and price vary widely. 

What are internet servers? 

Internet servers are quite different from providers. They are physical devices, such as desktops, installed in the home or office that aim to monitor and control internet access within these locations. Therefore, they monitor and control all information that arrives and leaves your company, for example, over the internet. 

However, if the company has enough knowledge on this subject, it is possible to use internet servers to generate employee performance reports and restrict the speed of connection access on devices such as smartphones. Speaking of which, here are some advantages of having your internet servers: 

• productivity: for companies, servers help with faster navigation, reducing unavailability problems and favoring employee productivity; 
• security: data transfer is carried out in an environment in which the IT area has full control and can block entry ports on the network; 
• control: through the servers, you can insert parameters in the access controls to social networks and other prohibited sites in a more practical way; 
• report: detailed reports can be issued periodically on the most accessed sites, in addition to other metrics that help in identifying productivity and scaling network use. 

In this way, through the internet servers, all access of your company's network to the internet is controlled, remembering that all packets destined for the internet or received by it must pass through the server. Thus, the information is verified and sent to the right recipient within the network. 

Know that all security checks that are based on URLs and portals are done by the servers. They still serve to insert cache functions in pages, and conversations in chats, among others. Therefore, a great advantage of these devices is to offer several possibilities of available services, which does not happen with routers, for example. See some features below: 

• URL blocking: with the server, it is possible to determine which sites will be blocked, from social networks to shopping sites; 
• Download blocking: if your company suffers from attacks, you can block the download of potentially dangerous files; 
• release of exceptions: the server allows there to be a list of exceptions to the block, such as some computers or smartphones with unlimited access. 

In this way, servers and internet providers, in theory, and practice, do not show any similarity, even though they are constantly confused because of the name. Remember that, when implementing solutions in the IT area to improve security and control, it is common to have terms that appear to be similar, so it is important to study them carefully to carry out actions consistent with the company's objectives. In the case of providers and servers, they need to be chosen very carefully by the IT manager, as they are essential for the operation of the company. 

Conclusion 

Some people use these words synonymously, but they are not. While internet providers are the operators and companies that intermediate the internet offer to consumers, servers are physical devices. The servers monitor and control all information that leaves the operators through internet connections.  

They create performance reports, based on time and activities of internet usage, reducing the connection on specific devices to optimize the connection. There are servers that occupy entire buildings to protect sensitive data. And there are large providers, as well as smaller and regionalized ones.