Intranet vs. Extranet

Main Difference

The World Wide Web is a platform where millions of people come every day in search of information. Most of the time they come across different terms which confuse them and one central point of discussion for an ordinary person is the difference between internet, intranet, and extranet. An intranet is a communication system similar to the internet and works exactly the same with the help of the internet, but the only difference is that instead of being a global system it is restricted to a particular place and can be considered as a private network. Extranet, on the other hand, is an extension of the intranet where the system is protected even more and is only accessible to particular people. Both intranet and extranet are dependent on the internet. Most organizations such as a company or universities have an intranet for their purposes and can be viewed on the premises. An extranet is used by different businesses for sharing private information with particular people while the Internet is used for general purposes. They have varying levels of ease. The intranet will not need any details when accessed from the place of use, but the extranet always requires login and password information. An intranet can be called a private internet while an extranet can be called a private intranet.

Intranet vs. Extranet — Is There a Difference?
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Difference Between Intranet and Extranet

Intranet vs. Extranet

An intranet is unique to an organization or group of people who work together at a place. An extranet is for individuals or groups of personnel who want to send private information.

Intranet vs. Extranet

The intranet is independent in its own way, but an extranet is dependent on the internet and intranet.

Intranet vs. Extranet

The intranet can have firewall protection while the extranet always has firewall protection.

Intranet vs. Extranet

An intranet is used to share and see accurate Extranet is used to send and receive private information.

Intranet vs. Extranet

An intranet is known as a particular area while an extranet is called a private domain.

Intranet vs. Extranet

Intranet sometimes can require a login while extranet always requires a login.

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Intranetnoun

(computing) A private computer network that uses the protocols of the Internet.

Extranetnoun

(computing) A private computer network that uses Internet protocols and can be accessed by authorized individuals via the Internet.

Intranetnoun

a restricted computer network; a private network created using World Wide Web software

Comparison Chart

IntranetExtranet
An intranet is unique to an organization or group of people who work together at a placeAn extranet is for individuals or groups of personnel who want to send private information
Privacy
Private intermediatelyExtremely Private
Dependency
Independent yet dependent on the internetDependent on the internet and intranet
Firewall
Can haveYes
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What is Intranet

An intranet is a platform that works on the same principles as the internet but is not accessible to the outer world. It is unique to an organization such as a university that has information provided and can be viewed within the premises of the Institute.

All the computers are connected with each other and have no connection with the outer world. When the intranet is connected to the internet, it will be protected with another level of security in the form of a firewall so that only particular people can reach it.

To simplify it is a network on the computer which works without depending on the internet. There are files of intranet present inside the computer which helps in gaining all the information without depending on the internet.

What is Extranet

An Extranet is best explained as a network that depends on the internet but is restricted to specific users. It is more accurate than intranet in a way that only a few people instead of a particular place can get access.

It is protected by a firewall and if the intranet is accessed from the internet to send or receive the information it becomes an extranet. It is mostly used by businesses and companies who have to share sensitive data with each other.

The firewall is used to switch between the internet and intranet and lets only the people who can log in with the help of passwords or by internet protocol addresses. It can be used by individuals or a group of folks depending on the level of requirement.