extranet, intranet

(A similar topic is discussed in French in the article INTRANET/EXTRANET.)

Follow the guidelines below when using the terms extranet and intranet.

Capitalization

Do not capitalize extranet or intranet.

• You need a valid user name and password to access our extranet.
• Check the department’s intranet for information on training courses.

Articles

Use the articles the and an with extranet and intranet.

• The extranet is for all our customers, while the intranet is for staff only.
• An extranet is an intranet that extends access to certain authorized outsiders.

Prepositions

The prepositions on and to are most often used with extranet and intranet.

• The department will make its training information available on the intranet.
• Students will also have access to the extranet next semester.

However, the context determines what preposition you should use. Other prepositions besides on and to may be appropriate.

When extranet and intranet are used as adjectives, the preposition will be determined by the noun they modify.

• This works well in both intranet and Internet environments.

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