How Internet Works
Google processes over 99,000 searches every single second (Internet Live Stats, 2022). This makes more than 8.5 billion searches a day (Internet Live Stats, 2022).
Internet has so become a part of our lives that we tend to believe that we know how it works just by using them. Today even if you are planning to make an omelette ,you prefer to search how to break egg (This was me 😜) .We have used internet enough, now let’s see how close we understand How Internet Works.
Now when we have started to dig in ; we must start from the core : What is Internet and has internet always existed ?
Internet as the name suggests is a global network of billions of computers and other electronic devices that uses TCP/IP to communicate between networks and devices.
IP : Internet protocol - Specifies that computers should send data to other computers with an attached numerical address(IP ADDRESS).TCP :Transport Control Protocol- Works with IP to ensure transfer of data is dependable and reliable.(No packets lost, no delay affecting data quality packets organized in proper sequence.)
The origins of the Internet date back to the development of packet switching and research commissioned by the United States Department of Defense in the 1960s to enable time-sharing of computers.
Now since we know a brief history of internet , lets understand how it works today.
When you type in a web address into your browser:
Step 1: Your PC or device is connected to the web through a modem or router. Together, these devices allow you to connect to other networks around the globe .Your router enables multiple computers to join the same network while a modem connects to your ISP (Internet Service Provider) which provides you with either cable or DSL internet.
Step 2: Type in a web address, known as a URL (Uniform Resource Locator). Each website has its own unique URL that signals to your ISP where you want to go.
Step 3: Your query is pushed to your ISP which connects to several servers which store and send data like a NAP Server (Network Access Protection) and a DNS (Domain Name Server).
Next, your browser looks up the IP address for the domain name you typed into your search engine through DNS. DNS then translates the text-based domain name you type into the browser into the number-based IP address.
- Example: Google.com becomes 64.233.191.255
Step 4: Your browser sends a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) request to the target server to send a copy of the website to the client using TCP/IP.
Step 5: The server then approves request and sends a “200 OK” message to your computer. Then, the server sends website files to the browser in the form of data packets.
Step 6: As your browser reassembles the data packets, the website loads allowing you to learn, shop, browse, and engage.
Step 7: Enjoy your search results!
