Understanding How the Internet Works

The Internet is a vast network that connects devices worldwide. We will explore the fundamental concepts behind its functioning by focusing on three key terms:

• Client: a device or application that initiates a request for services or data from a server over the Internet;
• Internet Service Provider (ISP): a company that provides access to the Internet and related services;
• Domain Name System (DNS): a system that translates human-readable domain names into numerical IP addresses that computers use to identify each other on the network.

When users want to access a specific website, such as www.google.com, the following steps occur:

1. Client and ISP Interaction: the user's web browser, acting as the client, sends a request to their Internet Service Provider (ISP). The ISP serves as a gateway to the Internet and handles the client's request;
2. DNS Translation: the ISP forwards the request to a Domain Name System (DNS) server. The DNS server functions like a phone book, translating the website's domain name (www.google.com) into an IP address, a unique numerical identifier assigned to devices connected to a network;
3. Establishing a Connection: with the obtained IP address, the browser can directly connect to the web server hosting the website;
4. Data Retrieval: the web server receives the request and sends the necessary files and data back to the browser;
5. Rendering the Webpage: the browser receives the files and data from the server and renders the webpage, allowing the client to view and interact with the website's content.

Note

Despite the complexity of the Internet infrastructure, accessing a website or web app boils down to obtaining the IP address associated with the desired destination. Understanding the roles of Clients, ISPs, and DNS in this process gives us a basic grasp of how the Internet functions.