Hello everyone! This is my very first blog, especially in the tech domain. As I'm currently learning web development, I thought it would be a great idea to share my understanding in simple terms. Let's dive into how the Internet works, which essentially involves how one computer connects with another across the globe.
Before we connect the dots, let's get familiar with some key terms:
IP (Internet Protocol): Just like our society operates on rules, so does the Internet. IP is a set of rules that govern how data is routed and addressed across networks.
IP Address: Similar to a phone number or your home address, an IP address is a unique numeric label (e.g., 192.168.2.5) assigned to systems connected to the network. It helps identify your system over the Internet and facilitates communication using IP rules.
ISP (Internet Service Provider): This is a company that provides services to connect you to the Internet via broadband connections, among other methods.
DNS (Domain Name System): Often referred to as the "Phonebook of the Internet," DNS is akin to the contact list on your mobile phone. It contains the addresses of all the websites you want to access.
Now that we're acquainted with these terms, let's see how they work together.
Every computer or system connected to the Internet has an IP address, as does the website you want to access. We usually know websites by their domain names, not their IP addresses. For instance, if you want to visit Amazon.com, your computer first connects to your ISP, essentially saying, "Hey, I want to go to the Amazon.com website."
At this point, the ISP doesn't know the IP address of the website you want to visit. This is where DNS comes into play. The ISP will look up the requested website in the DNS (the "phonebook") to find its IP address. The DNS searches its repository for the numeric label of the website, finds its DNS record, and returns it to the ISP.
With the IP address in hand, the ISP connects to the Internet, locates the address, and retrieves the website you wanted to visit.
And voila! This is the basic process of how the Internet works.