People often use “the internet” and “the web” as if they were the same. They are not. The internet is the global network of networks. The web is one service that runs on top of it, alongside email, video calls, online games and many others. Understanding internet and web technology basics makes it much easier to learn networking, security and web development.
This guide explains the difference, how URLs and DNS work, who runs the internet and what happens when you open a website.
The internet
The internet connects billions of devices through tens of thousands of independent networks, run by ISPs, cloud providers, universities, companies and governments. These networks agree to use common protocols, mainly the TCP/IP suite, and to exchange traffic with each other.
It grew from ARPANET, a US research network that switched to TCP/IP on 1 January 1983. Today, it carries everything from web pages to banking transactions and smart home commands. Read more in our guide to the TCP/IP model.
The World Wide Web
The web is a system of linked documents and applications that you access with a browser. Tim Berners-Lee proposed it at CERN in 1989. It relies on three core technologies:
- HTML describes the structure of pages;
- HTTP and HTTPS transfer pages and data between browsers and servers;
- URLs identify where each resource lives.
Modern websites add CSS for design and JavaScript for interactivity, and they increasingly use HTTP/2 and HTTP/3 for speed.
Internet vs web
| Internet | Web |
|---|---|
| Global network infrastructure | A service that runs on the internet |
| Uses many protocols: IP, TCP, UDP, DNS and more | Mainly uses HTTP and HTTPS |
| Carries email, VoIP, streaming, file transfer, the web | Delivers web pages and web apps |
| Started in the 1970s and 1980s | Started in 1989 to 1991 |
URI vs URL
A URI (Uniform Resource Identifier) identifies a resource. A URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is a type of URI that also tells you where and how to get it. In other words, every URL is a URI, but not every URI is a URL. For example, urn:isbn:9780131103627 names a book, but does not say where to find it.
A URL has several parts:
https://www.example.com:443/blog/post?id=5#comments
scheme host port path query fragmentHow DNS works
Computers use IP addresses, while people prefer names. The Domain Name System (DNS) translates names into addresses.
- You type
www.example.cominto the browser. - Your device asks a recursive resolver, usually run by your ISP or a public service.
- If the answer is not cached, the resolver asks a root server, then a top-level domain server (for .com), then the domain’s authoritative server.
- The resolver returns the IP address, and your device caches it for a while.
DNS is a common attack target. For that reason, organizations use DNSSEC to protect answers and DNS filtering to block malicious domains.
Who governs the internet?
No single organization owns or controls the internet. Instead, several bodies coordinate key parts:
- ICANN and IANA coordinate domain names, IP address allocation and protocol numbers.
- Regional internet registries, such as APNIC for Asia-Pacific, assign IP addresses. In India, IRINN works under APNIC.
- The IETF develops internet standards, published as RFCs.
- The W3C develops web standards, such as HTML-related specifications and accessibility guidelines.
- National governments and regulators set local laws, such as India’s IT Act.
What happens when you open a website
- DNS resolves the domain name to an IP address.
- Your browser opens a connection to the server, usually over TCP or QUIC.
- TLS sets up an encrypted HTTPS session.
- The browser sends an HTTP request.
- The server returns HTML, then the browser fetches CSS, JavaScript and images.
- Finally, the browser renders the page.
Related guides
Sources
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