How The Internet Works

How Does The Internet Works

The internet is a world-wide network of computers linked together by wires and satellite links.

—       When you connect to the internet you are connecting to a special type of server which is provided and operated by your Internet Service Provider (ISP).Its job is to provide the link between your browser and the rest of the internet.

Web server

—       A web server is computers that delivers and stores web pages. Each web server has an IP address and possibly a domain name. For example, if you enter a URL http://www.pcwebopedia.com/index.html in your browser, this sends a request to the Web server whose domain name is pcwebopedia.com. The server then fetches the page named index.html and sends it to your browser.

Mail server

—         A mail server is a computer that works as your virtual post office. A mail server usually consists of a storage area where email is stored for local users, a set of user definable rules which determine how the mail server should react to the destination of a specific message, a database of user accounts that the mail server recognizes and will deal with locally, and communications modules which are the components that actually handle the transfer of messages to and from other mail servers and email clients.

Proxy server

—       A proxy server is used to block access to websites that are not suitable when you’re in school, work place or college. It also speeds up the webpage and blocks viruses. Instead of accessing the internet directly the users access the proxy server instead - it is a go between. It is between the internet and the network.

Router

—       A router is a device you get of your internet service provider. There are all sorts of routers for the internet. You plug it into your phone line and it will connect you up to the internet. Routers link servers and when you request a website the routers direct you to the correct site using IP addresses.

Web server application

—       This is the software that is on the server and which can deliver web pages. This sends a request to the Web server which then fetches the page you are looking and sends it to your browser.

Mail client software

—       Mail client software is software which lets you store, receive and send emails. There are all different ways to send emails like hotmail, yahoo and Gmail.

Web browser

—         A web browser is a software program which lets you go on the internet to search and view for any information you are looking like games, music, shopping etc. If you don't have a browser, you can't access the internet. The browser converts the HTML into a webpage. Examples of browsers are Internet Explorer, Firefox.

ISP

·         An ISP is the internet service provider that lets you access to the internet. If you want to have the internet companies such as BT, Talktalk and Sky can offer you this. They will send out a router which may be wired or wireless which you plug into your phone line and this will enable you to get access to the internet.

Web host server

—         A web server is a computer that delivers web pages to web users whose computers contain HTTP clients that forward their requests. Every Web server has an IP address and possibly a domain name. For example, if you enter the URL http://www.marksandspencers.com/index.html in your browser, this will then send a request to the Web server whose domain name is marksandspencers.com. The server then fetches the page named index.html and sends it to your browser.

Domain structure/ Domain name register

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A Domain name is the domain name of your website or your company’s website but first you need to go to a domain name registrar to see if the domain name you want is available.

For example if you want your website to be called www.facebook.com it will be taken but www.facebook.ac.uk might be available.

There are different levels of a domain name and these levels are:

Top level – This would be .uk

Second level – This would be .ac.

Third level – This would be facebook