What happens when a user browses the internet?

We present a simplified depiction of how the internet operates, using the example of a user from one country accessing a website hosted on servers in another country. In this scenario, the user is in one part of the world, the destination server is on a different continent, and the user successfully loads the webpage.

• Starting the request: The user enters a website address (e.g., www.abc.com) into their web browser and presses enter. This action triggers a request to open the specified webpage.

• Conversion of request to packets: The request is broken into data packets according to the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) for modular transmission. Beyond this point, all information is transmitted in these packets.

• Domain Name System (DNS) lookup: The request is then forwarded to a DNS server, which translates the domain name (www.abc.com) into an IP address that identifies the server.

• Server choice: In the case of websites owned by large tech companies, the request is often directed to a Content Delivery Network (CDN) to find a locally stored copy of the desired webpage. If there is no CDN, or the CDN does not have a stored version of the page, the request proceeds to the origin server.

• Routing the request: The request, via the Internet Service Provider (ISP), travels to the destination (CDN or Origin Server). This path typically involves passing through numerous routers, networks, and submarine cables.

• Accessing the server: Once the request packets arrive at the destination server, they are compiled into the original request. The server then produces a response, including HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files, which are segmented into data packets for return to the user.

• Routing the response: The server dispatches the response packets back to the initiating browser through a similar sequence of hops.

• Rendering the response: The browser uses the response to display the webpage