# 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](http://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](http://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