Lots of different ways to use the internet 🌐

We all know that there are numerous ways to utilize the internet, but in this discussion, we'll focus on one of the most prevalent methods: accessing the internet through the web. 💻

Accessing Websites through the Web 🌐

All websites can be accessed through the web. Websites are essentially text documents formatted using HTML (HyperText Markup Language), a coding language used by web browsers. Web pages consist of basic components and contain multimedia content such as text, images, audio, and video.

To navigate to a website, you would typically type in a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) like www.reddit.com. A URL is a web address similar to a home address. The "www" in the URL represents the World Wide Web, and the second portion, "reddit.com," is the domain name, which is essentially the name of the website.

Domain Names and Domain Endings 🏰

Anyone can register a domain name, which serves as the website's unique identifier. Once a domain name is registered with ICANN (the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers), it becomes unavailable to others unless it becomes available again in the future.

The last part of a URL, such as ".com" in the case of www.reddit.com, represents the domain ending. Different domain endings indicate the type of website. For example, a domain ending in ".edu" is typically used for educational institutions. Other examples include ".net" or ".org."

IP Addresses and DNS 🔢

IP addresses are used by computers to locate one another on the internet. Just like you can use an address to find a physical location, you can use an IP address to find a computer on the internet. For instance, typing the IP address 172.217.6.46 into a web browser will take you to Google's homepage.

The Domain Name System (DNS) acts as an internet directory, translating human-readable domain names (like "Google.com") into IP addresses. When you visit a website, your computer performs a DNS lookup to find the IP address associated with the domain name you entered.

Understanding IP addresses can be valuable in diagnosing DNS issues. If you can access a website using its IP address but not its domain name, there may be a problem with the DNS configuration in your network.

Importance of IP Addresses in IT 💻🔧

IP addresses play a crucial role in various IT scenarios. They are often used to identify the source of internet requests in server logs. Additionally, many IT infrastructure components require proper IP address configuration to function correctly.

DNS is a complex system, and we'll explore it in more detail later. Now that you have a basic understanding of how the internet works, I'll conclude this discussion and leave you in the capable hands of my colleague, Jeone Spicuzza, who will delve further into the fascinating world of computer networking in future lessons.

Stay tuned for more exciting insights into the incredible boom of the internet age! 🚀