Starting from the Beginning
If you’re wondering what happens after you enter a URL in your browser, but before it displays your request – that’s what we’re going to attempt to explain within this post. Business owners who may be trying to understand a little more about technology issues or cyber security, this is the right place! So with that, let’s get started.
The Steps
We’ve all typed the name of a website we wanted to visit into the search bar of our browsers, but the search results happen so fast that we rarely – if ever – think about what happens in between. You might be surprised to learn that there are actually several steps that go on during what seems to be only a split second!
Quick Summary
First, we’re going to do a quick overview or simplified version, and then we’ll go into more detail. Remember, Blue Oak Technology Solutions is always here to help answer any further questions you still may have, at the end of the article.
- Type URL or domain name in the search bar of the search engine or browser, and hit enter.
- The browser looks up the IP address for the domain name using the DNS.
- The browser sends an HTTP request to the server.
- The server sends an HTTP response.
- The browser begins rendering the HTML.
- The browser sends requests for additional objects embedded in HTML (i.e. images, JavaScript files, etc.) and repeats steps 3 – 5.
Then the page loads and is synced again as necessary. Voilà! Now we’ll go over some of the details.
The Browser
The browser checks the cache for a DNS record to find the corresponding IP address. Every website has a unique IP address. DNS is a database where the website is named and linked using a specific IP address. It is important to maintain good navigation in order to provide a useful interface between users.
Checking Caches
To find DNS records, the browser checks four files: the browser cache, OS cache, router cache, and ISP cache. If all else fails, the browser will then go to the ISP cache last. Your ISP maintains its own DNS Server which includes a cache of DNS records that browsers look for, before trying to find your URL.
URL Breakdown
A Uniform Resource Locator or “URL” is used to locate a resource on a server. The requested resource can be of any kind such as an MP3 file. The URL tells your browser two things: the domain name (unique name identified by an identifiable URL) and the path to a folder with the resource.
The files or resources on the server have locations specified in their unique URL. A domain name sets the number or URL of the Web website/resource in the server. The URL leads to the specific path of the folder with the resource and determines where and when to request a resource.
DNS – Domain Name System
The internet uses a directory network system called a DNS, or domain name system. Each domain is mapped into its corresponding unique IP address assigned. DNS servers and records are parts of distributed databases. It means all records are not stored on a single server but are distributed to multiple global servers, for increased security.
To save PCs attempting to scan the Internet each time a site or site’s URL is entered, it checks the local DNS database stores. The first step is the retrieval of a new unique IP address. It becomes more difficult when calling the newly created DNS record for finding new IP addresses.
Server Response
The DNS server receives the request and based on the info in the request line, headers and body determine how to process the request. The browser considers 200 different status codes as successful. The status line combines the HTTP version and a numeric and interactive display of the status of the request.
Initially, the site generates dynamic resources building the HTML from fragmentation or template and then integrating with the dynamic data which is sent back with the response, as text.
ISP – Resolver Server
If a DNS query has not been resolved in these steps, then the resolver server’s help is required. A resolver server is nothing but an ISP (internet service provider). These queries are sent to the ISP, where DNS queries run in the ISP cache. DLL records e-mail addresses for a given domain name and relays them to the browser.
TCP and IP
TCP/IP stands for Transmission Control Protocol and Internet Protocol, a set of communication protocols for the Internet and networking. They are maintained by the IETF, or Internet Engineering Task Force, and were originally funded by the U.S. Department of Defense. It is commonly described as a layering system for data. A TCP connection is considered necessary for a secure connection.
Technology Solutions from Blue Oak
We understand that this is still likely confusing, which is why we’re here – to answer your questions and give you and your business solutions to the technology challenges you face. We offer monthly managed services at a terrific rate, and you choose the IT services you need, with nothing you don’t.
DNS filtering and other security measures for combating cybercrime and keeping your business safe and secure are available, with 24/7 monitoring and personalized customer service.
So when your business needs real solutions like email hosting, antivirus software and protection, equipment evaluation and acquisition, wireless solutions and so many more to choose from, contact us here at Blue Oak Technology Solutions. We believe in helping small business owners to succeed, and we truly care about our clients.
