Fundamentals of the Internet 🌐: The Basics 📚
Tags: internet, beginners, tutorial, learning
Published: 2023-08-30 11:36:10

## Introduction to the Internet 🌐
The Internet plays a big role in how we share info, chat, and do business every day. It's like a _superhighway for info, connecting people worldwide_. From early slow connections to today's speedy networks 🚀, the Internet has evolved into a global info hub.

## Evolution and Global Connectivity 🌍
The Internet didn't start big. It began as a research idea 🤔 and grew into something huge. _ARPANET, made by the U.S. in the 1960s, was its starting point_. Over time, it got better, **leading to the World Wide Web in the 1980s**. The Internet we know now links everyone, even across countries and time zones.

![Image](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/53m6ieeeu8xieojrg2rf.png)Credit: https://www.livescience.com/internet

## Resolving Human-Friendly Names to IP Addresses 🔍
Meet DNS, the **Internet's silent helper**. Underneath easy-to-remember website names is a complex address system. DNS translates names into numbers (IP addresses) your device understands. _When you type a website name, DNS helps your browser find it by finding its IP address. This happens in steps, like a ladder, with different servers helping out._

![Image](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/02pud3pxgqghav3zdjx0.png)Credit: https://blog.mozilla.org/en/internet-culture/what-is-an-ip-address/

## Verbs and How Devices Talk 🗣️
The web speaks a language called HTTP. **It's like how your device and servers talk.** _With words like GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE, HTTP helps them swap info. When you click a link, your device asks for info using HTTP. The server gets this and sends back what you asked for—a sort of digital dance between devices._

## The Dance of Device and Server 💃🕺
Clicking links or loading web pages starts a chat between your device and a faraway server. Your device begins by sending a request (like ordering a page). **The server gets this, figures it out, and sends back a response with what you wanted.** _This back-and-forth is how web pages load._

![Image](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/6ckg0ni8ws6ewn3rawvi.png)Credit: https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/http-full-form/

## Paving the Way for Data 🌐
Networks are key to the Internet's magic. They're like webs connecting devices, routers, and servers. They help info move far distances. There are small networks (like at home) and big ones (like the whole Internet). They make sure info gets where it's meant to go.

## Diving into Responses: Success and Errors 🏊‍♂️🚫
**_HTTP responses are more than just messages. They show what happened after your request._** Status codes, like 2xx (good), 3xx (change), 4xx (your mistake), and 5xx (server mistake), tell you what's up. A 404 code means something's missing, while 200 means all went well.

![Image](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/k5in8dzrm8p8ir337xfy.png)Credit: https://gist.github.com/sandrabosk/d125177b31eca8dc3e5c524e703ba94d

## Data Centers and Staying Connected 🏢🌐
Behind the Internet's cool stuff is a real system. **Data centers hold lots of servers, which are like digital engines**. They're _linked by fast connections, like undersea cables and satellites_. These connections make sure data travels quickly across the world. Given below is Google's Data Center.

![Image](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/lhj8r82cf3icn4zo7mgk.png)
Credit: https://www.crn.com/news/data-center/google-unveils-new-750m-data-center-as-part-of-9-5b-goal

## HTTPS: Staying Safe Online 🔒
Nowadays, privacy is important. That's where HTTPS comes in. While HTTP helps with info exchange, **HTTPS adds protection**. It keeps your info private when you send or get it. It's _like a shield that stops others from seeing your data_.

![Image](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/epl4nnrgzhgcw9zkz2gb.png) Credit: https://www.online-tech-tips.com/computer-tips/what-is-https-and-why-you-should-care/

## Conclusion: Navigating the Online World 🌐
Knowing the Internet basics helps us see its inner workings. From DNS to HTTP, networks to status codes, these parts build the giant platform we use daily. They shape how we learn, talk, and do things in the digital age.

## Further Learning 📚
You can take up the following courses/videos to learn more about this topic.
- https://codedamn.com/learn/http-fundamentals
- https://www.internetfundamentals.com/watch/
- https://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Internet_Fundamentals
- https://www.udemy.com/course/internet-and-web-development-fundamentals/