Behind the Scenes: The Journey of Typing ‘google.com’ and Pressing Enter

Photo by Christian Wiediger on Unsplash

Have you ever wondered what happens when you type “google.com” into your web browser and hit Enter? It seems like a simple action, but beneath the surface, a complex series of processes unfold to bring you the web page you requested. In this blog post, I’ll take you on a journey through the inner workings of this seemingly ordinary task and explore the fascinating subtopics that make it all happen.

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1. DNS Request: Unveiling the Internet’s Phone Book

This is the gateway to the web. When you enter “google.com” into your browser’s address bar, you set in motion the DNS (Domain Name System) request process. It’s akin to accessing the internet’s phone book, translating human-friendly domain names into machine-friendly IP addresses.

Basically, your browser sends a query to a DNS server, typically provided by your Internet Service Provider (ISP), requesting the IP address associated with “google.com.” First, your computer checks its local DNS cache. This cache stores recently resolved domain names and IP addresses to expedite future requests, enhancing browsing speed. If the IP…