MSIMBAZI CENTRE TRAINING INSTITUTE
DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
INTERNET AND WEB TECHNOLOGY
ICT - NTA 4
LECTURE 2: HOW INTERNET WORKS
BY: SIR. NJOHOLE
A Brief History of the Internet
On October 29, 1969, an organization called ARPANET
(Advanced Research Projects Agency) launched the
first iteration of the internet (also known as ARPANET)
connecting four major computers at The University of
Utah, UCSB, UCLA, and Stanford Research Institute [2].
When this network of computers was connected,
universities were able to access files and transmit
information from one organization to the other, as well
as internally.
As researchers developed the system, they continued
to connect computers from other universities,
including MIT, Harvard, and Carnegie Mellon.
Eventually, ARPANET was renamed “internet.”
WHO USED THE INTERNET IN THIS STAGE?
In its earliest days, the internet was only used by
computer experts, scientists, engineers, and librarians
who had to learn a complicated system in order to use
it, but as the technology improved and consumers
adapted, it became an essential tool for people around
the globe.
HOW AND WHEN DID THE FUNCTIONALITY
OF THE INTERNET CHANGE?
The 1970s was a serious time of transition for the
internet. Email was introduced in 1972, libraries across
the country were linked, and above all, information
exchange became more seamless thanks to Transport
Control Protocol and Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)
architecture.
The invention of these protocols helped to standardize
how information was sent and received over the web,
making the delivery more consistent, regardless of
where or how you’re accessing the internet.
WHEN DID THE INTERNET BECOME USER-
FRIENDLY?
Then in 1986, the National Science Foundation took the
development of the internet to the next echelon by funding
NSFNET, a network of supercomputers throughout the
country.
These supercomputers laid the groundwork for personal
computing, bridging the gap between computers being used
exclusively for academic purposes and computers used to
perform daily tasks.
In 1991, The University of Minnesota developed the first
user-friendly internet interface, making it easier to access
campus files and information. The University of Nevada at
Reno continued to develop this usable interface, introducing
searchable functions and indexing.
WHEN DID CONSUMERS BEGIN USING THE
INTERNET?
As the internet’s development continued to evolve and shift focus,
the National Science Foundation discontinued its sponsorship of
the internet’s backbone (NSFNET) in May of 1995.
This change lifted all commercial use limitations on the internet and
ultimately, allowed the internet to diversify and grow rapidly.
Shortly after, AOL, CompuServe, and Prodigy joined Delphi to offer
commercial internet service to consumers.
The debut of WiFi and Windows 98 in the late nineties marked the
tech industry’s commitment to developing the commercial
element of the internet. This next step gave companies like
Microsoft access to a new audience, consumers (like yourself).
WHAT DOES INTERNET USAGE LOOK LIKE
TODAY?
Flash-forward to today. It’s estimated that three billion
people now use the internet, many of whom use it on
a daily basis to help them get from Point A to Point B,
catch up with loved ones, collaborate at work, or to
learn more about important questions like how does
the internet work?
As technology changes and the internet weaves its way
into just about every aspect of our lives, even more
people are expected to use it. In 2030, researchers
project there will be 7.5 billion internet users and 500
billion devices connected to the internet
How does the internet work?
Now that you have some background on the evolution of
the internet, let’s tackle the question at hand: “how
does the internet work?”
The internet is a worldwide computer network that
transmits a variety of data and media across
interconnected devices. It works by using a packet
routing network that follows Internet Protocol (IP) and
Transport Control Protocol (TCP) [5].
TCP and IP work together to ensure that data
transmission across the internet is consistent and
reliable, no matter which device you’re using or where
you’re using it.
9 How does the internet work? (Cont…)
When data is transferred over the internet, it’s delivered
in messages and packets. Data sent over the internet is
called a message, but before messages get sent,
they’re broken up into tinier parts called packets.
These messages and packets travel from one source to
the next using Internet Protocol (IP) and Transport
Control Protocol (TCP). IP is a system of rules that
govern how information is sent from one computer to
another computer over an internet connection.
Using a numerical address (IP Address) the IP system
receives further instructions on how the data should
be transferred.
SIR. NJOHOLE 4/2/2025
How does the internet work? (Cont…)
The Transport Control Protocol (TCP) works with
IP to ensure transfer of data is dependable and
reliable. This helps to make sure that no
packets are lost, packets are reassembled in
proper sequence, and there’s no delay
negatively affecting the data quality.
Wondering how the internet works from
browser launch to search results? Let’s go over
the process step-by-step
WHEN YOU TYPE IN A WEB ADDRESS INTO
YOUR BROWSER...
Step 1: Your PC or device is connected to the web through
a modem or router. Together, these devices allow you
to connect to other networks around the globe.
Your router enables multiple computers to join the same
network while a modem connects to your ISP (Internet
Service Provider) which provides you with either cable
or DSL internet.
Step 2: Type in a web address, known as a URL
(Uniform Resource Locator). Each website has its own
unique URL that signals to your ISP where you want to
go.
WHEN YOU TYPE IN A WEB ADDRESS INTO
YOUR BROWSER...
Step 3: Your query is pushed to your ISP which connects
to several servers which store and send data like a NAP
Server (Network Access Protection) and a DNS (Domain
Name Server).
Next, your browser looks up the IP address for the
domain name you typed into your search engine
through DNS. DNS then translates the text-based
domain name you type into the browser into the
number-based IP address.
• Example: [Link] becomes [Link]
Step 4: Your browser sends a Hypertext Transfer
Protocol (HTTP) request to the target server to send a
copy of the website to the client using TCP/IP.
WHEN YOU TYPE IN A WEB ADDRESS INTO
YOUR BROWSER...
Step 5: The server then approves request and
sends a “200 OK” message to your computer.
Then, the server sends website files to the
browser in the form of data packets.
Step 6: As your browser reassembles the data
packets, the website loads allowing you to
learn, shop, browse, and engage.
Step 7: Enjoy your search results!