What Happens When You Access a Webpage

There are two types of computers on the internet; those that are clients (those accessing services/pages), and those that are servers (those providing services/pages). While some computers can act as both clients and servers, they are typically only one or the other. Each computer on the internet is assigned a unique IP address for identification. Most server IP addresses are static, while client IP addresses typically change assignments via their ISP (internet service provider) each time they connect to the internet.
Your computer (or office network hub) connects to a local ISP, which then connects to a regional ISP and then onto the world ISP which gives you access to webpages across the globe. This is the internet infrastructure at its core.
When you type a website address into your browser, say https://www.ccsipro.com/home, there are three parts:
The Protocol: http (hypertext transfer protocol)
The Server Name: www.ccsipro.com
The File: home (many websites will also use “index” for their homepage file name but this home page extension is usually invisible in browser address bars)
Once you hit “go”, the browser connects and communicates with a name server to translate the server name (www.ccsipro.com) into its proper IP address (205.186.187.204). It then uses this IP address to connect your computer to the server where the page is stored using the hypertext transfer protocol (http). The client (your computer) essentially sends a message/query to the server saying, “Hey, I want to see the “home” file,” (a GET query) so the server responds by sending the code file back through the internet to your browser. Your browser then uses the tags and CSS scripts in the code file to then translate and display the images and text content you see on your desktop. Each time you click a link or navigate away from a page to another, this process starts over again.you are connected to the internet, hackers can attempt to use this back-and-forth communication over the world-wide-web (www) to intercept communication, send malicious software, or access sensitive data on your computer or network, which is why it’s important to have network and computer security measures in place. The experts at CCSI can help!