Computers/Web Flashcards
How computers and the internet work to run websites. (27 cards)
Draw how the internet works
https://youtu.be/7_LPdttKXPc?t=224
ISP
An Internet Service Provider (ISP) provides individuals and businesses with access to the internet.
server
An internet server, often a computer or a software program, acts as a central hub that stores, manages, and delivers information to other computers or devices (clients) over the internet. It responds to requests from clients, like web browsers, for data, files, or services, and sends back the requested information.
router
An internet router (aka gateway) is a computer that connects multiple devices to a network and the internet, managing traffic between them. While routers connect multiple networks and determine the best path for data to travel, switches connect devices within the same network, enabling them to communicate and share resources. Note that the commercial router in your home is likely a combination of a switch, a router, and a modem, all in one device.
modem
Translates digital signals from your computer into analog signals for transmission over a medium like phone lines or cable, and then converts incoming analog signals back into digital signals that your device can understand. A modem connects your local network to an internet service provider (ISP), converting the signal from the ISP into a format your network can use.
switch
A network switch directs messages between computers on a local network, ensuring each message reaches only its intended recipient. Because relying on many switches can slow down messages and create single points of failure, networks are kept small and connected to each other through routers. This setup improves both efficiency and reliability.
CPU
The CPU, or Central Processing Unit, is the brain of a computer, responsible for executing instructions and performing calculations. It’s the primary component that processes data and controls the flow of information within the computer system. Essentially, it takes in input, processes it according to instructions, and produces an output.
GPU
A GPU, or Graphics Processing Unit, is a specialized electronic circuit designed to rapidly manipulate and alter memory to create images in a frame buffer for output to a display device. Essentially, it’s a co-processor that handles the heavy lifting of graphics processing, freeing up the CPU for other tasks. This allows for smoother, higher-quality visuals, especially in graphically intensive applications like gaming, video editing, and 3D modeling.
DNS
DNS, or Domain Name System, is the internet’s phonebook. It translates human-readable domain names (like google.com) into the numerical IP addresses that computers use to locate and connect to websites and other online resources. Essentially, it allows you to type a website name into your browser instead of a string of numbers.
https://www.reddit.com/r/HomeNetworking/comments/jvteri/why_do_we_have_dns_settings_on_a_home_computer/
Web page
A document that can be displayed in a web browser. These are also often called just “pages”. Such documents are written in the HTML language.
Website
A collection of web pages grouped together into a single resource, with links connecting them together. Often called a “site”.
Web server
A computer that hosts a website on the Internet.
Web service
A software that responds to requests over the Internet to perform a function or provide data. A web service is typically backed by a web server, and may provide web pages for users to interact with. Many websites are also web services, though some websites (such as MDN) consist of static content only. Examples of web services would be something that resizes images, provides a weather report, or handles user login.
Search engine
A web service that helps you find other web pages, such as Google, Bing, Yahoo, or DuckDuckGo. Search engines are normally accessed through a web browser (for example, you can perform search engine searches directly in the address bar of Firefox, Chrome, etc.) or through a web page (for example, bing.com or duckduckgo.com).
SEO
Search engine optimization
browser
A piece of software that retrieves and displays web pages. Don’t confuse the software (the browser) with the service (the search engine).
TLD
Top-level domains (TLDs) indicate the general purpose of a domain, with generic ones like .com having no restrictions, while others, such as country-specific (.us, .fr) or specialized TLDs (.gov, .edu), enforce stricter rules to reflect their intended use.
labels
In top-level domains (TLDs), labels are the segments of a domain name separated by dots. For example, in example.com, “example” is one label, and “com” (the TLD) is another. Each label must follow specific rules, like length limits and allowed characters, to be valid within the Domain Name System (DNS). The label located right before the TLD is also called a Secondary Level Domain (SLD).
client
Clients are the typical web user’s internet-connected devices (for example, your computer connected to your Wi-Fi, or your phone connected to your mobile network) and web-accessing software available on those devices (usually a web browser like Firefox or Chrome).
server
Servers are computers that store webpages, sites, or apps. When a client wants to access a webpage, a copy of the webpage code is downloaded from the server onto the client machine to be rendered by the browser and displayed to the user.
TCP/IP
Transmission Control Protocol and Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) are communication protocols that define how data should travel across the internet. This is like the transport mechanisms that let you place an order, go to the shop, and buy your goods. In our example, this is like a car or a bike (or however else you might travel along the road).
HTTP
Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) is an application protocol that defines a language for clients and servers to speak to each other.
What happens when you type a web address into a browser?
The browser asks a DNS server to translate the website’s domain name into its actual IP address.
The browser sends an HTTP request over TCP/IP to the web server to ask for the website’s content.
If approved, the server replies with a “200 OK” response and begins sending the website files in small data packets.
The browser reassembles these packets into the complete web page and displays it to you.
URL
A domain name is the name of a website (like google.com), while a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is the complete address of a specific page on that website (like google.com/maps). Think of the domain name as the street address and the URL as the specific room number within that building.
