The topic of our article is the most basic Internet terms and their definitions. To begin with, the Internet is a collection of decentralized networks connected by a system of protocols referred to as TCP/IP. Therefore, the more extensive network enables the communication between computer networks operated by businesses, governments, universities, and other organizations worldwide. We will also define some basic phrases used on the Internet to help you understand this. So let’s start.
Domain Name System – a fundamental component of the Internet
Web Browser
The first Internet terms from our list are web browsers. Why are they essential? Many individuals mistakenly believe that a web browser serves as a search engine, but in reality, a browser is computer software that facilitates access to the World Wide Web. Every web page, image, and video on the Internet has a particular Uniform Resource Locator (URL), which enables the browser to recognize the resource and download it from the web server. This is how browsers function. In conclusion, it is client software because it operates on a user’s computer or mobile device and communicates with the webserver to obtain the information the user has requested. In addition, the ability to store downloaded files, music, and movies via an integrated FTP client is also available in web browsers.
IP address
The Internet’s anchors are its IP addresses. They support your entire digital life and connect you to the Internet. Furthermore, IP address stands for Internet Protocol address. It is a set of numbers that are given to each device linked to the Internet or a computer network. For instance, it is 5.181.27.75. This example is an IPv4 address, although IPv6 addresses are also possible.
Domain Name System (DNS)
Since names are more accessible for people to remember than numbers, the Domain Name System (DNS) is best recognized for connecting domain names (hostnames) with IP addresses. One of the most crucial foundations of the Internet as we know it today, the Domain Name System, plays a significant part in facilitating our ability to use it conveniently. Additionally, because DNS’s primary function is to link domain names and IP addresses rather than to provide security, it is vulnerable to several cyber threats like DDoS attacks, DNS spoofing, etc. As a result, implementing additional features like DNSSEC, DDoS Protected DNS, DNS Failover, DNS Monitoring, etc., is frequently necessary.
Domain name
The exclusive address for a website is its domain name. This is the address at which Internet visitors can access your website. To identify and map websites and other Internet Protocol (IP) resources, the Domain Name System (DNS) uses host names or domain names. On the Internet, machines are located and identified using their domain names. They are unique and cannot be used by another website. For example, think about internet-eireann.ie.
TLD
A TLD is a domain extension that refers to the letters of a domain name that come after the dot. In our example internet-eireann.ie this is .ie. Other popular examples of a TLD include, .com, .net, .org., .gov, .edu, etc. Additionally, there are other TLD types, including:
- gTLD – It stands for Generic Top-level Domains and popular examples are .org, .com. and .net
- sTLD – It abbreviation stands for Sponsored Top-level Domains. And the most usable sTLD’s are .edu and .gov.
- ccTLD – It means Country Code Top-level Domains and the most common among them are: .fr, .uk, .usa, .ie, etc.
TLDs are an essential part of a company’s URL. With them, you may develop client loyalty and target a particular audience.
Conclusion
Congratulations! You are one step closer to the fundamentals of the Internet. You now know all the necessary Internet terms. Additionally, you will now be more aware of what the various components signify when you browse the Internet!