Internet and World Wide Web (WWW)
The Internet is a huge network that joins millions of smaller networks across the world, using cables, satellites and routers. It follows common rules called TCP/IP.
The World Wide Web (WWW) is a service that runs on the Internet. It is the collection of web pages, written in HTML, joined by hyperlinks and opened with the HTTP/HTTPS protocol. Tim Berners-Lee proposed it in 1989. So the Internet is the network; the Web is one thing we do on it.
URL: the address of a web page
A URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is the full address of a resource on the Web.
https://learn.codingmarble.com/ip/index.html └─┬──┘ └─────────┬──────────┘└──────┬─────┘ protocol domain name path / file
- Protocol: the rule for transfer (http, https = secure, ftp).
- Domain name: the easy name of the server; DNS turns it into an IP address. The last part (.com, .org, .in, .gov.in) is the top-level domain.
- Path: the folder and file on the server.
Web services: web, email, chat, VoIP
- Web: reading and using web pages in a browser.
- Email: sending messages and files to an address like
name@domain.com. The message waits in the receiver's mailbox on a mail server, so both people need not be online together. It can have subject, CC, BCC and attachments. - Chat: typing short messages that reach the other person instantly (real time). Both are online at the same time. Many apps also allow group chat, images and files.
- VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol): your voice is changed into digital packets and sent over the Internet, so calls are cheap or free. Video calls on messaging apps use the same idea. It needs a steady Internet connection; a slow one makes the voice break up.
Website vs web page
| Web page | Website |
|---|---|
| one document, written in HTML | a group of related web pages |
| has its own URL (…/about.html) | has one domain name (www.myschool.in) |
| shows content on one topic | has a home page linking to the other pages |
Static vs dynamic web pages
| Static web page | Dynamic web page |
|---|---|
| content is fixed in the HTML file | content is created when you ask for it |
| same for every visitor | can change for each visitor or time |
| made with HTML and CSS | uses server scripts (PHP, ASP, JSP, Python) and a database |
| fast, simple, cheap | more work, but interactive |
| e.g. a school's 'About us' page | e.g. exam result page, train seat status, shopping cart |
Web server and web hosting
A web server is a computer (with server software) that stores websites and sends web pages to browsers when they ask. The browser sends an HTTP request; the server sends back a response with the page (or an error like 404 Not Found).
Web hosting is a service where a company rents you space on its always-on web servers, in a data centre, so your website is online 24×7. To publish a site you (1) register a domain name, (2) buy a hosting plan, (3) upload your files to the server.
Web browsers, settings, add-ons, plug-ins and cookies
A web browser is software that fetches web pages and displays them. Examples: Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari, Opera.
- Settings: choose the home page and search engine, clear browsing history, cache and cookies, block pop-ups, allow or block location and camera, turn on private (incognito) mode, save or not save passwords.
- Add-ons / extensions: small programs added to the browser to give new features, such as an ad blocker, a dictionary or a password manager. Install them only from the browser's official store.
- Plug-ins: programs that let the browser show special content inside a page, such as a PDF viewer or a media player. Modern browsers have most of these built in.
- Cookies: small text files that a website saves in your browser. They remember login, language and shopping cart. First-party cookies come from the site you visit; third-party cookies come from other sites (often advertisers) and can track you across sites. You can clear or block them in settings.
Try it: explore your browser
Open any browser. (1) Copy the URL of this page and mark the protocol, domain and path. (2) Open Settings → Privacy and find where cookies are listed; count how many sites have saved cookies (just look, do not delete anything unless a parent agrees). (3) Open the extensions page and list the add-ons installed. Then try step 6 of the 3D with other URLs.
Key formulas and definitions
- Internet = network of networks (TCP/IP) · WWW = linked pages (HTTP/HTTPS, HTML)
- URL = protocol :// domain name / path
- Website = many web pages under one domain
- Static = same for all · Dynamic = built per visitor (script + database)
- Browser → request → web server → response (page)
Worked examples
1. Split the URL https://www.cbse.gov.in/results/index.html into its parts.
Protocol: https · Domain name: www.cbse.gov.in (top-level domain .in) · Path: /results/index.html.
2. Is the Internet the same as the WWW? Explain in one line.
No. The Internet is the worldwide network; the WWW is the set of linked web pages that runs on it, along with other services like email and VoIP.
3. Which service fits: (a) sending a report with an attachment, (b) talking to grandparents abroad for free, (c) quick messages with a friend who is online?
(a) Email, (b) VoIP (voice or video call over the Internet), (c) Chat.
4. Classify as static or dynamic: (a) a school's history page, (b) a railway PNR status page, (c) a weather page showing the current temperature.
(a) Static, (b) Dynamic, (c) Dynamic.
5. A student made a website on her laptop. Why can others not open it, and what does she need?
Her laptop is not an always-on public web server. She needs a domain name and web hosting, then must upload the files to the host's server.
6. After logging in to a shopping site, you close the tab and reopen it the next day, and you are still logged in. What made this possible?
A cookie saved by the site in your browser remembered your login session.
Common mistakes
- Using 'Internet' and 'Web' as the same thing; the Web is one service on the Internet.
- Calling a single page a website; a website is a group of linked pages.
- Thinking a dynamic page just means a page with animation; it means content is created on the server for each request.
- Mixing up add-ons (add features to the browser) and plug-ins (show special content inside pages).