The Internet vs. The World Wide Web

Understanding the Internet and the Web

The internet powers nearly everything we do today — from checking email and streaming videos to controlling smart home devices. But what exactly is “the internet”? And how is it different from the World Wide Web?

This article clears up the confusion by walking you through the core technologies behind your daily online experiences. You’ll learn what happens behind the scenes when you open a browser, type in a web address, or connect to Wi-Fi — and how each part works together to bring the web to life.

The Internet vs. The World Wide Web

People often use “the internet” and “the World Wide Web” as if they mean the same thing — but they’re actually two different things. The internet is the global infrastructure that connects computers and networks. The World Wide Web (WWW) is a service that runs on top of that infrastructure, made up of interlinked web pages you access with a browser.

Put simply:
The internet is the foundation. The web is just one of the services that runs on it.

Learn more: Internet Society — What is the Internet?

The Internet: A Global Network

The internet is a vast, global system of interconnected computers and devices. It’s the foundation that allows us to send emails, stream videos, browse websites, and so much more.

Think of it as a giant spiderweb made up of millions of smaller networks. These networks include your home Wi-Fi, your mobile data connection, corporate servers, and even satellites. They all work together to transmit data around the world — near-instantly.

It’s important to remember:
The internet is the infrastructure, not the content.

The World Wide Web: A Layer on the Internet

The World Wide Web (WWW) is just one of many services that run on top of the internet. It’s the system of interlinked web pages and multimedia content you access through a browser.

But the internet also powers other services beyond the web:

• VoIP (Voice over IP): Enables apps like Zoom, Skype, and WhatsApp to handle voice and video calls over the internet.
• IoT (Internet of Things): Allows smart devices — like thermostats, lights, and security cameras — to communicate and share data.

These services all rely on the same underlying infrastructure: the internet.

Learn more: W3C — About the World Wide Web

Email vs. The Web

While both email and the web rely on the internet to function, they’re two distinct services built on different protocols and designed for different purposes.

• Email is a method of sending messages directly from one user to another. It uses protocols like SMTP (for sending), and IMAP or POP3 (for receiving). Email doesn’t require a browser — instead, you use an email client or webmail interface to access your messages.

• The Web, on the other hand, is about accessing and viewing content hosted on servers — like websites, blogs, and media. It runs on HTTP/HTTPS and is accessed through browsers like Chrome or Firefox.

Note: Many “webmail” interfaces (e.g., Gmail, Outlook.com) are web apps that use HTTP on the frontend while the backend systems speak SMTP/IMAP to send and retrieve mail.

Put simply:
Email is like sending a letter. The web is like visiting a library.

Both are built on the internet, but they serve different communication needs.

Learn more: MDN — HTTP overview; IETF — SMTP (RFC 5321); IETF — IMAP4rev2 (RFC 9051); IETF — POP3 (RFC 1939)

Internet Services at a Glance

The internet is the global infrastructure. On top of it run various services — each with its own purpose and protocol:

Reminder: These services all run on the same underlying network — the internet — but each one serves a unique role using specific communication rules called protocols.

Note: SFTP is not the same as FTP. SFTP runs over SSH and is a different protocol than FTP; FTPS is FTP over TLS. When possible, prefer SFTP or HTTPS over plain FTP for security.

Learn more: Cloudflare Learning — FTP vs FTPS vs SFTP

How the Web Came to Be

The World Wide Web was invented in 1989 by Sir Tim Berners-Lee, a British computer scientist working at CERN (the European Organization for Nuclear Research).

At the time, scientists from around the world were collaborating at CERN but struggling to share research. Different systems, logins, and file formats made communication difficult. Berners-Lee proposed a better way: using a system of hyperlinked documents that could be accessed through a common interface — the web browser.

By 1990, he had created the core technologies of the web:

• HTML (HyperText Markup Language): for structuring content
• URI (Uniform Resource Identifier): for locating resources
• HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol): for retrieving them

Together, these allowed anyone with internet access to share and access information easily.

Importantly, Berners-Lee and CERN made the web’s code freely available to the public. That decision sparked a global movement rooted in:

• Decentralization
• Open standards
• Universal access
• Bottom-up collaboration

This openness laid the groundwork for the web as we know it — a platform for creativity, communication, and innovation across every sector of society.

Read more from the World Wide Web Foundation.

Learn more: CERN — The birth of the Web

Connecting Yourself to the Web

What is a Web Browser?

A web browser is your gateway to the World Wide Web. It’s the app that lets you visit websites, read articles, watch videos, and do just about everything online.

Popular browsers include:

• Google Chrome
• Mozilla Firefox
• Safari
• Microsoft Edge
• Brave (privacy-focused)

They all serve the same basic purpose but differ in speed, privacy features, and interface.

Learn more: MDN — Choosing a web browser

What is Wi-Fi?

Wi-Fi allows your device to connect to the internet wirelessly, no Ethernet cables required. It works by using radio waves to transmit data between your device and a router, which is connected to the internet.

Note: Wi‑Fi is a local network technology (your LAN). Internet access comes via your ISP through a modem/router that connects your LAN to the wider internet.

Thanks to Wi-Fi, you can browse the web from your couch, a café, or anywhere within range of a wireless signal.

Learn more: Wi‑Fi Alliance — Discover Wi‑Fi; IEEE 802.11

IP Address: Your Internet ID

Every device on the internet has an IP (Internet Protocol) address, a string of numbers like 203.0.113.5.

Think of it like your digital mailing address: When you request a webpage, the server needs to know where to send the data. That’s what your IP address is for.

Note: Many home networks use private addresses (like 192.168.1.10) behind a router that does NAT, so multiple devices share a single public IP on the wider internet. Also, IPv6 is widely deployed alongside IPv4.

Additionally, many ISPs and mobile carriers use carrier-grade NAT (CGNAT), where multiple subscribers share a public IP address.

Learn more: Cloudflare Learning — What is an IP address?

URL: The Web’s Address System

A URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is the full address of a resource on the web. For example:
https://www.google.com

Types of URLs:

• Absolute URLs include the full path (protocol, domain, etc.)
• Relative URLs are shorter and reference locations relative to the current page (e.g. /about)

Static vs. Dynamic URLs:

• Static: Point to a fixed resource (e.g. /about-us.html)
• Dynamic: Generated by a server, often with query parameters (e.g. ?search=shoes)

Query Parameters:

These add extra info to the end of a URL — great for search filters or tracking.

Example:
https://store.com/products?color=red&size=medium

Learn more: MDN — What is a URL?; WHATWG URL Standard

Domain Name: Your Website’s Address

A domain name is the human-readable address you type into a browser to visit a website — like google.com or wikipedia.org.

Behind the scenes, domain names point to IP addresses, helping browsers find the right server to load a site.

Two main parts of a domain name:

• Second-Level Domain (SLD): The part you choose — like google in google.com.
• Top-Level Domain (TLD): What comes after — like .com, .org, or .net.

You can also choose from newer or country-specific TLDs like .design, .tech, .uk, or .au.

To use a domain, you register it through a domain registrar and connect it to your hosting provider.

Learn more: ICANN — Domain Name Basics; IANA — Root Zone Database

The Path and Subdomains: Organizing Your Website

A URL can have multiple layers of organization to help users and browsers navigate content.

Path

The path comes after the domain name and points to a specific page or resource on a website.

Example:
example.com/blog/post-name
Here, /blog/post-name is the path.

Paths help structure your site logically — like folders and files on your computer.

Subdomain

A subdomain is a prefix added to a domain to separate content or functions.

Example:
blog.example.com or shop.example.com

Subdomains are often used for different areas of a website, like a blog, store, or help center — while still being part of the same brand.

DNS: The Internet’s Phone Book

DNS stands for Domain Name System, and it’s what allows you to visit websites using easy-to-remember names like example.com instead of hard-to-remember IP addresses like 192.0.2.1.

Here’s how it works (simplified):

1. You type a domain name into your browser.
2. Your device asks a DNS resolver (often your ISP or OS-configured resolver) to find the matching IP address. The resolver first checks its cache, then, if needed, queries the DNS hierarchy: root servers → TLD servers (like .com) → the domain’s authoritative nameservers.
3. The resolver responds with the IP address tied to that domain and caches it for next time.
4. Your browser then connects to the server at that address and loads the site.

You can think of DNS like your phone’s contact list — you don’t memorize everyone’s number, you just tap their name. DNS does the same thing for the internet.

✅ Without DNS, we’d all be memorizing strings of numbers just to visit our favorite sites. For privacy, many clients now support encrypted DNS via DoH (DNS over HTTPS) or DoT (DNS over TLS). Learn more about DoH and DoT: Mozilla’s DoH FAQ, Cloudflare Learning: DNS over TLS.

Learn more: Cloudflare Learning — What is DNS?

Cookies: The Web’s Memory

Cookies are small text files that websites store in your browser to remember things about you. They’re like the site’s short-term memory.

For example, cookies can:

• ✅ Keep you logged in
• ✅ Remember what’s in your shopping cart
• ✅ Store your preferences, like dark mode or language

A cookie might look like this under the hood:

session_id=abc123; Expires=Fri, 30 Jul 2025 12:00:00 GMT; Path=/

While cookies improve user experience, they also raise privacy concerns. Some cookies track your behavior across sites (often used in advertising), which is why websites now ask for cookie consent.

🔐 Most browsers let you view, block, or delete cookies in the settings.

👉 Tip: For developers, setting the HttpOnly, Secure, and SameSite attributes on cookies can help protect user data. Modern defaults: SameSite=Lax by default; if you use SameSite=None, you must also set Secure. These defaults are enforced by major browsers.

Learn more: MDN — HTTP cookies; MDN — Set-Cookie

Server: The Heart of the Web

A server is a specialized computer that stores all the files, images, databases, and code that make up a website. It’s always on, waiting for requests from browsers around the world.

When you visit a website:

1. Your browser sends a request to the server.
2. The server processes the request.
3. It sends back the necessary files (HTML, CSS, JS, etc.) to your browser.
4. Your browser renders the page.

🧠 Think of it like this: visiting a website is like ordering a meal at a restaurant. Your browser places the order, and the server is the kitchen that prepares and delivers the food.

There are different types of servers:

• Web servers serve websites (e.g., Apache, Nginx).
• Database servers store and retrieve structured data (e.g., MySQL, PostgreSQL).
• Application servers handle backend logic.

💡 Fun fact: Most of the internet runs on Linux-based servers — even big sites like Google and Facebook.

Learn more: MDN — How the Web works

Web Hosting: Where Websites Live

Web hosting is the service that makes your website accessible on the internet. Think of it as renting space on a computer (a server) where your website’s files live.

When someone types your domain into their browser:

1. The browser sends a request to your hosting server.
2. The server sends back the necessary HTML, CSS, images, and scripts.
3. The browser displays your website.

There are several types of hosting:

• Shared Hosting: Many websites share a single server. It’s cheap but can be slower.
• VPS (Virtual Private Server): A middle-ground option with better performance and flexibility.
• Dedicated Hosting: One website gets an entire server to itself — ideal for high-traffic sites.
• Cloud Hosting: Your site is hosted across many servers — scalable and reliable.

💡 If you’re using a modern static site generator like Astro and deploying to platforms like Netlify or Vercel, you’re using a form of cloud hosting optimized for speed and scalability. Additionally, Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) cache content at edge locations to reduce latency and offload your origin servers.

Learn more: Cloudflare Learning — What is a CDN?

HTTP vs. HTTPS: Secure Connections

HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) is the foundation of communication on the web. It allows your browser to request and receive web pages from a server.

But there’s a problem:
Standard HTTP sends data in plain text, which can be intercepted.

That’s where HTTPS comes in.
HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) encrypts the connection between your browser and the server using TLS, protecting sensitive information like:

• 🔐 Passwords
• 💳 Credit card numbers
• 🧾 Form data

You’ll know a site is using HTTPS if:

• The URL starts with https://
• There’s a padlock icon in the browser address bar

Note: The padlock indicates an encrypted connection to the site you reached; it doesn’t guarantee the site itself is trustworthy.

Why it matters:

• 🛡 Protects users from eavesdropping and data tampering
• ✅ Required for modern features (like service workers and push notifications)
• 📈 Boosts SEO — HTTPS is a lightweight ranking signal and is required for many modern web APIs

Modern deployments commonly use TLS 1.2/1.3 and HTTP/2 or HTTP/3 (over QUIC), improving both performance and security.

Learn more: MDN — HTTPS; IETF — TLS 1.3 (RFC 8446); Cloudflare — HTTP/2; Cloudflare — HTTP/3

Tip: Always use HTTPS on every website — you can get a free SSL certificate with Let’s Encrypt or through services like Netlify, Vercel, or Cloudflare.

Protocols: The Rules of the Road

Every time you load a website, send an email, or stream a video, you’re using internet protocols — sets of rules that govern how data travels between computers.

Here are some of the most important ones:

• TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol):
  The backbone of internet communication. IP handles addressing and routing, making sure your data reaches the right destination. TCP ensures that the data arrives accurately and in the right order — like putting packets back together after they’ve taken different paths.

• HTTP / HTTPS (HyperText Transfer Protocol):
  Used to load web pages. HTTPS is the secure version, encrypting the data to keep it safe from eavesdroppers.

• DNS (Domain Name System):
  Acts like the internet’s phone book. It converts easy-to-remember domain names (like example.com) into numerical IP addresses that computers use to locate each other.

• FTP (File Transfer Protocol):
  Used to move files between computers — for example, uploading files to a website.

• SMTP / IMAP / POP3:
  These handle email. SMTP is for sending messages; IMAP and POP3 are for receiving and storing them.

Each of these protocols operates at a specific layer of the OSI model — a conceptual framework that breaks down network communication into seven layers, from physical wires to applications.

To give a few key examples:

• 📦 HTTP and DNS operate at the Application Layer (Layer 7)
• 🔧 TCP operates at the Transport Layer (Layer 4)
• 📬 IP works at the Network Layer (Layer 3)

Note: The OSI model is a teaching abstraction; the internet is typically described by the TCP/IP model. The mappings above are a practical way to think about real-world protocols.

Learn more: Cloudflare Learning — The OSI model; Internet Society — Internet Way of Networking

You don’t need to memorize every detail — but understanding that these protocols exist (and which ones you’re using) helps you troubleshoot issues and build smarter web experiences.

Final Thoughts

While it’s easy to take the internet and the web for granted, understanding the difference between them — and how they work — helps you navigate the digital world with more confidence. Whether you’re building a website, setting up a router, or just curious about how a URL gets you to your favorite site, knowing the underlying structure gives you a clearer picture of the connected world we live in.

Whether you’re a user, a creator, or a developer shaping the future of the web, the more you understand, the more empowered you become.