What happens when you type google.com in your browser and press Enter

Have you ever wondered what happens behind the scenes when you enter a URL in your browser and hit Enter? The seemingly simple act of browsing the web involves a complex series of steps that traverse various layers of the internet infrastructure. In this blog post/article, we'll unravel the mystery behind the scenes and explore the intricate journey your request takes from the moment you type "https://www.google.com" to the moment you receive a response. Join me as we dive into the world of DNS resolution, TCP/IP communication, encryption with HTTPS, and the roles of firewalls, load balancers, web servers, application servers, and databases in serving your web page. By the end of this journey, you'll have a deeper understanding of the inner workings of the internet and the technologies that power it.DNS request: When you type a URL in your browser, it sends a DNS (Domain Name System) request to translate the human-readable domain name (e.g., google.com) into an IP address, which is needed to locate the server.

1. TCP/IP: Once the DNS resolves the domain name to an IP address, your browser establishes a TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) connection with the server using the IP address. TCP ensures reliable communication by breaking data into packets and verifying their delivery.
2. Firewall: A firewall acts as a barrier between your computer/network and the internet, filtering incoming and outgoing traffic based on predefined security rules. It helps protect against unauthorized access and malicious activities.
3. HTTPS/SSL: Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) encrypts data transmitted between your browser and the server using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) or Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocols. This encryption ensures data confidentiality and integrity, making it harder for attackers to intercept or tamper with the data.
4. Load-balancer: In large-scale web applications, multiple servers may handle incoming requests. A load balancer distributes incoming traffic across these servers to ensure optimal resource utilization, prevent overloading of any single server, and improve performance and reliability.
5. Web server: The web server receives the HTTPS request from your browser and processes it. It serves static files (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) or dynamically generates content based on the request.
6. Application server: In dynamic web applications, the web server may forward requests requiring processing to an application server. The application server executes the application logic, retrieves data from databases or other services, and generates dynamic content to be sent back to the client.
7. Database: For applications that require data storage and retrieval, a database is used. The application server interacts with the database to fetch or update data based on the user's request. This could involve querying data, updating records, or performing other database operations.

These components work together to fulfill your browser's request when you type a URL like https://www.google.com and press Enter, ultimately delivering the web page you requested.