Internet Basics – What Is the Internet? Router, HTTP, HTTPS, WWW
This page explains the internet, the router, HTTP, HTTPS, and the World Wide Web (WWW): what they are, who invented them, how they work, and how they connect.
What Is the Internet?
The internet is a global network of connected computers and devices. Data is sent in small pieces called packets and delivered using rules called TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol). Your device gets an IP address so others can send data to it. Internet service providers (ISPs) connect your home or office to this global network. So the internet is the physical and logical network; the World Wide Web (WWW) is one of the services that run on top of it (web pages, browsers, links).
Who Invented the Internet? How Did It Start?
The internet’s roots are in ARPANET, a project started in the late 1960s by the US government (ARPA, later DARPA). The first message between two computers was sent in 1969. Key ideas—packet switching and TCP/IP—were developed in the 1970s. So no single person “invented” the internet; it was built by many researchers. By the 1980s, universities and research centres were using it. The World Wide Web was invented later, in 1989, by Tim Berners-Lee at CERN. He created the first web server, browser, and the HTTP protocol and URLs, which made it easy to link and open pages. That is what we use today when we open a site in a browser.
What Is a Router?
A router is a device that forwards data between networks. At home, your router (often in the same box as the modem) does several things: it connects your devices (phone, PC, TV) to each other and to the internet, gives them private IP addresses (e.g. 192.168.1.x), and uses NAT (Network Address Translation) so many devices can share one public IP from your ISP. You open the router’s settings in a browser by typing its address (e.g. 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1). So: the internet is the big network; the router is the device that connects your home network to the internet and routes traffic between your devices and the web.
What Is HTTP?
HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol) is the protocol used by browsers to request and receive web pages. When you open a site, your browser sends an HTTP request (e.g. “get this page”); the server sends back an HTTP response (the page content). HTTP uses port 80 by default. The data is sent in plain text, so it is not encrypted. URLs that start with http:// use this protocol. HTTP was designed by Tim Berners-Lee for the World Wide Web.
What Is HTTPS?
HTTPS is HTTP with encryption. The “S” stands for Secure. The data between your browser and the server is encrypted using SSL/TLS, so others on the network cannot easily read it. HTTPS uses port 443 by default. Browsers show a padlock for HTTPS sites. Today most websites use HTTPS for login, payments, and general privacy. So: HTTP = unencrypted web traffic; HTTPS = encrypted web traffic. Both are used for the World Wide Web.
What Is WWW (World Wide Web)?
The World Wide Web (WWW) is the system of linked documents (web pages) that you open in a browser. It was invented by Tim Berners-Lee in 1989. The web uses HTTP or HTTPS to fetch pages, URLs for addresses (e.g. https://www.example.com/page), and HTML for the content. “WWW” in a URL (e.g. www.example.com) is a subdomain that often means “this is a web server.” The internet is the underlying network; the web is one service on the internet. Email, streaming, and games also use the internet but not necessarily the web.
How Do They Connect?
- Internet – The global network (cables, routers, servers, TCP/IP). Carries all data.
- Router – Device at your home or office that connects your devices to the internet and gives them local IPs (e.g. 192.168.1.1).
- WWW – The web: pages, links, browsers. Runs on top of the internet.
- HTTP / HTTPS – The rules (protocols) used by the web. HTTP = unencrypted (port 80), HTTPS = encrypted (port 443).
When you open a website: your device uses the router to reach the internet; the browser uses HTTP or HTTPS to talk to the server; the server sends the page that is part of the World Wide Web. So the router connects you to the internet; the web and HTTP/HTTPS are what make “browsing” work.
Summary
The internet is the global network that links computers. The router is the device that connects your home to the internet. The World Wide Web (WWW) is the system of web pages and links, invented by Tim Berners-Lee. HTTP and HTTPS are the protocols used to load those pages—HTTPS adds encryption. Together they are how we use the web every day.