How websites work

Summary

This video explains the basics of how websites work, focusing on web servers and domain names. It compares a website to a physical business, with a server acting as the space where the site is hosted and a domain name as the address that helps users find it. The video simplifies the technical side, explaining how servers store content and how domain names guide users to the correct server. In essence, it highlights how choosing a server and a domain name is crucial to building a functional website for your business.

Takeaways

• 😀 A website is like a physical store, but instead of renting space on a high street, you rent space on a server.
• 😀 A server is a computer that stores and serves content for your website, such as code, images, and videos.
• 😀 Servers communicate via IP addresses, which are unique numerical identifiers that allow devices to find and access them.
• 😀 To make it easier for people to find your website, you use a domain name, which acts as a friendly reference to the server's IP address.
• 😀 A domain name is like a sign above a bakery door, guiding potential customers to your website.
• 😀 Domain names are part of the web address (URL), like www.google.com or www.yourbusinessname.com.
• 😀 When you type a web address into your browser, the browser identifies the server and requests the necessary elements to display the website.
• 😀 The server responds by sending files (images, scripts, etc.) to the browser, which then assembles them to show the website to the user.
• 😀 This entire process occurs quickly and behind the scenes, using computer language (bits and bytes), which is not visible to the end user.
• 😀 Building a website involves understanding the role of servers to host your site and domain names to help people find it.

Q & A

What is the role of a web server in hosting a website?

A web server is a computer connected to the internet that stores and serves the content of a website, such as code, images, and videos, when requested by a user's browser.

How does a server help people access a website?

When a user enters a website address, the server sends the necessary content (images, scripts, etc.) to the user's browser so that the website can be displayed properly.

What is an IP address and how is it related to a web server?

An IP address is a unique numeric identifier for each server on the internet. It enables devices to communicate and locate the server hosting a website.

Why is a domain name important for a website?

A domain name is crucial because it provides a user-friendly address for people to find a website, instead of using a complex numeric IP address.

How do web browsers and servers communicate when you access a website?

When you type a web address into a browser, the browser communicates with the server to request the necessary content. The server then sends the requested files back to the browser, which assembles them to display the web page.

What are some key components a server sends to a browser when you request a website?

When you request a website, the server sends images, scripts, and additional files that are necessary to display the page properly.

How does renting a server space compare to renting a physical store?

Renting server space is similar to renting a physical store in that you pay an ongoing fee to have a space where your website can 'live.' The hosting provider takes care of the technical details, just as a landlord manages the property in the real world.

What does the term 'hosting' refer to in the context of websites?

Hosting refers to the service of storing a website's files on a server, ensuring the website is accessible to users via the internet.

What happens when you type a domain name into your browser's address bar?

When you enter a domain name into your browser, the browser figures out which server hosts the website, then requests the necessary content from that server to display the page.

Can you explain the process that takes place when someone visits a website?

When someone types a website's address into their browser, the browser contacts the server to request all the necessary elements (like images and scripts). The server sends the content back, and the browser assembles it into a formatted webpage for the user to view.