Lecture 2: History of Web & Internet, Protocols Governing the Web

BMC201 - Web Technology

Mr. Prashant Kumar Nag

2026-01-27

Lecture 2

History of Web & Internet, Protocols Governing the Web

Week 1 | Unit I: Web Page Designing
BMC201 - Web Technology
Mr. Prashant Kumar Nag, Assistant Professor

Learning Outcomes

After this lecture, students will be able to:

  • explain the evolution of the internet and web
  • identify key internet protocols and technologies
  • describe how the web works behind the scenes

Prerequisites

  • Basic computer knowledge
  • Familiarity with internet and web browsing
  • Understanding of URLs and browser usage
  • Basic awareness of client and server terms

Syllabus Mapping

Syllabus mapping:

  • History of the web and internet
  • Key protocols and their roles
  • How the web works end-to-end

Prerequisites used:

  • Basic network concepts
  • Understanding of URLs and browsers

Agenda

  • Internet history timeline
  • Web evolution phases
  • Protocols and request-response model
  • DNS and client-server workflow
  • Standards and governance of the web
  • Summary and exam-focused preparation

Introduction and Motivation

  • The modern web did not appear overnight; it evolved across decades of networking innovation.
  • Understanding this evolution helps students connect protocols with practical web behavior.
  • Historical milestones explain why standards, interoperability, and security matter today.
  • This lecture builds conceptual clarity for upcoming HTML, CSS, and full request lifecycle topics.

Think About It - Interactive Questions

Before diving deeper, reflect on these:

  • Why does a domain name work even when we do not know the IP address?
  • What would happen if DNS did not exist?
  • Why does HTTPS matter more today than in the early web?
  • Which part of the web flow is handled by your browser, and which by the server?

History of the Internet

timeline
        title Internet and Web Milestones
        1969 : ARPANET launched
        1983 : TCP/IP standardized
        1989 : World Wide Web proposed
        1991 : First web page published
        1993 : Mosaic browser popularized access

  • The internet infrastructure evolved first, followed by web standards and browsers.
  • Each milestone improved interoperability, accessibility, and global adoption.

Evolution of the Web

Web 1.0 (1991-2004)

  • Static HTML pages
  • Read-only content
  • Limited user interaction
  • Server-side focused

Web 2.0 (2004-present)

  • Dynamic content
  • User-generated content
  • Social media & collaboration
  • Rich interactive experiences

Key Internet Protocols

HTTP/HTTPS: HyperText Transfer Protocol (secure)

TCP/IP: Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol

DNS: Domain Name System (translates domain names to IP addresses)

FTP: File Transfer Protocol

SMTP: Simple Mail Transfer Protocol

How HTTP Works

HTTP Request

  • Method: GET, POST, PUT, DELETE
  • URL of resource
  • Headers with metadata
  • Optional body with data

HTTP Response

  • Status code: 200, 404, 500, etc.
  • Headers with info
  • Body with content
  • Cache directives

Both encrypted with HTTPS for security

How the Web Works

  1. User types URL in browser
  2. DNS resolves domain name to IP address
  3. Browser sends HTTP request to server
  4. Server processes request and database queries
  5. Server sends HTTP response (HTML, CSS, JS)
  6. Browser renders the page on-screen
  7. Browser loads additional resources (images, scripts)

Client-Server Architecture

Client (Browser)

  • Sends HTTP requests
  • Renders HTML/CSS
  • Executes JavaScript
  • Stores cookies & cache

Server

  • Listens for requests
  • Processes business logic
  • Queries databases
  • Sends responses

Domain Name System (DNS)

User enters: www.example.com
        ?
Browser queries DNS resolver
        ?
Resolver asks Root nameserver
        ?
Root responds with TLD nameserver
        ?
Resolver queries TLD nameserver
        ?
TLD responds with Authoritative nameserver
        ?
Resolver gets IP address
        ?
Browser connects to 93.184.216.34

This usually takes milliseconds!

Web Technologies Timeline

1991: HTML - Created by Tim Berners-Lee

1996: CSS - Added styling capabilities

1995: JavaScript - Made web interactive

1999: PHP 3 - Server-side scripting

2006: jQuery - Simplified JavaScript

2010: AngularJS - Web applications framework

2013: React - Component-based UI

2014: Vue.js - Progressive framework

Internet Growth Milestones

2000s

  • E-commerce boom
  • Cloud computing
  • Mobile web

2010s

  • Smartphones dominant
  • Real-time apps
  • Machine learning

2020s

  • AI integration
  • Web3/Blockchain
  • Edge computing

Web is Built on Open Standards

W3C (World Wide Web Consortium)

Standards and guidelines for web technologies

IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force)

Internet protocols like HTTP, TCP/IP

WHATWG (Web Hypertext Application Technology Working Group)

Living standards for HTML

? This openness enabled global web growth

Live Demo: DNS + HTTP Request Journey

Interactive classroom walkthrough to connect lecture concepts with observable browser behavior:

?? Open Interactive Demo: Web Request Journey

What this demo shows:

  • URL input and DNS resolution steps (visualized)
  • HTTP request and response with status code examples
  • secure vs non-secure protocol comparison (HTTP vs HTTPS)
  • where client actions end and server actions begin

Use this during class while discussing protocol flow and troubleshooting logic.

Resources & References

Structured Debug Checklist for Web Connections

Investigation order when a website won’t load:

  1. verify URL is correctly typed and accessible
  2. check browser network tab for HTTP status codes
  3. inspect DNS resolution (nslookup, ping)
  4. verify server is responding (check status pages)
  5. check browser console for JavaScript errors
  6. validate SSL/HTTPS certificate (if HTTPS issue)
  7. test from different network to isolate issue

This approach separates client vs server vs network issues.

Summary

After this lecture, you should understand:

  • Internet history from ARPANET to modern web
  • How HTTP and HTTPS power web communication
  • The role of DNS in translating domain names
  • Client-server architecture fundamentals
  • Standards organizations maintaining web openness

Exam Preparation Questions: Short

  • What is ARPANET?
  • Define HTTP and HTTPS.
  • What is DNS?
  • State one difference between Web 1.0 and Web 2.0.
  • What is the role of TCP/IP?
  • What is a client in web architecture?
  • What is a server in web architecture?
  • What does a browser do after receiving HTML?

Exam Preparation Questions: Long

  • Explain the evolution of the internet from ARPANET to modern web.
  • Explain HTTP request-response cycle with a suitable flow.
  • Differentiate HTTP and HTTPS with practical examples.
  • Explain DNS resolution process in detail.
  • Discuss web standards bodies and their role in interoperability.

Practice Task

  • use nslookup or dig to resolve a domain name
  • inspect HTTP requests in browser DevTools
  • compare one HTTP page and one HTTPS page
  • capture status code and headers for both
  • write a short comparison summary

Checklist

Can you:

  • explain internet history milestones?
  • differentiate HTTP, HTTPS, DNS, and TCP/IP?
  • describe DNS lookup and request-response flow?
  • answer short and long exam questions confidently?

Next Lecture

  • Topic: HTML Introduction and Basic Structure
  • Preparation required: revise tags, attributes, and document structure basics

History of Web & Internet, Protocols Governing the Web

Next: Lecture 3 - HTML Basics & Structure