📚 Knowledge Library — Topic 5.1 — Internet

Internet & WWW Explained Simply

Understand the difference between the internet and the World Wide Web, then see how URLs, DNS and IP addresses help a browser find the right web page.

Start LearningWorked Example
1. Invitation

The internet is not the same as the web.

Many students use the words internet and World Wide Web as if they mean the same thing.

They are connected, but they are not the same. The internet is the network infrastructure. The World Wide Web is a collection of web pages that uses that infrastructure.

💡 Remember: the internet is the network. The World Wide Web is one service that runs on it.
Figure 1.1
Not the Same Thing
Internet
=
Global network

WWW
=
Web pages
2. Big Idea

The internet carries many types of data.

The internet connects devices around the world using hardware such as cables, routers, servers and wireless connections.

The World Wide Web is only one thing that uses the internet. Email, online games, video calls and file transfers also use the internet.

💡 Key idea: the web uses the internet, but the internet is bigger than the web.
Figure 2.1
One Network, Many Uses
Internet
↓
Web pages
Email
Video calls
File transfers
3. FutureLogic Bridge

Think of a motorway network.

The internet is like the motorway system. It is the infrastructure that lets traffic move.

The World Wide Web is like one type of traffic using that motorway. Other traffic can also travel on the same roads.

💡 Bridge: internet = motorway. WWW = web page traffic travelling on it.
Figure 3.1
Motorway Model
Motorway
=
Internet

Cars carrying web pages
=
WWW
4. Worked Example

Spot the difference in an exam answer.

Cambridge often asks students to describe the difference between the internet and the World Wide Web.

Exam-style answer

Question: Describe the difference between the internet and the World Wide Web.

Model answer: "The internet is the global network infrastructure that connects devices. The World Wide Web is a collection of web pages accessed using the internet."
Figure 4.1
Exam Wording
Internet
→
Infrastructure

WWW
→
Web pages
5. URL

A URL is a web address.

A URL stands for Uniform Resource Locator. It is the text-based address used to find a web page.

A URL has three important parts: the protocol, the domain name and the file name.

PartExampleMeaning
Protocolhttps://How data is transmitted
Domain namefuturelogiceducation.comThe web server name
File name/index.htmlThe page requested
Figure 5.1
URL Parts
https://
+
domain name
+
/page.html
6. DNS and IP Addresses

Names are easy for humans. Numbers are useful for computers.

A computer does not really use the website name to locate a server. It needs an IP address.

A DNS, or Domain Name Server, stores domain names and their matching IP addresses. It looks up the name and returns the matching IP address to the browser.

💡 DNS is like a phone book: you know the name, but it gives you the number.
Figure 6.1
DNS Lookup
Domain name
↓
DNS searches
↓
IP address returned
7. IPv4 and IPv6

IP addresses follow a pattern.

An IP address is a numerical address used to identify a device on a network.

IPv4 uses four groups of denary numbers from 0 to 255, separated by dots. IPv6 uses hexadecimal and has many more possible addresses.

TypeExample ideaKey exam point
IPv4192.168.1.1Four groups, dots, 0–255
IPv6Hexadecimal groupsMore addresses than IPv4
Figure 7.1
Address Patterns
IPv4
dots + denary

↓

IPv6
colons + hexadecimal
8. Exam Tip

Use both sides when comparing IPv4 and IPv6.

Students often write only one side of a comparison, such as "IPv6 uses hexadecimal".

That is not enough for a full comparison. Say what IPv4 uses as well.

🎯 Exam Tip: write "IPv4 uses denary and dots, whereas IPv6 uses hexadecimal and colons."
Figure 8.1
Both Sides
Weak answer
IPv6 uses hex

↓

Better answer
IPv4 denary
IPv6 hexadecimal
9. Common Mistake

Do not say the WWW is the internet.

This is the classic mistake. The web is not the whole internet.

⚠️ Common Mistake:

Student answer: "The internet is the World Wide Web."

❌ This loses marks because the internet is the infrastructure, while the World Wide Web is a collection of web pages that uses it.

Better answer: "The internet is the global network infrastructure. The World Wide Web is a collection of web pages accessed using the internet."
Figure 9.1
Fix the Confusion
Internet
≠
WWW

Internet supports WWW
10. Summary

Topic 5 starts with the map.

The internet is the global network infrastructure that connects devices. The World Wide Web is a collection of web pages accessed using that infrastructure.

A URL is a web address. DNS matches domain names to IP addresses. IPv4 and IPv6 are different address formats used to identify devices.

💡 Key idea: before a web page can be retrieved, the browser needs to turn a readable address into an IP address.
Figure 10.1
5.1 Summary
URL typed
↓
DNS finds IP
↓
Browser can request page