So how does it work?

When a site is on the server it is controlled by the software on the computer; i.e., the server software. Currently over 60% of all servers on the internet use the server software known as Apache server. What happens is that when a web site is created on the server, the server software is told where the web site is on the hard disk and the details of the account. The server announces this web site and its details to all the Domain Name Servers (DNS) servers around the world. An easy way to visualize this is to think of DNS Servers as telephone directories. It takes a newly created web site approximately 72 hours to have their address in all the DNS servers around the world, much like changing your telephone number will not be immediately available in the telephone book. Then when a user types in a domain name (web site address) and requests a specific page from their internet browser, that request is sent first to the nearest DNS server (usually provided by your internet service provider or ISP) which then forwards the request to the web hosting provider?s server where the web site is located. The server software then finds the specific site and page requested in its list of details, and figures out which page the user wants and then sends that page to the user?s internet browser where the page is displayed. Basically, the server software is the intermediary between the files on the server and the browser requesting the web pages. Server software can process millions and millions of requests each day.

This is a very basic description and it is a very complex process. For example, the route between your computer and web site may pass through many different servers, known as routers. You can visualize routers as traffic cops, who direct traffic based on internet traffic or load. A common problem that can occur is an error message when you try to access a web site and get a Page Cannot Be Found. This could mean the web page does not exist, or it has been renamed or moved, or more commonly it means that there is a problem in the route or router(s) between your computer and your web hosting provider.