You use the internet every second of your life. But what actually happens when you type google.com and hit Enter?

Step 1 — Your browser asks for directions

Your computer doesn't know where google.com lives. So it asks a DNS server — think of it as the internet's phone book — "where is google.com?"

The DNS server replies with an IP address like 142.250.194.46. That's Google's actual address on the internet.

Step 2 — Your browser knocks on Google's door