University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Loading a web page across a network involves an orchestrated sequence of protocols spanning multiple layers:
1. **DNS lookup**: The client queries a Domain Name System server to resolve the human-readable domain name (such as example.com) into an IP address.
2. **TCP handshake**: The browser establishes a reliable transport connection to the destination IP using the three-way handshake (SYN, SYN-ACK, ACK).
3. **TLS setup**: For encrypted HTTPS sessions, the browser and server perform a cryptographic handshake to establish shared encryption keys.
4. **HTTP request**: The browser issues an application-layer request (e.g., "GET the home page") to the server.
5. **HTTP response**: The web server returns the requested resource, including HTML, styling, and images.
6. **Rendering**: The browser processes and renders the returned files to display the web page.

Web Page Loading Process

Which sequence of packet flags constitutes the three-way handshake used to establish a reliable transport connection during web page loading?

During the web page loading process, the TLS cryptographic setup occurs before the TCP connection is established.

What is the primary function of the DNS lookup step in the web page loading process?

Describe the complete sequence of steps involved in loading an encrypted HTTPS web page, from the initial domain query to the final display in the browser.

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