How Does the Internet Actually Work? Step-by-Step Walkthrough

You type an address, hit Enter, a page appears, and the bit in between stays a mystery. This walks through every stage: DNS resolution, the TCP/IP handshake, the TLS negotiation, the HTTP request and response, and the browser rendering pipeline. Each step gets a plain-English line and the protocol behind it. The honest answer to how the internet works.

Walk me through exactly what happens, at a technical but accessible level, when I type {URL} into a browser and press Enter. Cover each of these stages as a numbered step:

1. DNS resolution
2. TCP/IP handshake
3. TLS/HTTPS negotiation
4. HTTP request and server response
5. Browser rendering pipeline

For each step, give: (a) a one-sentence plain-English description, (b) the key protocol or standard involved, and (c) a brief note on what could go wrong at that stage and how it typically manifests for the user.

Assume the reader has {TECHNICAL_BACKGROUND}. Do not skip steps or oversimplify to the point of inaccuracy.