Skip to main content

A beginner's guide to HTTP/1 vs. HTTP/2

Image

HTTP, is a foundational protocol for communication on the World Wide Web. It defines how messages are formatted and transmitted between web clients and web servers, enabling the retrieval of web pages, images, videos, and other resources. Essentially, it's the language that web browsers and servers use to "talk" to each other. 

http1, http2, http3

What is HTTP? The Postman Analogy

HTTP, or Hyper Text Transfer Protocol, is the fundamental set of rules that allows your web browser and a website's server to "talk" to each other.

Think of it like this:

  • You are the person who wants a package.
  •  The Postman is your web browser.
  • The Store is the website’s server (e.g., google.com).

When you want to visit a website, your browser uses HTTP to tell the server what you want. The server then finds the information and sends it back to your browser, which displays it for you.

HTTP/1


The first major version of the Hyper Text Transfer Protocol, which is the basic system that web browsers and websites use to communicate with each other over the internet.

❌ Disadvantages of HTTP/1

  • One Request at a Time ,
  • Multiple Connections = More Overhead
  • Head-of-Line Blocking
  • No Multiplexing
  • More Latency
  • Limited Server Push Capabilities

HTTP/2

HTTP/2 is the updated version of HTTP/1.1. It helps your browser load websites faster and more efficiently. Imagine like

HTTP/1, you had one waiter bringing one dish at a time.
HTTP/2, that same waiter brings many dishes at once on a tray — faster and better.

Advantages of HTTP/2

Faster Website Loading:

  • Multiple files (images, scripts, etc.) are loaded at the same time, not one-by-one.
  • This makes websites much quicker to open.

Multiplexing:

  • Sends and receives many requests and responses in parallel using a single connection.
  • No waiting in line like in HTTP/1.

Server Push:

  • The server can “guess” what files you will need (like CSS or JS) and sends them before you ask
  • Reduces extra round trips and makes pages load faster.

Single Connection:

  • Only one connection is needed per website, instead of 6–8 in HTTP/1.
  • This reduces load on the server and browser.

Better for Mobile Devices:

  • Uses bandwidth efficiently and handles slow connections better.
  • Makes browsing on phones faster and smoother.

 











Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

From Code to Cloud - Understanding Hosting 🌐

Hosting (or Web Hosting) is a service that allows individuals or organizations to store their website files (HTML, CSS, images, videos, etc.) on a server connected to the internet so that anyone in the world can access the website via a domain name (like www.google.com).  Ever wondered how a website like youtube.com stays online 24/7 for anyone in the world to visit? The answer is hosting . It’s the essential service that makes your website visible on the internet and accessible to everyone, everywhere.  To understand it, let’s use a simple and relatable analogy: building and living in a house. The Landlord, the Land, and the House   Imagine your website is a house you want to build and open for visitors. The Website is the House: Your website is a collection of all its different parts. The front door is your homepage, the rooms are the other pages, and the furniture, decor, and art are all the files that give your site its look and feel. These are files like index....
Post a Comment
Read more

Top 3 GitHub Features Every Beginner Should Master

Introduction If you’re just starting your journey as a developer, GitHub can feel a bit overwhelming. It’s packed with tools that professionals use every day but which ones should you focus on first? You don’t need to learn everything at once. Instead, start with the features that will give you the biggest benefits right away: safety, organization, and automation. Here are my top 3 GitHub features that every beginner should master and exactly why they matter. 1. Branches & Pull Requests Branches let you create  a copy of your project to try out new changes without ever touching the main, working code. It's like having a clone of your project where you can experiment freely.  Pull Requests   are how you propose merging those new changes back into the main project. They serve as a formal request to "pull" your changes from your branch into the main one, often after a review process. Benefits : You can experiment without fear of "breaking"...
Post a Comment
Read more