5.3-Web Browsers Study Guide

IP Address

A numerical label that is assigned to devices so they can connect and communicate on a network.

Computer Restart

A good tip for any computer problem you may run into is to restart your system, which will turn the computer off, then on again. To restart your Windows system, click the Start button at the bottom-left corner of the screen. Click the Power icon, then click Restart. This is a step you should always take before you call a technical support helpline, including TestOut's support team.

Web Browser

An application for accessing information on the World Wide Web.

Pop-up Blocker

A feature of most web browsers that prevents pop-up windows such as advertisements from being displayed.

Proxy Server

A device that stands as an intermediary between application such as web browser and the Internet. A proxy server intercepts all requests and can use filter rules to allow or deny internet traffic.

Web Search

A search of the World Wide Web using a web browser, often done by visiting a web search engine site such as Google, Bing, or Yahoo.

Cookie

A small piece of data sent from a website and stored on a user's computer by the web browser while the user is browsing. Cookies are designed to help websites remember information such as items in an online shopping cart and entries in a web form so that the website can customize a web page for the user.

Private Browsing

If you share your computer with someone else and don't want Chrome to track your browsing activity, you can open a window in incognito mode. This is also called private browsing. Be aware that private browsing will only prevent the web browser from tracking your activity. If you're using a computer at school or work, your browsing will still be visible to network administrators.

Navigation Buttons

If you've navigated to the wrong webpage, you can always click on the left arrow in the upper left corner of the browser, called the back button, to return to the previous page. From here, you can use the right button or forward button to return to go back to a website.

Compatible Browsers

If your web browser is not displaying website content properly, you might want to consider installing and using a different web browser. Sometimes a particular site might have been designed and programmed without taking into account different browser functionality. Popular web browsers include Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, and Microsoft Edge. To take advantage of security and bug fixes, be sure that you're running the latest version of the browser.

Browser History

In Chrome, to see a list of all the web pages you've previously visited, you can click and hold down the Back button. Then select Show Full History. To return to one of these previously visited sites, simply click one of the links.

Address Bar

Near the top of browser windows is the address bar. This is where you can type the address for the website you want to visit. Another name for a web address is URL, or Uniform Resource Locator.

Hyperlinks

On a web page, if you hover your cursor over certain words or images, the white arrow turns into a pointed finger. This lets you know there's a hyperlink to another webpage or to more information. Sometimes hovering over a hyperlink opens a dropdown menu.

Search Engines

Search engines are tools that gather relevant websites from around the Internet and show them to you in a list. Every search engine has a text entry box where you can type the information you're looking for. A search engine can help you find what you're looking for even if you don't remember the web address. After clicking inside the text entry box, you can type words relevant to your search and press Enter to see the search engine results.

Browser Extension

Software that adds functionality to a web browser.

Browser Settings

To change the Chrome startup options and other settings, click the Chrome menu in the upper right-hand corner of the browser and select Settings. In Settings you can manage your Google account, change autofill settings, customize appearance configurations, manage the default search engine and browsers, and change the startup options.

Bookmarks

To find a specific website more quickly in the future, you can add a bookmark. In Chrome, go to the upper right corner of the window and click the star symbol. Add the bookmark to the bookmarks bar and click Done. To return to the bookmarked page, you can click the Chrome menu and select Bookmarks. If you open a new tab in the browser, you can see the bookmark conveniently below the address bar.

Safe Browsers

Whatever web browser you decide to use, make sure you're using the latest version. Older browsers often have security holes that are easy entry points for attackers if they're not patched. Some older browser versions are no longer even supported by the company that created them.

Browser Restart

When a web browser becomes unresponsive or slow, the problem can often be fixed by closing the browser and then opening it up again. This clears the computer's memory and lets you start with fresh content.

Certificate

digital document containing encryption keys and used for encryption and identification.

Caching

storing images, sounds, web pages, and other information associated with particular websites that allows a browser to redisplay data without having to reload it from the website.

Client-Side Scripting

transferring source code from a web server to a web browser and running that code directly in the browser.