ONION · step 1 — understand

Take the internet apart, one layer at a time.

When you open a page, your request falls through a stack of layers to reach a computer somewhere else — then the answer climbs back. Run the trace and watch the descent.

trace ── https://bornbetween2generals.com
# press “Run the trace” to descend the stack
01 you type a web address ······ request begins
02 DNS looks up the address ··· 93.184.x.x
03 your router → your ISP ····· on the road
04 backbone routers (hops) ···· 7 hops
05 TLS handshake — the lock ·· 🔒 secured
06 the server answers ······· 200 OK
07 the page climbs back to you ✓ rendered
The descent

Every layer, in plain language

Each stop your request makes on the way down — and what it means for you. Switch to the Civic lens for “why it matters.”

You & your browser the surface
You type an address. Your browser turns it into a request and sends it off.
Why it matters: your browser already attaches details about you to that request — see the GLASS tool for exactly what.
DNS — the phone book find the address
Names like a website aren’t real addresses. DNS translates the name into the numbers computers use.
Why it matters: whoever runs your DNS can see every site name you look up. It’s one of the quietest trackers online.
Your router & ISP the on-ramp
Your request leaves your home network and hands off to your internet provider.
Why it matters: your ISP carries all your traffic and can log where it goes unless it’s encrypted.
The backbone the highway
Big routers pass your request hop to hop across the country or the world to reach the destination.
Why it matters: no single company owns the internet — it’s a chain of networks agreeing to carry each other’s traffic.
TLS — the lock the handshake
Before sharing anything, your browser and the server agree on a secret code so no one in between can read it.
Why it matters: this is the padlock in your address bar. No lock means anyone on the path can read what you send.
The server the origin
A computer somewhere receives your request and sends the page back.
Why it matters: “the cloud” is just someone else’s computer in a building — with an owner, a country, and rules.
The deep & dark web — myth vs. fact

Demystified, not a how-to

Most of the internet isn’t on Google. Here’s what that actually means — flip the myths.

Myth
The “dark web” is a hidden, mostly-criminal place you can stumble into.
Fact
Most unindexed content is ordinary — your email inbox, bank portal, and private docs. It’s just not on search engines.
Myth
You need special skills to be “on the dark web.”
Fact
It’s mostly ordinary privacy tech used by journalists, activists, and researchers — and yes, some crime, like anywhere.
ONION explains how the internet works so you can navigate it wisely. It is not an access guide — no instructions for reaching illicit spaces, ever. Understanding only. This tool is free.