So far, we know HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) as the backbone of the World Wide Web, aka www. In essence, the HTTP protocol allows the whole world to be connected to one internet network that is safe, fast, and widely used.

Since Sir Tim Berners-Lee discovered HTTP, finally, more than 15 years later, the newest version of HTTP has emerged, namely HTTP/2. With the release of this latest version, browsing on the internet is now faster.

The release of HTTP/2 was a big milestone for the protocol that supports the Web as we know it.

What is HTTP/2?

Before discussing HTTP/2 further, of course, we have to discuss HTTP in its entirety. HTTP was originally designed by Tim Berners-Lee to provide a communication protocol between a web server and a client.

The first version of HTTP, namely HTTP 0.9, was first released in 1991. Only then, in 1996, was HTTP officially recognized with the release of HTTP version 1.0. And since then, HTTP has consistently received updates several times, adapting to advances in internet technology.

Even though it received regular updates, the most widely used version at that time was HTTP.1.1, which was released in 1999. Of course, this version was later considered outdated.

Websites are becoming slower to access, and many website developers are complaining, that is why various methods have been used to overcome this. Such as HTML compression, CSS, Javascript, caching, and so on.

Websites will be slower when accessed from mobile devices whose internet connection is unstable or slower, like 2G.

In February 2015, the HTTP Engineering Task Force working group revised HTTP and developed a second version in the form of HTTP/2. After that, HTTP/2 received standardization and was compatible with Google SPDY HTTP.

HTTP/2 is the latest generation of web protocols. It is not without reason why HTTP/2 was created. The main goal is to fix the weaknesses that exist in HTTP/1.1. Apart from that, website loading is faster and safer.

HTTP/2 was designed based on Google SPDY to provide a more enjoyable browsing experience. This protocol is a new standard and takes over the role of HTTP 1.1, which is currently still used by many websites on the internet.

What is Protocol?

The HTTP protocol is a data transfer protocol from a web server to a client so that users can view information from a browser.

HTTP/2 is the latest, more sophisticated version of HTTP. By using HTTP/2, websites can be accessed more quickly on various devices. Starting with desktops, laptops, and mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. Websites full of images, which have often been said to be slow, can also be accessed more quickly with HTTP/2.

Purpose of Creating HTTP/2

Since the early 1990s, HTTP has seen few updates. In fact, the last version, namely HTTP 1.1, didn’t get an update in more than 15 years. Of course, this is bad news.

Yes, accessing websites is no longer something that only a few people do. In fact, everyone now accesses websites every day. A new lifestyle emerged, and finally, a term emerged called web apps.

As we know, a web app must be simple, supported by high performance, and have good durability. This goal can be achieved by introducing protocols that can reduce latency and process browser requests with various techniques.

Difference Between HTTP/1.1 and HTTP/2

HTTP/2 is a more modern protocol that can increase browsing speed using new methods.

HTTP/2 is compatible with HTTP 1.1. Most of the technology used by both is also the same. However, HTTP/2 allows for more efficient performance and allows the server to respond to more requests.

HTTP 1.1 only uses one connection for each object on the web server that will be displayed in the browser. So, when a web page contains more than 100 objects, it takes 2 x 100 connections to make a request and wait for a response from the server.

If the web server is late in processing one of the requests, a bottleneck or buildup will occur. HTTP/2 uses multiplexing technology, so that in one connection, the browser can request and download several objects simultaneously.

Website pages will load faster using HTTP/2, compared to HTTP 1.1. The new protocol allows web pages and browsers to take advantage of the increased bandwidth. HTTP/2 also allows faster internet access using mobile devices.

What about HTTPS?

HTTP/2 has full support for encryption in the same way as HTTP 1.1. The way users access secure pages has also not changed.

HTTP/2 requires an improved version of the transport secure layer (TLS) that was standardized in 2008 and offers better security than previous versions.

Benefits of HTTP/2

HTTP/2 has many benefits for websites. The following are the benefits of using HTTP/2 that you should know:

• Significantly speed up website loading with multiplexing, concurrency, header compression, and server push technology.
• Saves resource usage on the server and client.
• HTTPS connections can run faster and more securely thanks to more efficient compression and encryption technology.
• Gives greater control to application developers to prioritize the order of objects they want to load first.
  Load websites faster with the latest technology in HTTP/2.
• More SEO-friendly because Google Bot already supports HTTP/2, so websites with HTTP/2 will get priority from Google.
• Server push feature.
• HTTP has the same encryption method as the previous version, namely HTTP 1.1. So it will not have any impact on secure HTTPS access. The difference is that HTTP/2 encryption has been updated, so HTTPS access is faster.

Currently, almost all browsers support HTTP/2. Especially popular browsers such as Microsoft Edge, Firefox, Chrome, Safari, and Opera amongst others.