Access to the dark web is usually via a Tor browser, which can be downloaded just like Google, for example, but it works differently. “Tor” is an abbreviation for “The Onion Router”. This name provides a good description of how the underlying Tor network works.
Unlike traditional browsing on the visible web, user requests are not passed directly to the target site’s server and sent back. Instead, several superimposed networks or layers (similar to those of an onion) are used. A random path is chosen for the transmission of data via the various layers and nodes, the information is distributed across several routes and is not reassembled into a complete image or website until it reaches the recipient.
The individual connections between the nodes are encrypted and change constantly. Tracking the data and identifying the sender and receiver is more difficult. A noticeable result of this transmission process is that it takes significantly longer for a page to load fully. Users with higher security needs often combine the Tor browser with a VPN tunnel.
However, using a Tor browser alone does not mean that you are surfing the dark web. You are using the dark web when you are surfing on a domain ending in .onion. Pages ending in .onion cannot be indexed by Google or other traditional search engines. To access a page on the dark web, you either need to know its HTML, or use the (often incomplete) search engines and directories for .onion pages.