1. WinINet
Windows Internet

2. What is WinINet?
WinINET API enables applications to interact with the Gopher, FTP and HTTP protocols
Abstracts these protocols into interface that resembles standart file IO
WinINet leverages the underlying sockets interface and emulator to access the network

3. WININET.DLL Main dll, exposes Windows Internet API
Caching, History, Cookie Management
Authentication – Basic, NTLM, Kerberos
Connections – Both secure (schannel) and non-secure
Dial-up, Direct, Proxy
Protocol and HTTP header management

4. URLMON.DLL Support library for WinINet
URL Parsing – breaking down URLs into the protocol used (HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, File, Gopher), address, and target.
GZIP compression/decompression
Security and Zone Management
Asynchronous Pluggable Protocol Filter/Handler – correlates appropriate the protocol to the registered handler (HTTP, HTTPS, MAILTO, FILE, etc.).
Code Download Management, Install On Demand, and Just-In-Time.
Forms requests from the URL – creates the outbound data package and hands it off to WININET for transfer.
MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension) type management – examines the MIME type for data returned in an HTTP response and correlates that type with a specific handler

5. Common programs which use WinINet
Internet Explorer
Windows Media Player