What is domain name

Domain names are a key part of the Internet infrastructure. They provide a human-readable address for any web server available on the Internet. Any Internet-connected computer can be reached through a public 173.194.121.32) or an IPv6 address (e.g., 2027:0da8:8b73:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:1337). Computers can handle such addresses easily, but people have a hard time finding out who is running the server or what service the website offers. IP addresses are hard to remember and might change over time. To solve all those problems we use human-readable addresses called domain names. A domain name has a simple structure made of several parts (it might be one part only, two, three…), separated by dots and read from right to left: Each of those parts provides specific information about the whole domain name. TLDs tell users the general purpose of the service behind the domain name. The most generic TLDs ( .com, .org, .net) don't require web services to meet any particular criteria, but some TLDs enforce stricter policies so it is clearer what their purpose is. For example: • Local TLDs such as .us, .fr, or .se can require the service to be provided in a given language or hosted in a certain country — they are supposed to indicate a resource in a particular language or country. • TLDs containing .gov are only allowed to be used by government departments. • The .edu TLD is only for use by educational and academic institutions. TLDs can contain special as well as latin characters. A TLD'...

Simply put, Domain Name System (DNS) is the phone book of the internet. It’s the system that converts website domain names (hostnames) into numerical values (IP address) so they can be found and loaded into your web browser. This happens because machines don't understand site names like we do. A website written as pcmag.com is a way for us, as humans, to remember web pages while the servers they’re stored on refer to them as numbers. DNS works in the background, and it's not something the average internet user will need to worry about much. But without it, your browser wouldn’t know where to point your web page request, and finding the information you need would be a much more arduous process. How DNS Works When you type a web address into your search engine, such as youtube.com, your computer conducts a search for the website's corresponding IP address to find the right page. Popular websites like Google have multiple IP addresses that can be used simultaneously to prevent a backlog of web traffic. According to networking software company Cloudflare, (Opens in a new window) play a part in the hostname-to-IP address conversion, also called DNS resolution. Cloudflare likens this process to a librarian being asked to find a book and progressively narrowing their search: • The recursive DNS server: Usually the first stop your request makes. It gets the initial query, checks the recently cached addresses, and sends a request to servers further down the line if it can’t find th...

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Almost everyone who uses the internet has heard of a domain name. But what exactly is a domain name, and how do they work? Should you have your own domain name? No matter which • • • • • • • • • • • What is a domain name? A domain name is a unique When you access a website, its domain name is converted to a set of numbers (an IP address) to communicate with the website server to send requests for and receive website content. Domain names are designed for people Everything could theoretically be handled using just IP addresses when you want to bring up a web page in your browser. In fact, adding a domain name adds an extra step in that there needs to be a way to convert from a domain name to an IP address (more on that below). So, why do we use domain names at all? Imagine that, instead of remembering everyone’s name, you had to remember their phone number or social security number whenever you wanted to talk about them. Or imagine going into an electronics store and finding there are no more brands, device names, or model names. Everything just has a serial number that you have to remember if you want to buy it. We, humans, are much better at remembering names than we are at remembering strings of digits. That’s why we talk about catchy brand and model names, and that’s why we use domain names instead of IP addresses. What a domain name isn’t While you can use a domain name for a website or email account, it’s not the same as a website or email itself. In other words, all ...

One of the most essential features of a domain name is that it is unique, which is to say that no two computers (or servers) on the Internet can have the same domain name. If you want a presence on the Internet you need to register a domain name that will then serve as your unique online name. Visitors will interact with you using this domain name either via your website or via email. Since humans find it easier to remember a string of characters rather than numbers, the pioneers of the web devised domain names to identify entities on the Internet rather than IP addresses. This is done through using DNS Servers. (See Below) On the other hand, a URL or a uniform resource locator is made up of the domain name as well as some other pieces of information, including the protocol and the path. For example, https://techradar.com/pro is a URL in which techradar.com is the domain name, while https is the transfer protocol and /pro is the path to a specific section on the website. In most modern browsers, you don’t need to enter the complete URL to visit a website. Simply enter the domain name and the browser will add the protocol and other pieces of information required to bring up the website. (Image credit: ICANN) How do domain names work? When you enter a domain name in the browser, it will send a request to a domain name system ( It is the duty of these servers to look up the name servers associated with the domain name and then forward your request to those name servers. The n...

• Twitter • Facebook • LinkedIn • Pinterest • RSS Your domain name is the backbone of your digital presence. It’s one of the most important things for your visitors to know and remember, and it’s a critical component of your omnichannel marketing strategy. Because of this, knowing what a domain is can go a long way in setting your online presence up for success — particularly if you are a business looking to increase sales through your website. To help you understand domain names and how you can register your own domain name to operate your own website, we’ve created this detailed guide. Guide to domain names — An overview: • • • • • • • • Domain names can seem like a complicated topic, but after you finish this guide you’ll have the foundation necessary to make intelligent decisions related to domain names and domain registration. Ready? Let’s go! What is a domain name and why is it important? A domain name is the unique name that each website has. If you think of your website as a building, then the domain name is its street address. Your domain is the place people need to go to visit your website, and each domain is completely unique. From a technical side of things, a domain name makes it easier to browse the internet and access a specific website. Instead of having to use an IP address, (which is a convoluted string of numbers and letters computers use to recognize a website), a domain name is a simpler combination of letters, numbers and symbols someone types in thei...

What is a domain name? A domain name is your website name. A domain name is the address where Internet users can access your website. A domain name is used for finding and identifying computers on the Internet. Computers use IP addresses, which are a series of number. However, it is difficult for humans to remember strings of numbers. Because of this, domain names were developed and used to identify entities on the Internet rather than using IP addresses. A domain name can be any combination of letters and numbers, and it can be used in combination of the various domain name extensions, such as .com, .net and more. The domain name must be registered before you can use it. Every domain name is unique. No two websites can have the same domain name. If someone types in www.yourdomain.com, it will go to your website and no one else's. The price of a domain name typically runs between $20-$50 per year, depending on the domain name extensions. A domain name is an essential part of having a website, but it's only part of the equation. In order to launch a website, you'll also need content and a hosting service to store your files so they can be accessed on the internet. Remember that owning a domain does not mean hosting is also included. With Website.com, a professional domain name is included for free with Professional emails at your domain name can also help you boost your credibility and build your brand. For example, [email protected] can make your website seem more trustw...