What is a Domain Name
Every PC on the internet has a unique number called an IP address. These IP addresses are represented in "octets", giving an IP address the form of, for example, 212.31.24.130. Using such a numbering system can identify up to 4,294,967,296 (4.3 billion) unique addresses.
The Internet Domain Name System (DNS) is an Internet directory service much like a telephone book. Using DNS, domain names are translated into their corresponding IP addresses. The Domain Name System is also used to control the delivery of email. If your PC cannot access DNS services then you will not be able to access web pages on the internet or send email. Your ISP, when you signup for an account, provides DNS services for you.
The Domain Name System consists of three components:
- DNS data (resource records)
- Servers (name servers)
- Internet Protocols (used for fetching data from servers)
The Domain Name System, then, is a global network of servers whose job it is to translate host names like www.orangetreeweb.com into the corresponding IP (Internet Protocol) address. Without the Domain Name System, we would all have to remember long IP addresses to get to our favorite site. Worse yet, we would have to use these hard-to-remember IP addresses in order to send email to our friends and/or business associates.
Hosting services are allocated a block of IP addresses for their customers. When you purchase a hosting account, you are actually assigned a folder location on a server; and when you purchase a domain name, the domain name is mapped to your hosting folder through DNS. What actually happens is a little more complex but basically when someone types in your domain name into a browser, the browser requests the actual location of your website by consulting DNS to translate the domain into an IP address, which then tells the browser where your site is hosted.
Domain names are unique, and you can rest assured that no one has the exact same domain name as you. Unique domain names are possible because all domain names are managed in a central database managed by InterNIC. When you purchase a domain name, part of the registration process is to provide your name, company info, address, and phone number which will then be stored along with your domain name in the central database. Along with this detailed information, additional information will be included, such as the date the domain record was created, updated, and the renewal date. Domain names can be registered for 1 to 10 years for all the top level TLD's.
Orangetree Internet Service LLC, located in Santa Cruz, CA., provides technical assistance to small and medium sized businesses with Domain Registration Services, including domain portfolio management. Contact us at 830-212-1884 for more information.