The Domain Name Game [What is Domain Name?]

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Every Web site needs a unique address on the Web. The unique address used by computers to locate a Web site is the IPaddress. It is a series of four numbers between 0 and 255, separated by dots - for example, 172.17.204.2 or 192.163.2.33.

Because IP addresses are made up of numbers and dots, they’re not easy to remember. Fortunately, most IP addresses have associated names that are much easier to remember. Some examples include amazon.com, www.irs.gov, or mycompany.com. A name that is an address for a Web site is called a domain name. A domain can be one computer or many connected computers. When a domain refers to several computers, each computer in the domain may have its own name. A name that includes an individual computer name, such as thor.mycompany.com, names a sub-domain of mycompany.com.

The domain or sub-domain name is a required component of the URL - the address that a Web surfer types into the browser window to identify the Web site he wants to visit. The URL can contain more elements than just the domain name, but often, the domain name (amazon.com, for example) is all that is required. Or the sub-domain name (technews.techstudy.com, for example) may be sufficient When only the domain name is used in the URL, the Web server sends the file with the default file-name, such as index.htm or index.html. Or you can include a file-name in the URL, in addition to the domain name, such as technews.techstudy.com/links.html.

Each domain name must be unique to serve as an address. Consequently, a system for registering domain names ensures that no two locations use the same domain name. Anyone can register any domain name, as long as the name is not already taken. You can register a domain name on the Web. First, you test your potential domain name to find out whether it is available. If it’s available, you register it in your name or a company name and pay the fee. The name is then yours to use, and no one else can use it. The standard fee for domain name registration is $35.00 per year. You should never pay more, but bargains are often available.

Many Web sites, including those of many Web hosting companies, enable you to register a domain name. A search at Google (google.com) for domain name register results in over 2 million hits. Shop around to be sure you find the lowest price. Also, many Web sites allow you to enter a domain name and see who it is registered to. These Web sites do a domain name database search by using a tool called whois. A search at Google for domain name whois” results in over half a million hits. A couple places where you can do a whois search are Allwhois (Allwhois.com) and Better-Whois (betterwhois.com).

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