From learner’s point of view whether you are a Web developer, SEO professional, IT personnel of a Business Corporation or a freelancer, having some knowledge on most common terms of Web is important. Web Domain is such a useful concept with universal application. Though experienced but learning little things on such hot terms may brush up your basics once again.
What is Domain name?
A name that identifies one or more IP addresses. Domain names are used in URLs to identify particular Web pages.
For example, in the URL http://www.pcwebopedia.com/index.html, the domain name is pcwebopedia.com
Every domain name has a suffix that indicates which top level domain (TLD) it belongs to.
Current top-level domains include:
- com – commercial businesses; this is the most common TLD
- gov – U.S. government agencies
- edu – Educational institutions such as universities
- org – Organizations (mostly nonprofit)
- mil – Military
- net – Network organizations
- ca – Canada
- th – Thailand
The Internet is based on IP addresses, not domain names, every Web server requires a Domain Name System (DNS) server to translate domain names into IP addresses.
How to register a domain name?
To register and start using a domain name you have to use the services of a domain name registrar.
The registrar you choose will determine the cost for registering a domain name, but in general expect to pay a yearly fee. Some registrars will offer discounts if you register for more than one year, but no registrar has the authority to sell more than a 10-year registration contract for any domain name. The registrar will ask you to provide some contact and technical information to have on record. This information is stored in a registry, which other computers can access to find information on your site. While it may seem like a privacy issue, it is best to be honest when supplying the contact information to a registrar. The registrar can cancel a contract and resell the domain name if it cannot contact an actual person to settle legal issues that may arise.
Legal Precautions:
There are many laws that regulate the registration of domain names, such as registering a copyrighted name or registering a domain name for the sole purpose of blocking someone else from using it. Check with your domain name registrar for the laws that affect how you register your domain name.
If you want to create a domain name and are not sure if it has already been taken, you can check a whois server that keeps track of all the registered domain names.
Whois: An Internet utility that returns information about a domain name or IP address. For example, if you enter a domain name such as microsoft.com, whois will return the name and address of the domain’s owner (in this case, Microsoft Corporation).
What is Domain Name Registrar?
The domain name industry is regulated and overseen by ICANN that certifies companies as domain name registrars. Only a domain name registrar is permitted to access and modify the master database of domain names maintained by InterNIC. The master database contains the documentation on all of the domain names registered to date. InterNIC provides a list of accredited domain name registrars .
At one time there was only one domain name registrar – Network Solutions , Inc. – but today there are dozens of accredited registrars. If you come across a registrar that is not on the list it is most likely that the organization is acting as a reseller for one of the accredited registrars as only an accredited registrar has the ability to modify the database of domain names.
Special Note on ICANN
ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, a nonprofit organization) regulates and over sees the domain name industry. ICANN was created by the late Jon Postel in the fall of 1998 in response to a policy statement issued by the US Department of Commerce. They have taken the responsibility for IP address space allocation, protocol parameter assignment, domain name system management and root server system management functions previously performed under U.S. Government contract.
Thus far ICANN has taken various measures to oversee the domain-name registration system’s transition from government hands to private hands and to coordinate its decentralization and the integration into a global community.
