Domain Names

Domain Registration

Domain names are like vanity license plates or 1-800 numbers: it's not necessary to have a domain name but are you going to tell people that your web site is at http://74.52.158.35/ or http://www.yourname.com ?

Each registered Domain Name is a nickname for an IP address. Internet software, such as web browsers, need to know the IP address of the remote server from which it is trying to download files or web pages. When you type a web site address in your web browser, such as http://www.microsoft.com, your web browser will translate "www.microsoft.com" to the IP address of Micosoft's web server, 207.46.131.13

So, if you want to launch your own web site, you need three things:

• A web server, which you can lease from a web hosting company like Tracent Technologies,
• The IP address of your web server, and
• A Domain Name which people can use to reach your web server and send you e-mail.

So go ahead, grab your domain name before someone else does!