All that you ever wanted to know about Domain Name Registration
For folks new to web sites and web site design, the topic of Domain Name Registration and all the technology involved
can be a little confusing. This is a primer on how all the technology of a web site fits together, and
specifically what part the Domain Name Registrar has to play
Let's start with some terms:
- Domain Name Registrar, or Registrar. This is the agency that you pay to buy your domain name. You pay this
agency a yearly fee to own the name.
- DNS, or Domain Name Server
- Web Server
- Email Server
To start the process, you contact a registrar (like www.godaddy.com, www.networkSolutions.com, or
www.register.com) to buy the domain name. As I mentioned above, you have to pay this company a
yearly fee to keep the name.
Next, you have to tell the registrar where your web server is, and where your email server is.
To do this, we use a device called a Domain Name Server, or DNS. DNS is a database that keeps track
of where you want things sent. This service can be provided by anyone. The Registrar can do it,
or the Web Host, or the Email Host, or even a completely separate third party. At 4Penny we
use our own DNS Servers, it makes the daily business of maintaining web sites easier
Lastly, there are the services that you use the domain name for - usually web sites and
email. Note that you can have more than one web site with your domain name.
www.4penny.net and
blog.4penny.net are completely different web
sites, but we control both of them through the 4Penny name. The DNS server takes care of sending you to
the correct web server. www.VSToolsForum.com
also goes to the same site as our blog - a little DNS magic there.
OK, (ahem) here's the pitch: I've found - through some pain - that it is sometimes difficult for
a customer to monitor their own domain name through their registrar. Problems arise if the customer's
email address changes from year to year (you'll have to read my diatribe on email addresses
here)
or they can't find the password to their account on the registrar. Or even the username.
Then you have to trade emails, wait on hold, prove who you are by sacrificing a goat... you know.
As a full service Registrar/ DNS provider/ Web Host/ Email Provider, 4Penny is able to handle everything
that you see above
for you. Please call us at the number below, we'll get you started.