Most webmasters and Internet users know that a domain name is simply the primary web address of a website. However, most people don’t bother to spend a couple of minutes to consider how domain names actually work. If you are an aspiring webmaster, developer, or are simply planning on managing your own network of e-commerce websites, then it is recommended that you have robust understanding of the domain name system (DNS), in order to have a full grasp on your industry and how it works.

Understanding the Levels of a Domain Name

A domain name is comprised of three different levels, each one serving to represent a different aspect of the domain. The first level, commonly known as the domain extension, is the TLD (top level domain). The TLD is basically the part of the domain name that occurs directly after the primary domain name. For example, in the domain name “www.examplewebsite.com”, the TLD would be .com. Popular TLD’s include .com,.org,.net,.info,.biz and .tv. However, most people don’t realize that there are nearly 200 different types of TLD’s available for registration, with the majority of these TLD’s being ccTLD’s (country code top level domains). An example of a country code top level domain would be .com.au (intended to be used for commercial Australian domains). A complete listing of every TLD currently offered for registration can be researched on the website of the Internet assigned Numbers Authority (IANA).

Websites and IP Addresses

In basic terms, a domain name is simply a linguistic representation of an IP address. Every device that connects to the Internet is assigned an IP address, whether it be a cell phone, laptop, or a web server (which hosts your website). An IP address is simply a number that is separated by dots, which usually appears similar to the following –165.124.28.88. Every website also has its own IP address. It is even possible to access a website by typing in its IP address in the address bar of your web browser. However, it is much more difficult to remember a string of segmented numbers than it is to remember a simple name. Thus, the domain name system was invented, and is explained briefly below.

The Domain Name System and How Domain Names Are Registered

When you register a domain name, you are actually leasing it for a limited period of time (most registration lengths range from 1 to 10 years, depending on the registrar). A domain registrar is a company that is accredited by the appropriate governing authorities to distribute and register domain names within the domain name system. Many web hosting providers are also domain name registrars, and will even provide free domain registration services and/or a domain name for life when you purchase one of their hosting plans. The domain name system is actually the largest digital database on the planet, containing the registration and administrative details of hundreds of millions of domains at any given time.

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Original: A Closer Look at Domain Names and How They Work

GoDaddy.com is the world’s largest domain name registrar and is the flagship company of The Go Daddy Group, Inc. The Go Daddy Group of companies also includes Wild West Domains, Inc., a reseller of domains and domain-related products and services; Domains by Proxy, a private registration service; Starfield Technologies, a research and development affiliate; and Blue Razor Domains, a membership-based discount registrar. As an ICANN-accredited domain registrar, Go Daddy has more names under management than any other registrar, offers products at prices up to 70% less than the competition and supports them all with world-class 24/7 live customer service.

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You can find More GoDaddy Coupons by Checking the Related Posts Section Below…

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Original: Latest GoDaddy Coupons: November 2009

Domain name registrations are primarily handled by two entities: registrars and web hosting companies.  Both can provide you with the simple website address you need to secure your online identity and establish a presence on the web.  Which do you choose?  This article will provide some valuable insight to help you make a decision.

The Tempting Hosting Package

Many of today’s web hosts offer free domain name registration along with their hosting services.

This type of arrangement has many benefits.  First of all, it allows you to accomplish two major goals in one motion, providing the ammunition needed to start making a name for yourself online.

Now you have an easy way to manage both your domain and web hosting account from a centralized area.  Not to mention the fact that you didn’t have to pay anything for the domain name registration.  This is an appealing option for obvious reasons but there are several disadvantages that must be considered.

What Can Go Wrong?

The big downside to registering a domain with your web host is that the situation calls for you to place all of your eggs in one basket.  You could receive excellent service in the beginning but discover six months down the line that you are no longer satisfied with your provider.  This could be due to a lack of support, poor performance or excessive downtime.  Whatever the reason, you may feel the need for change and this only leads to more problems.  While you can easily transfer the domain name you purchased from a registrar, this is not always the case when dealing with a web hosting company.

There is a lot that can go wrong when trying to pack up a domain registered by a web host.  If this is the road you take, be aware that you may run into the following roadblocks:

You need to ask your holding provider to initiate the domain name transfer. Depending on whether you signed up with a reputable company, this could either be a seamless process, or one that takes days or even weeks to complete.

The web hosting company owns the right to your domain name.  What many people do not realize is that when registering a domain with a traditional hosting provider, there may be underlying terms that limit your ownership.  Something like this could put your transfer efforts on hold and potentially inflict more damage on your internet identity.

You Lose Your Domain.  Factoring in the above scenarios, there is a great change that will not be able to transfer your domain from the web host to a new registrar.  This puts you in a compromising situation where you are forced to hold onto your identity, or walk away from it entirely.  Considering all the efforts you have invested, this is not a predicament you want to find yourself in.

Conclusion

Registering your domain name with a web hosting company can be the ideal solution or an absolute nightmare.  Therefore, leaving these important services in the hands of separate providers would clearly be the safer option.  If you simply cannot pass up a deal, make sure you choose a respectable host that provides a quality service you have the utmost confidence in.

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Original: Should You Register Your Domain with a Web Host?

In a perfect world, you choose a domain name and build a credible web presence all while encountering no troubles along the way.  In the real world however, you may hit a few roadblocks and actually find that you are no longer satisfied with the level of service provided by your current registrar.  When this is the case, it usually indicates that you need to transfer your domain name to new registrar.  This can be a complicated task or an easy process when you know what to expect.

Initiating the Process

Transferring a domain simply means that you want to switch registrars and not change anything about the actual name.  In order to get started, the transfer process must first be initiated.  Although you will certainly play a role in the process, the transfer can only be initiated by registrar you are transferring the domain to.  After purchasing an account, the registrar will usually walk you through the transfer process or provide comprehensive tools that allow you to easily get things rolling yourself

The Role of WHOIS and The TLD Registry

What you don’t see behind the scenes is interaction between your new registrar and the administrator of the WHOIS database responsible for maintaining the domain name.  From there, the administrative contact must accept the transfer in order to further the process.  Once the transfer has been approved, the new registrar notifies the TLD registry for further approval.  It is important to note that only active domain names can be transferred.  If the name is inactive, locked, pending deletion or in the redemption stage, the transfer process will conclude here once the registry determines that it is not eligible.  If your domain name is eligible and has been active more than 60 days, the registry notifies the new register and the transfer process continues.  At this point, the registry informs your old register that a request has been made to transfer the domain.

Action by the Losing Registrar

In the typical transfer, the old or losing domain name registrar has about five days to respond to the TLD registry.  If no response is given in that time frame, the registry automatically approves the transfer by default.  This standard policy makes domain name theft a very scary reality, a major reason why it is strongly recommended to choose a registrar that offers security features such as domain locking to protect your online identity.  If the transfer is actively approved, the old registrar must do so by notifying the TLD registry.  The registry then notifies the new registrar and transfers the domain to their account, thus completing the procedure.

Conclusion

That is basically the domain name process in a nutshell.  It is all a simple process for the most part, but the support team of your new registrar should be more than happy to lend a hand.  Unfortunately, this is not always the case, so it is best to know what to expect for yourself, just in case you have to get more involved in the process.

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Original: How Does the Domain Name Transfer Process Work?

Although millions of catchy, generic domain names have already been registered, there are still plenty of good ones available to individuals and businesses looking to establish themselves online.  At the same time, the importance of this web address can make choosing one overwhelmingly difficult.  The tips in this article will help your register a quality domain name on your first try.

Coming Up with a Name

Most of the clever, single-word domain names have been taken off the market but don’t worry, there are still many options available to you.  In fact, by using combinations or variations of words, you can relay the purpose of your website or business to your audience more effectively.  The key is to keep your domain name is simple as possible so it better resonates with potential visitors and customers.  Many experts will tell you that the simpler and shorter your domain, the more effective it is.  This simplicity is particularly essential to the spelling aspect.  If people cannot remember how to spell your domain name, it is very unlikely that they will ever end up on your site.  Picking the right domain name is very crucial because if you choose correctly, it could become a tool that helps to establish your brand and online presence.

Taking a Trip to the Registrar

Once you have decided on a fitting domain, it is time for you to make the registration official and put it to use.  To accomplish this you need the aid of a third-party company known as a registrar.  These companies maintain the websites used to provide services that allow you to register a domain name.  There are many of these companies on the web, with GoDaddy, Yahoo and Dotster being among the most popular.  Registration is relatively affordable these days and often comes free with the purchase of a web hosting service.  When registering the name, you typically get a variety of additional features such as URL and email forwarding, domain parking, customer support and a control panel interface for managing your products.

Register Wisely

While you don’t have to pay a lot to register a domain name, you do have to be cautious of the registrar you deal with.  The internet has been a haven for many fly-by-night jokers that offer domain names one day, and are nowhere to be found the next.  This problem is closely associated with the factor of a web-based world infested with scams and criminals.  Indeed, the domain name market has grown considerably over the years but it is strongly recommended that you only do business with reputable companies.  In short, do not allow an amazingly low price lead you into a costly trap.

Protect Your Investment

After registering a domain name, the next critical step is to protect your investment.  This involves keeping your records up to date and making sure your domain is re-registered before the expiration date.  Registrars can help out with the process with features such as auto-renewal and domain locking to keep your name protected from savvy thieves and shady companies.  In the end, the registrar goes a long way in making sure you have made the right selection.

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NameCheap Review: Name Cheap is a serious host to provide domain names and world class quality customer service at cheap prices. One of their key attricutes is the Whois Guard privacy protection which guarantees a 100% protection of your data free with every domain registration.

About NameCheap:

Our Hosting Infrastructure:

Namecheap Web Hosting Infrastruture Diagram. Click to enlargeWe’ve worked hard over the years to establish our brand as that of a leading domain registrar, but more so a registrar you can trust and rely on. We pride ourselves on our level of customer service and we have applied this way of thinking to our hosting infrastructure.

We have selected only the best components for use in our hosting infrastructure. Supermicro servers with Quad Core Xeon processors, a minimum of 4GB of RAM per server and RAID10 SATA2 hard drives guarantee extreme performance. Our attention to detail doesn’t stop here; our multi-tiered and fully redundant network our state-of-the-art data center in Clifton, New Jersey features multiple gigabit Ethernet connections to nLayer, Telia, Savvis and Cogent, delivered over a redundant SONET ring. The result? High performance hosting that offers supremely fast speeds no matter where in the globe you are based.

Redundancy is important too; our N+1 electrical system features a dual bank UPS, backed up by Caterpillar diesel generators which are tested weekly. Our HVAC system is also N+1, using Liebert directional HVAC units with under floor cooling. Our raised floor with high ceilings result in the optimal server running environment. We are able to run our hosting infrastructure indefinitely in the event of an extended power outage.

Our Software:
We use the cPanel control panel as the basis of our hosting systems. Renowned for it’s ease of use and intuity, cPanel gives complete account management through your web browser. For a demo, click here
Cpanel is a LAMP (Linux Apache MySQL PHP) based system.
Beneath cPanel, we run hardened CentOS Linux servers. Finely tuned by our system administration team, CentOS offers the best balance of performance and enterprise features and is backed by the hugely powerful open source development community.

Our team has years of expertise in running Linux based web servers and our ability to run these well is second-to-none.

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Original: NameCheap

GoDaddy Review: With a slew of Add-on apps and extensive language support GoDaddy is easily one of the best hosting sites.

GoDaddy Blurb:

GoDaddy.com is the world’s largest domain name registrar and is the flagship company of The Go Daddy Group, Inc.

The Go Daddy Group of companies also includes Wild West Domains, Inc., a reseller of domains and domain-related products and services; Domains by Proxy, a private registration service; Starfield Technologies, a research and development affiliate; and Blue Razor Domains, a membership-based discount registrar.

As an ICANN-accredited domain registrar, Go Daddy has more names under management than any other registrar, offers products at prices up to 70% less than the competition and supports them all with world-class 24/7 live customer service.

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Domain names play a major role in the internet world and every website has one. A domain acts as an alias for an IP address, which is naturally expressed in numeric codes that read something like “00.111.222.33.”  Instead of trying to remember a lengthy and easily forgotten code, we enter domains that access the sites we want to visit.  This would be a website address or URL like “yoursite.com”.  Everything from Google to small personal sites have a domain name that represents a specific IP address.

The Importance of Domains

Domain names are highly sought after because they help establish credibility on the web.  This holds true whether you use it for a website or email address. Thus, rather than being attached with a third-party company domain like AOL.com or Yahoo.com, you can have one that reflects the name you personally selected.  mailto:mymail@aol.com When it comes to establishing yourself online, the domain name can make all the difference.

Picking Out a Name

After getting a basic familiarity with domain names, it’s time to learn a little more about the registration process.  Choosing a name often appears to be easy but that isn’t always the case.  You need to be very selective and choose one that is easy for potential visitors to remember.  There are also certain factors that need to be considered when your business is involved, especially if you want to increase visibility and marketing value.  One of the most important things you should know is that the domain name you want might not be available.  This is why you may want to come up with a few choices and narrow down the list based on relevance and availability.

Leading Registrars

You have plenty of options for registering a domain.  For example, you can choose to register with the company hosting your website or a standalone service.  Companies who specialize primarily in domain registration are called registrars.  GoDaddy and Yahoo are among the most popular in this category.  Here are a few more details on some of the leading registrars on the market.

GoDaddy - The most widely recognized of all registrars, GoDaddy is a major domain provider and one of the first places you should consider.  The average price for a single domain registration is around $10 a year but the company runs many discount offerings as well.  You can get a great deal from GoDaddy when bundling your original order with additional items.

Yahoo - The Yahoo domain registration service is somewhat similar to GoDaddy.  The price is about $10 a year but you don’t get as many add-on options.  While they specialize in domain names, Yahoo and GoDaddy both offer web hosting among other complimentary services.

Domains at Retail – Though not as well known as the companies above, Domains at Retail is another option that provides great service on domain names.  You can always find a deal on this site and may be able to get a name for under $5 a year.  Domains at Retail also has other offerings that include web hosting, SSL certificates and marketing services.

Choosing a domain name could end up being a lengthy process, but the time invested is certainly worth it.  This is often protocol for making the best selection posssible.   Good luck.

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Original: Registration Options for Your Domain Name