What is a Domain?

Basic Information about Domain Names

May 18, 2007 Linda Banks

Understanding the nature of a domain and how domain names work.

When a new website is created, the first decision is what to name the website. The URL is a critical decision, especially for businesses where the URL must be easy to remember and indicative of the nature of the business. By understanding how domain names work, it is easier to create the domain name and organize the site effectively.

Domain name methodology may seem overwhelming to those who have never really learned the basics, but in reality it is not all that difficult. The best way to understand a domain name is by comparing the basics to a person's home address.

The first thing to understand is that each computer linked to the internet and every website on the internet has what is known as an IP, or Internet Protocol, address. This address is in the format such as 123.123.12.123. This is similar to Joe Smith’s house located at 123 Main Street in New York, NY.

To further the analogy, if you are invited to Joe Smith’s house for dinner, that’s how you refer to the invitation – you’re going to Joe Smith’s house. You don’t state that you are going to 123 Main Street in New York, NY. In a similar fashion, when you go to a specific domain, such as www.suite101.com, you are really being routed to their IP address, but the IP address is rarely referred to as anything other the URL.

If Joe Smith moves, his address will change. Likewise, if you move your website to another web hosting company, the IP address will also change.

When you type in a URL and click the “GO” button, your request first gets sent to what’s known as a Domain Name Server (DNS). This Domain Name Server decodes your URL and routes you to the correct website, based upon the IP address. This usually happens so quickly, you don’t see it or recognize it.

There are two foundations that make up a domain name. One is the domain extension or top level domain. This is the .COM or .ORG or .NET piece of the URL. The second foundational aspect of a domain name is sub-domain or first-level domain. This is the DomainName that precedes the dot-com, dot-org or dot-net. Together – the sub-domain and the domain extension make up what is known as the domain name. To use the analogy above, the DomainName.com is the same as Joe Smith’s house.

A domain name can also have a second, third level or more levels, but is not a required attribute for a domain.

The LEVEL2 in Level2.Suite101.com is the second-level domain. This would be like going to the top floor in Joe Smith’s house.

The LEVEL3 in Level3.Level2.Suite101.com is the third-level domain. To complete the analogy, this would be walking into a bedroom on the top floor in Joe Smith’s house.

By understanding a domain name and how it relates to an address, one can plan ahead for a better organized website that attracts and retains customers.

The copyright of the article What is a Domain? in Internet is owned by Linda Banks. Permission to republish What is a Domain? in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.