Difference between revisions of "Domain name"
(Try to clarify the distinctions between domain name and FQDN) |
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| − | '''Domain name''' is a 'word form' | + | '''Domain name''' is a 'word form' entry in the Internet Domain Name System which is owned by a registrant of that name. Several kinds of entries can be associated with a domain name, including entries for routing email and entries for other kinds of interaction. |
| − | Web servers, as is the case with all computers, are given [[IP address]]es when on the Internet. IP addresses may be represented by domain names (this is called "name resolution"). One example of a domain name would be "www.conservapedia.com". | + | A fully qualified domain name (FQDN) is resolvable to a numerical Internet Protocol (IP) address of an internet computer or system. In layman's terms, it is analogous to the names in a telephone directory which are associated with a telephone number. The domain name is 'pointed to' the actual IP address of a given computer or network, and allows a user to remember how to access that service more easily than having to remember a complex string of numbers<ref>[http://searchwindevelopment.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid8_gci211988,00<!--WSDG OOJ6G DD3S LO8N-->.html Techtarget.com - Definition of Domain name]</ref> |
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| + | Web servers, as is the case with all computers, are given [[IP address]]es when on the Internet. IP addresses may be represented by domain names (this is called "name resolution"). One example of a fully-qualified domain name would be "www.conservapedia.com". | ||
==Subdomain== | ==Subdomain== | ||
| − | The first portion of a domain name ( | + | The first portion of a domain name (often "www") is known as a ''subdomain''. |
==Top-level domain== | ==Top-level domain== | ||
| − | The last portion of a Web site's name is known as a top-level domain (or TLD). Common TLDs of US Web sites include ".com" (commercial site), ".org" (non-profit organization), ".edu" (educational institution), ".gov" (government institution), and ".mil" (military institution). Other countries have their own TLDs, such as Britain's ".co.uk" and Germany's ".de" TLD. | + | The last portion of a Web site's name is known as a top-level domain (or TLD). Common TLDs of US Web sites include ".com" (commercial site), ".org" (non-profit organization), ".edu" (educational institution), ".gov" (government institution), ".us" (any United States user) and ".mil" (military institution). Other countries have their own TLDs, such as Britain's ".co.uk" and Germany's ".de" TLD. The ".com" TLD is used by companies world-wide. Some country TLDs, such as ".tv" (Tuvalu) and ".fm" (Federated Micronesia), are resold outside their country because of their resemblance to common English terms. |
==References== | ==References== | ||
Revision as of 20:41, November 15, 2008
Domain name is a 'word form' entry in the Internet Domain Name System which is owned by a registrant of that name. Several kinds of entries can be associated with a domain name, including entries for routing email and entries for other kinds of interaction.
A fully qualified domain name (FQDN) is resolvable to a numerical Internet Protocol (IP) address of an internet computer or system. In layman's terms, it is analogous to the names in a telephone directory which are associated with a telephone number. The domain name is 'pointed to' the actual IP address of a given computer or network, and allows a user to remember how to access that service more easily than having to remember a complex string of numbers[1]
Web servers, as is the case with all computers, are given IP addresses when on the Internet. IP addresses may be represented by domain names (this is called "name resolution"). One example of a fully-qualified domain name would be "www.conservapedia.com".
Subdomain
The first portion of a domain name (often "www") is known as a subdomain.
Top-level domain
The last portion of a Web site's name is known as a top-level domain (or TLD). Common TLDs of US Web sites include ".com" (commercial site), ".org" (non-profit organization), ".edu" (educational institution), ".gov" (government institution), ".us" (any United States user) and ".mil" (military institution). Other countries have their own TLDs, such as Britain's ".co.uk" and Germany's ".de" TLD. The ".com" TLD is used by companies world-wide. Some country TLDs, such as ".tv" (Tuvalu) and ".fm" (Federated Micronesia), are resold outside their country because of their resemblance to common English terms.
