Introduction to the Internet 3

Domains:
Getting the right amount of hits is the goal for anyone who owns a commercial web site. Being in the main traffic flow may be best for some business sites, but being selective may be better for others. The important thing is to reach the "right" people. How do you do that? Well, you can increase your chances by having a rememberable domain name for your web site.

A domain name is a personalized address that will contact your website if typed into a browser’s address bar. You can have a web site without a domain name but the address to reach your site will always include your ISP (Internet Service Provider) servers address at the beginning followed by your account name, (i.e. www.server.net/~anyoneaddress). That’s ok, but what if you have to move your website to another ISP? Your web sites address will change to reflect the new ISP’s address. Time to re-print the stationary again!

A domain name will point to your web site no matter where you move it. It’s your very own personal web address. It’s permanent, easy to remember, and you won’t have to explain to anyone what a tilda is like in the above address (the little squiggly thing found on the upper left corner of your key board).

So how is my site found with a domain name?
All domains are registered at one server called Internic. When someone types in a address with .com, .org, or .net at the end of it; the "query" goes directly to Internic. The server there answers the query by saying at which server anywhere in the world that the domain resides at. The query is then forwarded to the server that your web site is stored. This all happens really fast as Internic and all the servers have very fast connections because of special equipment. The slowest part of the process is the phone line connection from your computer to the server. If your lucky enough to have a "broadband" line like DSL (Digital Service Line) then you are enjoying a much faster connection than your standard "dial-up" line. .


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