What is a domain name?
The term ‘domain name’ is often thrown about when talking about the internet – no doubt you’ve come across it at some stage during your travels. You see domain names every time you look up a website or email a friend, so let’s get up to speed on what it all means in simple terms…
The internet uses a type of ‘address’ to identify where specific data lives, much like postal addresses you’d use when sending letters. These are called IP addresses, represented by a series of numbers so computers can interpret them, and look something like this: 192.168.20.30
A domain name is the word version of this address, making it simple for people to understand and remember. We use this ‘human’ version instead of asking people to recall the numbers in the IP address.
For instance, the ‘westnet.com.au’ in ‘http://www.westnet.com.au/‘ is our domain name. You’ll notice it in Westnet email addresses too – domains@westnet.com.au .
To make the process more universal, the web uses a system known as the Domain Name System (DNS), which orders each section of a domain name from the broadest part (ie. the ‘au’ which represents Australia), right down to the most specific part (ie. the ‘westnet’). This helps computers read the name in a logical order.
Anyone can choose and register a domain name, as long as it hasn’t been taken by someone else. You can use a domain registrar to do this (some ISPs have this offering, including Westnet Hosting). It’s best to choose a very simple and easy to remember word if you want a lot of visitors to your site. If it’s for a business, using your business name will help with search engine traffic.
For more information about domains, or to register your own, please contact our friendly Westnet Business Team on 1300 137 480 or by email at domains@westnet.com.au.
Posted by natalie.king