Domain Terms
Technical Terms and jargon got you confused? Below are some commonly used terms and their definitions in the domain name registration industry.
1.
Domain Name
A domain name is the core of your online identity. It is the address web
surfers use to find your web site. Your domain name is yours entirely
because once registered, no other party may use that identity online in
that Top Level Domain.
Domain Names always have 2 or more parts, separated by periods/dots. The
part on the left is the most specific, and the part on the right is the
most general.
Computers on the Internet use IP (Internet Protocol) numbers (e.g.,
123.452.06.31) to locate other computers. Internet users would have a
difficult time remembering these long strings of numbers to find sites, so
Domain names were developed to translate IP numbers into easy to remember
domain names.
2. Registrant
The entity, organization, or individual who is the owner/lease holder of a
particular domain name is known as the Registrant. When registering a
domain name for a Company or Organization be sure that the Company or
Organizations name is listed as the Registrant if you wish for the Company
to have control over ownership/lease hold.
3. Registrar
An ICANN accredited entity (or an affiliate to such an entity) which acts
on behalf of a Registrant regarding domain name registrations or
modifications, is known as a Registrar. Visit ICANN
for a list of accredited Registrars. Note that most domain
registration services are resellers for the Registrars and may offer lower
prices. All domain names ending in the .Com, .Net, and .Org extensions are
required to be processed through a Registrar.
Example:
Click here for fast, dependable domain
registrations
4. Registry
The organization responsible for the actual administration and maintenance
of the top-level domain database is known as the Registry. The Registry is
where Registrars create new or modify existing domain names for
Registrants. For the .Com, Net, and .Org extensions the Registry is a US
government contracted database.
5.
Administrative/Technical/Billing contacts
Contact Records are individuals or groups who represent a Registrant on
matters related to the Registrant's domain name(s). There are three types
of Contacts: Administrative, Technical, and Billing. Contacts have the
ability to Modify information pertaining to a domain name. A Contact may
be a single person, a company, or organization.
6. DNS
DNS stands for Domain Name System. This System translates a domain name
such as Yahoo.com into IP numbers. DNS is basically a piece of translation
software which allows humans and computers to easily communicate. The
network of computers that constitute the Internet map domain names to
their corresponding IP numbers.
The DNS record consists data similar to the following example:
Primary Nameserver:
NS3.EUROPE.YAHOO.COM
Secondary Nameserver: NS1.YAHOO.COM
7. Primary and Secondary Name
Servers
The Primary and Secondary Name Servers indicate the hostname of a name
server that will contain authoritative data for the domain name being
registered and will deliver/translate that domain name to its
corresponding IP number. The designation of "secondary"
indicates that the name server will be used in addition to and as a backup
for the primary name server that is listed as Primary.
8. Primary and Secondary IP
address/numbers
IP stands for Internet Protocol. A unique number consisting of 4 parts
separated by periods/dots. Every machine which houses information that is
available on the Internet has a unique number, which correlates to its
domain name.
9. Domain Parking
Registrars require Primary and Secondary Name Servers and IP Numbers for
every domain registered (DNS). Every domain name has to be linked this
information for it to be valid (i.e., each domain name needs to have an
address attached to it). At the time of registration some people do not
yet have Name Server and IP Number information (which is provided by a Web
Host), therefore Registrar often offer 'domain parking' (Free of charge)
on their servers. It is a convenient and Free way to hold or 'Park' domain
name(s) for an extended amount of time if you are not ready to use them.
If you do not yet have a web site built or have not yet found a Web
Host you will want to "Park" your domain name . You can
change your DNS information Free at any time (i.e., when you have found a
web host and aquired Primary and Secondary Name Server and IP number
information from them). The web host will provide you with their Primary
and Secondary Name Server and IP #'s. You must request this information
from your Web Host.
10. Modification of your
domain names contact information
"Modification" is a function where a domain names information is
updated to reflect new contact or DNS information. Administrative and
Technical Contacts have the ability to modify domain name information. T
Contact your Registrar with modification requests. To find your registrar
visit the Registry and enter your
domain name in the right hand side WhoIs. The results will tell you who
your Registrar is. Please contact your Registrar for the current
proceedure.
11. Web Host
Web Hosts offer a service where their "server" computer stores
your web site's HTML files, and graphics for a fee. Their server allows
your web site to be viewed over the Internet.
You can use any search engine to locate a Web Host - You do not need to
have a web host to register a domain name!
12. ISP (Internet Service
Provider)
ISP stands for Internet Service Provider. An ISP provides access to the
Internet for others via some connectivity service(s). Examples of ISPs
include Earthlink, Mindspring, and WorldNet to name a few.
13. InterNIC
InterNIC was an U.S. government agency that has been effectively replaced
by ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers). ICANN now
oversees the domain names industry concerning the TLD's .Com, .Net, and
.Org . ICANN is technically an international organization, which holds
meetings at different international locations throughout each year.
14. WhoIs
WhoIs is a term referring to a domain name search feature for the .Com,
.Net, and .Org database. The WhoIs can be used to search for the
owner/lease holder of any domain name which has already been registered.
This is valuable information if you wish to contact the owner of a domain
name that may or may not be attached to a functioning web site.
15. Renewal
Registration for domain names needs to be renewed based on some scheduled
yearly interval. This gives the Registrant (you) and the Registry an
opportunity to update contact information and settle on the payment of the
registration fee(s).
16. Transfer - Registrant
(Domain Name Owner/Lease Holder transfer)
The procedure for change of ownership is known a Registrant Transfer.
Domain names can be given or sold to a different party, or the name of a
company might change. The Registrar requires a process by which permission
from the old owner to hand over control to the new owner is obtained and
authorized by notary public documentation.
Contact the Registar you originaly used to register a domain to
request a Registrant Transfer. For both legal and security purposes all
Registrant transfers must be processed through the original Registrar. The
process requires notarized authorization from the current Registrant
ordering the change. Visit the Registry
and enter your domain name in the right hand side WhoIs. The results will
tell you who your Registrar is. Please contact your Registrar for the
current proceedure.
17. Top Level Domain (TLD)
In the example YourCompany.net the “.net” is the Top Level Domain.
There are two types of Top Level Domains. The most common type is gTLDs
(generic Top Level Domains) , such as .Com, .Net, .Org.
The other type of TLD is the ccTLD (country code Top Level Domains)
which are assigned to all countries and their dependencies (e.g., Germany
is .de). Every TLD Registry - generic or country code - has its own
prices, policies, and procedures that Registrants (name holders) in that
Registry are subject to. It is important to know and be prepared to accept
these terms before registering name(s) in a particular Registry. The most
commonly registered names are in the .Com, .Net, and .Org gTLD's.
18. Second Level Domain
In the Domain Name System (DNS), the next highest level of the hierarchy
underneath the Top Level Domains. In the example of the domain name
YourCompany.net - the “YourCompany” part is the second level domain.
Second level domain names are the what Registrants decide upon and
register.
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