What are Domains

The Domain Name System, or DNS, maps human-readable domain names to the numeric IP addresses computers use to find one another. Thus, people can use your easy-to-remember and easy-to-pronounce domain name to visit your site. In a sense, the Domain Name System is like an "online telephone book". Some web hosting distributors, however, allow you to only host one domain name per web hosting account, but for a few dollars more, you can buy a website hosting package that permits you to host a lot of domain names.

The Parts of a Domain Name

A domain name is read from right to left, in labels separated by dots. In shop.example.com, .com is the top-level domain, usually shortened to TLD. example is the second-level domain – the part you choose and register. shop is a subdomain, which you create yourself once the domain name is yours.

Top-level domains fall into three broad groups. Generic TLDs such as .com, .net and .org are open to anyone. Country-code TLDs such as .co.uk, .de and .ca belong to a country or territory, and some of them restrict who may register a name. The newer generic TLDs – .online, .store, .agency and hundreds of others – behave exactly like .com technically, and simply widen the choice of names still available.

Registries, Registrars and Registrants

Three parties stand behind every domain name. A registry operates a single top-level domain and keeps the master database of every name in it. A registrar is accredited by that registry to sell names and to submit registrations on your behalf. The registrant is you: the person or organization the name is registered to.

This is also why a domain name is not bought outright. What you hold is the exclusive right to use the name for the period you have paid for, and that right continues for as long as you keep renewing it.

How a Domain Name Reaches Your Website

Registering a name and hosting a website are two separate things. The link between them is a set of DNS records, and these are the ones you are most likely to meet:

• A and AAAA records point the name at the IPv4 and IPv6 address of the server your site runs on.
• CNAME records make one name an alias for another, which is how a subdomain such as www is usually pointed at the main name.
• MX records say which servers handle email for the domain, so mail can be hosted separately from the website.
• NS records name the servers that answer for the domain, delegating control of every other record to them.
• TXT records hold plain text, and are used for email authentication such as SPF and DKIM, and for proving ownership of the domain to other services.

A change to a DNS record is not visible everywhere at once. Resolvers around the world cache the previous answer for the length of the record's TTL, or time to live, so an update can take anywhere from a few minutes to a full day to reach everyone.

Renewing and Transferring a Domain Name

A domain name is registered for a fixed term, usually between one and ten years, and it lapses if it is not renewed. Most generic TLDs then allow a grace period, followed by a redemption period in which the former registrant can still recover the name for a higher fee, before it is released for anyone to register again.

Moving a name to a different registrar is called a transfer. It normally means unlocking the domain at the current registrar and obtaining an authorization code, sometimes called an EPP code, which you hand to the new one. ICANN rules lock generic TLDs against transfer for 60 days after registration and after a change of registrant, so a newly registered name cannot be moved straight away.

Multi-Domain Name Hosting Services Provided by Best Paid Hosting

At Best Paid Hosting, we offer domain name registration and hosting services, and allow you to register and host unlimited domains. The domain registration process, though, is a time-consuming procedure – based on the domain extension, you may need to submit several different forms. That is the reason why Best Paid Hosting offers you multiple-year multi-domain name registration options.

All web hosting packages we offered come with our cutting-edge proprietary Domain Manager, which encompasses all aspects of domain name administration. This easy-to-use user interface offers domain name parking and forwarding options and permits you to change your WHOIS details and DNS resource records, to renew multiple domain names and more.