The Basics of Web Hosting

Clients who are new to the web hosting system often get bewildered by the operating methodology of the domain name system (DNS) and wonder how to register their domain on the network. The main perplexity amongst users is deciphering the difference between getting a domain name registered versus linking it with their website via the Domain Name System hosting service.

In this article, we will explain the difference between the significant terms that will better help you understand web hosting basics.

Explaining Web Hosting

It is analogous to buying space for building a house. Web hosting means to purchase space on a server managed by a data centre connected to the internet. The server is also a computer that controls the websites along with its content.

The server stores all the files of your website and that server or the server’s connected network interface has an Internet Protocol (IP) address.

An Internet Protocol address is like the address of your house. Just like a mail carrier would navigate through the numbers to reach your home, the routers, switches, and servers use this IP address to find a server from millions that build up the internet.

Explaining Domain Name

An Internet Protocol address is machine-readable and difficult for humans to memorize. When you visit a website, the query you type in the search bar is known as a domain name. 

A domain name will look something like this:

www.8irbox.com

In this example,

8irbox: “google” is the domain of the website.

.com: “.com” is a top-level domain.

Similar to a vehicle’s registration number, not all domain names are available. To use a domain for your website, you will have to register the name with a domain name registrar.

Specific organizations manage and regulate the names of all the websites on the internet. They deal with the registries which can be thought of as a big list of names and owners. When you register a domain name, you will not manipulate the registries rather deal with a registrar who will do the entire process for you. In a nutshell, whenever you get a domain name registered, you get complete access and control of it for a stipulated amount of time.

Explaining the Domain Name System (DNS)

Up Till this point, you have got yourself web hosting and a compelling domain name ready to reach unprecedented heights on the internet. So what’s stopping you from rocking the internet? The answer is Domain Name Service.

The Domain Name System is responsible for connecting the domain name with the particular server on which your website rests. When someone enters your website’s domain name into the search bar, the browser will demand a domain name server. If your internet service provider’s domain name server knows which IP address is connected with that domain, it will send it to your browser.

However, if the Internet Service Provider fails to provide a solution, it will ask another DNS server for the same info. 

DNS servers form a hierarchy. At the top, there are the root name servers which know where to find domain name servers for top-level domains like “.com”. These servers comprise authoritative information. 

The root name server tells the Internet Service Providers server where to look for the DNS server with information about “.com” addresses.

That DNS server will now know where to locate the name server associated with your domain name. In simpler terms, it will know the IP address of your website and will send the information to your browser in reverse order.

We need DNS hosting because it provides the IP address of your website to the authoritative name servers.

Conclusion

All these three essential components are mostly managed by the same organization or service provider. Hosting providers generally provide domain name registration along with the DNS hosting. It is better to choose a popular service that automates the entire process for you, enhancing productivity and reducing the time spent.