How a domain becomes an address
A domain is part of the Domain Name System (DNS), the network service that handles addressing on the internet. When someone types www.example.com, DNS translates that name into the corresponding IP address and the connection can be established. The advantage for visitors is that they only have to remember a name, not a string of numbers.
The three levels of a domain
In everyday use the word "domain" usually means the part between www and the ending. Technically a domain has three levels, read from right to left:
- First level (top-level domain): the ending, such as
.de,.comor.org. It is not freely invented but comes from a fixed set. - Second level: the actual name, freely chosen by the operator – this is what gets registered.
- Third level (subdomain): most commonly
www, but it can be anything:shop,blog,api.
Only the second level and any subdomains are yours to decide. The top-level domain determines which registry the name is held in and which rules apply to it.
Registering a domain
A domain is not bought outright but registered for a period, usually a year at a time, against an annual fee. Before registering it is worth checking whether the desired name is still free in combination with the ending you want – the same name is often available under one top-level domain and taken under another.
If a name is already registered, a purchase from the current holder is sometimes possible, but the price is then negotiated freely and has nothing to do with the registration fee.
Domain and hosting belong together
A domain on its own points nowhere. It needs a target: storage space on a server where the website actually lives. The server is reachable under an IP address, and the domain is pointed at that address.
At centron you can register a domain together with the matching hosting, so that name and storage come from one place and the DNS entries are set up correctly from the start.