Domains

Let's take a look at how domains are organized using www.bravenet.com as an example. Each domain name on the Internet is broken up into levels. The top level domain or TLD is the end of the address which in our case is .com. Of course we are familiar with that one and you probably have seen many of the other common ones such as .gov for government institutions or perhaps the newer designations that have been approved such as .museum and .aero.

The "bravenet" in www.bravenet.com is the second-level domain and the "www" is the third-level domain. Why are these levels important? The answer is that they provide the road map and directions that allow your web browser to find what you are looking for. Behind the scenes the structure allows various organizations to control who is responsible for what. Let's take a look at the TLD of .com. There are millions and millions of domains that end in .com. Imagine the chaos if this wasn't regulated!

The .com TLD is actually controlled by an organization known as ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers). They in turn work with companies called registrars who provide services that allow webmasters to setup their own domains. So as you can see there is a definite hierarchy and chain of command. I think the best way to show how this works is by explaining what happens if you decide to setup your own domain and website.

After being really inspired by the possibility of making a large amount of money you decide to setup a website to sell a product. The next step for you is to register the domain name you want with a registrar. On Bravenet's main page, www.bravenet.com, you can search and purchase a domain name if it is available.

After finding out that donaldtrump.com is taken you purchase ultracoolproduct.com instead. Basically you have just registered your ultracoolproduct.com domain name with a registrar. The registrar then notifies ICANN that a new second level domain name has been created and who the owner is. ICANN can then provide information to computers around the world that a new domain with a TLD of .com and a second-level domain name of ultracooproductl now exists and where it can be found.

This allows web surfers to type in ultracoolproduct.com on their browser and view the website you have created. One little tip to keep in mind. When you purchase a domain name you can only purchase the right to use that name for a specific amount of time such as one year or three years. Once that time is close to expiring you have the first opportunity to renew the domain name for another length of time of your choosing.

Be very careful that other companies don't try to trick you into renewing with them instead of your original registrar! Keep a record of you who you registered with so that when it comes time to renew there won't be any confusion. I hope you enjoyed this article and I hope to visit your domain sometime soon!

Want a domain name? We offer domain names for as low as $8.95 per year! Find out if the domain name you want is available.