Domain Name Essentials

Greg Yoas | 19 July 2006 |

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You open an internet browser, type in a website address and, in a matter of seconds, you are checking e-mail or shopping your favorite online store. You probably never put much thought into it, but how does your internet browser know from what server to download the websites you request?

Every website on the internet has what is called an IP address. This is the physical address of the computer where the website is located on the internet. 209.173.131.21 is an example of an IP address. Obviously, it would be rather difficult to remember the IP address of every website you visit on the internet. This is the reason Domain Names were invented.

Let’s start off with the definition of a Domain Name:

A domain name is the alpha-numeric name which directly relates to a numeric IP address of a computer/server on the Internet, where a website is located (or hosted). All domain names are unique, and need to be registered through an ICANN* approved registrar.

When an internet surfer types a domain name into an internet browser, a DNS (Domain Name System) server on the internet translates the domain name into a numerical IP address, which points the internet browser to the appropriate computer on the internet where the website is located. It is only at this point that the requested website is downloaded.

Since each domain name must be unique, it must be registered to ensure only one website is online using a specified domain name. There are literally hundreds of companies, known as registrars, that can register a domain name; many vary widely in price and service. There is even a larger number of companies who are resellers (or registration service providers) for these ‘registrars.’ Blizzard Internet Marketing, Inc. is a reseller for a company called Tucows. Please click here for a list of ICANN approved registrars.

When registering a domain name, make sure that you are listed as the registrant of the domain name. The registrant of a domain name is the legal owner of the domain. By being the registrant of your domain, you not only own the domain name, but you also control who has access to it. This is important because there are several contacts tied to each domain account. The fundamental contacts are:

Registrant: The legal owner of the domain name. This contact has the power to make changes regarding all aspects of the domain name. The registrant can trump any and all changes made by any other contact.

Administrative Contact: This contact should be able to answer non-technical questions about the domain name’s registration. The administrative contact for a domain name should be the Registrant or a person who is trusted by the Registrant. When we register a domain, we typically list Blizzard Internet Marketing, Inc. as the administrative contact because most of our clients prefer to have us administer the domain.

Billing Contact: This contact is the authorized receiver of renewal invoices for the domain name. This contact is responsible for making on-time payments for services such as domain registration renewal.

Technical Contact: This contact should be able to answer technical questions about the domain name’s registration. The technical contact for a domain name should be the Registrant or a person trusted by the Registrant. We typically list Blizzard Internet Marketing, Inc. as the technical contact on domains we oversee, since most of our clients prefer to have us handle any technical questions or problems about their domain names.

Every registrar or reseller does things a little bit differently, but the basic service and terminology are the same across the board. As mentioned earlier, when Blizzard Internet Marketing registers a domain name for one of its clients, we are typically listed as the administrative and technical contacts. We do not list ourselves as the registrant (or legal owner) of the domain name. In being Administrative and Technical Contacts, we can make any quick and necessary updates to accounts, such as Name Server updates, without needing to contact our clients.

If you are interested in seeing who is listed as the Registrant, Administrative, and Technical Contacts for your domain name, click here. The contact information for your domain will be listed under the ‘WhoIs Record’ section.

* The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is responsible for managing and coordinating the Domain Name System (DNS) to ensure that every address is unique and that all users of the Internet can find all valid addresses. It does this by overseeing the distribution of unique IP addresses and domain names. It also ensures that each domain name maps to the correct IP address. For more information, visit ICANN’s website.

Greg Yoas - Blizzard Internet Marketing, Inc.