What is a Domain Name?
Every device that is connected to the internet has an unique IP address, that consists of a string of numbers such as 172.16.254.1. When you want to go to a website having to type in that unique IP address for each website is not really very user friendly, so instead domain names are used. The domain name is sort of a more friendly nickname for a websites IP address however it is different to an IP address. A domain name can be used to identify several IP addresses. For example google.com represents the IP address 173.194.34.129 where as mail.google.com represents 173.194.34.182. Domain names are used in URLS to identify particular webpages. For example in the URL https://www.google.com, the domain name is google.com.
The domain name industry is regulated and overseen by Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the organisation that is responsible for certifying companies as domain name registrars.
The domain name industry is regulated and overseen by Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the organisation that is responsible for certifying companies as domain name registrars.
What is a top level domain?
A top level domain (TLD) is the last part of the domain name. The TLD are the letters following the final dot in an internet address for example in the address google.com the top level domain is .com. The top level domain identifies something about the website associated to it, such as its purpose, the organisation who owns it or its geographical location. There are several different types of TLD for example:
- .gov - Government Agencies
- .org - Non-profit organizations
- .edu - Educational institutions
- .com - Commercial businesses