The Internet is made up of many computers around the world all connected to the same network so they can all send and receive information which can be compared to every single building in the world which can send and receive letters via the postal service
Each computer has to have a unique address which is called an IP network address 188.8.131.52 as buildings around the world do which we call zip / postal codes
So each computer is allocated an IP network address before it is connected into the Internet. For example our main whois server has the IP network address of 184.108.40.206 but is not very user friendly so the domain name was born
A domain name is a user friendly name translation of an IP network address. So, instead of remembering 220.127.116.11, you can just type in “www.internic-backbone.net”. Your domain name is your home, or your address on the Internet
What are the different types of Domain Names
Generic Top-Level Domains (gTLDs)
Generic Top-Level domains are not linked to any territory.
Generic top-level domains include the familiar
Country Top-Level Domains (cTLDs)
Country Top-Level Domains are linked to each country. The United Kingdom, for instance uses .uk
Country Top-Level Domains include the familiar
All domain names gTLDs and cTLDs are visible to any machine connected to the Internet anywhere in the world. So your domain is international in the sense that it is accessible world-wide.
Why and what Domain Name should I Register
Your domain name is your identity on the Internet. If you want people to find you on the Internet, either to access your web site, or to send you email, you should have a memorable domain name to help them find your location. You should also consider registering your domain on the Internet to stop other people using it.
You should certainly register the name you will be trading under on the Web according to ICANN. That is probably your company name. For protection, you should probably also register any brand names that you have, especially if you have not trademarked them or if they are generic words that you can not trademark. Good examples would be book and magazine titles, records and general product names
Registering and the Cost of a Domain Name
Note that registrars will require Contact, Owner and Billing details to register a Domain Name
The cost of each registration is ?99+vat which includes the first two years, local Domain Authority fees, Admin fees and the Free use of DNS Holding Server.
Renewal Cost of a Domain Name
Registrars will require Billing details to renew a Domain Name
The cost of each renewal is $79 which includes all local Domain Authority fees and the Admin Fee. (Due every year after the 2 year point)
Domain Name Servers (DNS)
With very few exceptions, every domain requires that you set up your DNS before applying for your domain name. This means that you have to make entries for your new domain on two separate computers and preferably on two separate networks hooked up to the Internet. These two machines are called Domain Name Servers and are referred to as Primary DNS and Secondary DNS
If you do not have your own machine hooked up to the Internet as a server, or if you just want to reserve a name for future use, this can be a real problem
You can act now to reserve the names you need without having to worry about setting up expensive Internet servers or haggling with your ISP. Just get the name, then transfer it over later when you are ready to use it.