Protocol Domain Hostname Subdomain Path And More
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In a previous blog, we explored the differences between base domains and full path URLs and their importance in web filteringparticularly how full path URL categorization is critical for identifying and protecting users against malicious websites and sources.
In this post, we wanted to take a step back and cover the basicsthe individual structural elements of a URL . We hope that youll find this resource helpfulwhether as a refresher or as material to add to your ongoing training processes for employees. After all, understanding how a URL is structured is an important step to identifying malicious and unsafe sites.
Difference Between Url And Ip Address
Categorized under internet | Difference Between URL and IP Address
URL and IP Address
In order to find what you want on the internet, you need to have a pointer of where to find it. URLs and IP addresses are just identifiers used for this purpose. The main difference between URL and IP address is what they point to. An IP address basically points to a computer, whether it is the physical hardware or a virtual one as in the case of shared hosting. In comparison, a typical URL contains the protocol to be used , the domain name or IP address, the path, and optional fragment identifier. It is obvious to see that an IP address can be part of a URL, although it is more common to see a domain name instead of an IP address.
Because majority of URL use have the domain name instead of the IP address, it is necessary to process the request through a Domain Name Server in order to convert the domain name into an IP address. Without the DNS, the request would fail as the computer would not be able to find the host. The development of URL stemmed from the fact that IP addresses are a lot more difficult to remember than words that are related to the sites content or purpose.
Summary:
The Importance Of Understanding The Differences Between Urls And Domains
Hopefully, by now, you have a better understanding of domain names and URLs, how theyre related, and the differences they have.
Understanding how your website, URL, and domain name all work together might not seem like a big deal. But, this knowledge gives you power. Its like knowing how to accomplish basic car-related tasks, such as changing your oil or replacing your windshield wiper blades, makes you feel like a more confident car owner .
The more you understand how your website and domain work together, the better youll be able to fix minor issues and ensure your site always remains online. You become more self-sufficient with your website, and dont have to rely on support whenever you run into a small issue with your site.
For example, if your website isnt showing up, then it might be an issue with your DNS records not pointing to the correct location. Or, you could have even spelled your domain wrong when adding it to your host.
Beyond general website troubleshooting having more in-depth knowledge about your website and how it works is always a good thing. Hopefully, youre better equipped to choose a web hosting package, register new domains, add redirects, and even start playing around with subdomains.
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Simple Explanation Of A Server
A server refers to a physical machine that stores websites or other formats of data or refers to the software installed on a physical machine . A website is a collection of files so all these details need to be stored somewhere. The server plays that role, it stores this data but it also transfers the data if another computer asks that .
So, in that machine, you need to install a type of software that helps with the transmission of this data. Web server software plays that role and contributes to the communication between the server with your computer or any kind of device that has a browser .
*Check the wiki article for Apache
You can see also that interesting youtube video to find out how servers actually look like. Big companies like Google have rooms with these machines so they can store all the data they receive from the users and also handle the enormous web traffic they receive every day.
Real Example Of Server And A Domain
I own the domain buycompanyname.com and in my domain settings, I changed the nameservers to ns1.hostinger.com, ns2.hostinger.com. Hostinger is my hosting company so with that change what I indicate is that they are responsible for where my domain points to.
A name server is a specialized type of server which is responsible for recording a big list of domain names and what is their associated IP . In my case, if a browser asks for my website and after a long journey the nameservers will point them to a specific IP. As we discussed that IP represents actually a physical machine which is called server. This server stores all my website data and it returns a full website back to the browser.
If I would like to change the hosting provider then after I transfer all my files to their server, I am updating my nameservers settings to something like that: ns1.xyzcompany.com , ns2.xyzcompany.com .
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The Differences Among Domain Website And Url
The domain vs website question is common in SEO, as is URL vs domain name. They’re defined by the following:
- Domain: The name you register for your online address
- Website: The pages that visitors see when they enter your domain
- URL: The address visitors type or click to access your domain and view your site
With those definitions in mind, we can move on to the question of domain name length.
How To Keep A Domain Name Secure
Once a domain name has been registered with a registrar, that registrar is in charge of notifying the registrant when their domain is about to expire and giving them the chance to renew, ensuring they dont lose their domain name. In some cases registrars will prey on their users by buying those domains the second they expire and then selling them back to the original registrant at an exorbitant price. Its important to choose an honest and trustworthy registrar to avoid these kinds of predatory practices.
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What Is A Domain Name
Firstly, a domain name is an internet resource name. It locates an organization or other entity on the Internet. In general, a domain name is an address via which internet users can access your website. The Domain names are assigned as per the rules and procedures of the Domain Name System . Any publicly-accessible name in the DNS is a domain name.
To access any web-based service a user needs to use a valid domain name.
Examples of
Intellectual Property And Domain Names
Intellectual property is a term that encompasses several legal issues like trademark dilution, copyright claims and patent infringement, among other things. With regards to your domain and website, there are intellectual property considerations to understand before moving forward with your site.
The last thing you want to do is invest time, money and other resources into registering a domain and building a website that infringes on anothers legal rights.
Moreover, when building out your business, you must be diligent about protecting your own assets including your domain and website.
Editors note:This content should not be construed as legal advice. Always consult an attorney regarding your specific legal situation.
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A Url Is A Complete Web Address
A URL is a complete internet address which can locate a specific domain or an individual page on a given domain. It provides the web browser with all of the information necessary to identify and display a given page, resource, or piece of media, like an image.
A domain name, on the other hand, is a simpler form of a URL, and is used in place of a technical IP address. Its role is to make it easier to access a given website. Domain names are brandable and can also refer to a business name as well.
Difference Between A Domain Name And Web Hosting
Going back to the start of this article, if the domain name is like your physical address then web hosting is like the physical building and the contents stored within.
Domain names are used to create a handy little shortcut to link what visitors type into an address bar to the server thats used to host the website. Theyre entirely digital and stored in a centralized database.
Hosting is a little different because it requires a physical server thats located somewhere in the world and connected to the internet. Its essentially like a computer hard drive that stores all of your websites files and databases. Its called a server because it literally serves your website to your visitors.
When you type a URL into your web browser, it sends a request to the specific server that your site is hosted on. The server then uploads the files and transmits them across the internet to the device that youre using, which downloads the files and displays them. Feel free to have a look at our more detailed guide about domain vs hosting relationship.
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How Do I Find A Domain Name For Myself
Hostinger offers a domain name search tool to help you find a suitable domain. Simply enter a domain name of your choice in the search box and press Enter. Our system will then display a list of available TLDs or extensions based on your suggestion.If your preferred domain name is already registered, choose another extension or try coming up with different variations using your brand name. Once you find your unique domain name, you can claim it by proceeding with domain registration.
How Subdomains Relate To Domain Names
One of the final aspects of a domain name is subdomains. These can get a little confusing, especially if its your first time building a website.
Essentially, a subdomain is an additional part of your primary domain name. Subdomains are commonly used to help separate and organize certain parts of your website. A subdomain will come before your primary domain name, like the blog in blog.mysite.com. You can create as many subdomains as you like for your primary domain.
For example, you can access the support resources here at HostGator by navigating to support.hostgator.com.
Subdomains are used for a variety of reasons, but here are some of the common reasons why you might create a subdomain:
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Registering A Domain Name
So, how do you register a domain name? The first thing you need to do is to brainstorm your domain name. Since your domain holds the key to the online presence and success of your website, its important to choose the right domain name.
Here are some tips that will help you get started:
- Make it memorable and avoid words that can be easily misspelled or that are hard to pronounce.
- Dont use names that are similar to competitors domains
- If available, select a domain name that includes your company name. For example, for a company called Essay Tigers, it makes sense to choose a domain name essaytigers.com.
- Use a TDL relevant to your company
Lacking inspiration for domain names? You can try playing around with Namemesh or Nameupp.
Pro tip: Use a dedicated ICANN tool to lookup domain availability. If the domain you want already exists, you can check whether or not it expires soon or contact the domain owners to inquire about a purchase.
After youve chosen a suitable domain, the next step is finding an accredited company called a domain name registrar. Such companies must be accredited by a generic TLD registry or a country code TLD registry. When you find a suitable domain registrar, they will take the domain registration process from there.
Difference Between Hostname And Domain Name
Categorized under Technology | Difference Between Hostname and Domain Name
When you want to go to someones website, you simply type in the web address or URL of the website into your web browser or click on a link that takes you directly to that website. That takes you inside the domain name system or the DNS for short. DNS was created as hierarchical name resolution system that is distributed across servers located around the world. The DNS uses a unique string of numbers called IP addresses to make the connection. But we dont need to remember so many IP addresses instead, we can use easy-to-read domain names. For example, lets say the IP address for Microsofts website is 192.0.a.b, but the websites domain name is microsoft.com, which is much easier to remember. So, for this purpose DNS was created to translate IP addresses into easy-to-remember addresses called domain names. A host name is typically the name of a device that has a specific IP address.
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What Is A Domain Name And Why Is It Important
A domain name is the physical name of a website, and its arguably the most important part of your website. Much like your physical address or a phone number, there cannot be two identical domain names.
The backend of domain names can only be accessed and used by the domain name owner known as the domain name registrant . Domain names can also be bought and sold like assets in domain name auctions.
A domain name is the combination of letters, number and symbols someone types in their browser to access a specific web address directly.
For example, if you wanted to visit GoDaddys website, you couldnt access it by typing GoDaddy in your browser that would simply provide you search results for GoDaddy and would not render the actual website. Instead, you need to type the domain name GoDaddy.com in the browser to navigate to GoDaddys website.
A domain name is an easier way to browse the internet and access a specific website instead of using an IP address, which is the convoluted strings of numbers and letters computers use to recognize a website.
Because a domain name is meant to make it easier for people to visit your website, its important to keep it simple and memorable.
Picking the perfect domain name can have a critical role in how well your website performs.
Understanding Domains And Trademarks
As you might imagine, many brands target their organization name as their domain name. For instance, GoDaddy uses GoDaddy.com, Pepsi uses Pepsi.com and McDonalds uses McDonalds.com.
The value of a branded domain cannot be overstated, but are brands awarded these domains under trademark laws? Are domain owners awarded any protection over their domain names?
The relationship between domain names and trademarks is important to understand before you purchase a domain and start building a website and business. There are risks to purchasing a domain name without researching trademarks first.
Domain availability doesnt protect from trademarks
Just because a domain name is available, doesnt mean there isnt a trademark protecting that brand name.
For instance, if you found a variation of GoDaddy that was available for registration, you could not purchase and operate a business on that domain because it would still be protected under trademark law.
Choosing a domain name requires more research than just availability you need to make sure that you are not walking into any legal conflict by picking a domain name that is protected by the United States Patent and Trademark Office .
When it comes to domains and trademarks, remember these basic considerations.
Related: Trademark vs. copyright Which one does your business need?
Protecting domain names with trademarks
Domain name and trademark case study: Nissan.com
Protecting yourself from trademark infringement
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