Domain Registration vs DNS Service vs Web-Hosting

Domain Registration

A domain name is a unique space, or zone, that can be used to set up services on the Internet. Domain names are registered with a registrar, who then does the job of maintaining it with the top level registry for that type of domain (for example, Verisgn for .com, CIRA for .ca, etc..).

While computers locate spots on the Internet by IP address, these can be very difficult for a human being to remember. Through the use of DNS (the Domain Name System), a host name based on a domain (such as www.exampledomain.com) can be a static name that resolves to a a numeric IP.

DNS Service

DNS (Domain Name System) is the hierarchical system designed to translate human readable information (such as a domain name, website, or other Internet-based resources) into the actual addressing protocols used by computers to navigate and locate information on the internet.

This sounds complex, and can be at times, but the basics of it are actually very simple.

Computers route information and find things on the Internet using IP addresses (IP stands for Internet Protocol). Everything connected directly to the Internet has a unique IP address, which is reached through the interconnected routers, peers, bridges and data-pipes that make up the backbone of the Internet. Very few people can remember 205.210.42.30

What DNS does is provide a system to track what IP address that name will resolve to, and answer back quickly and authoritatively so a browser can get the website with no noticeable interruption.

When you go to view a website, here's what happens:

1. Your computer queries your local DNS resolver for where to go -- and waits patiently for the resolver to do all the heavy work.

2. The local DNS resolver queries the root servers for the registrar responsible for the information, gets a reply and goes on to the next step.

3. The DNS resolver now asks the registrar for the name(s) and address(es) of the server(s) responsible for knowing all the details about the domain name. These are called nameservers.

4. The DNS resolver now queries the nameservers (which it knows to be authoritative because it started from the root) for the IP address of the server that hosts the web site you've clicked to view, and receives it.

5. The local resolver sends that IP address back to your computer, which can now look it up on the Internet in a format that makes sense to it, rather than to us.

Web-Hosting

A web-hosting service is required when a website for a domain is needed, but can also be used for hosting files, images, games and similar content. Web hosts are companies that provide space on a server owned or leased for use by clients, as well as providing Internet connectivity, typically in a data center. Web-hosting providers typically offer three main types of hosting:

1. Shared web-hosting, where a large number of websites are typically housed on the same server.

2. Dedicated web-hosting, where an entire server is leased and reserved for a single website.

3. Virtual Private Server hosting, a hybrid of the first two options in which a website is hosted on its own virtual server so that it won't be affected by the websites of other customers.