We all know that Websites, the Internet, and Technology are three of the most important factors in business and life in general today. We know that in order to find a website we need the domain name of the site. We know that in order to be able to connect to the servers that allow us to plug in and see this particular domain name, we need the internet. We also know that without a doubt to even begin to see a website or navigate on the web we need a piece of technology, actual equipment like that of a computer, tablet etc. to even be put in the game. What we may not really understand however is how all these things link together to create the powerhouse known as the online world.
Let’s start with the basics. In order for a computer to search the web for the website you are looking for the computer has to read the address in the language that it interprets. The crazy thing is, computers can not read domain names like we can. Instead they need to convert the domain name into a string of numbers known as an IP address. Once the domain name is converted to the IP address the computer is able to search the web for the site that we are looking for. Humans however can not really navigate with and IP address. Instead we take these domain names that are followed by a top level domain, .com, .net, .edu etc. plug them into our piece of technological hardware, and they are converted to an IP address. How exactly is this conversion done? That is where the DNS or Domain Name Server comes into play. The DNS basically is the middle man between IP Addresses and Domain Names. It is the translator between the too allowing for both the computer and human to interact and understand each other.
Going back to the top level domains, what exactly are those and what do they do for the website you have created? Basically the top level domain is the abbreviation for what type or group or organization the website is affiliated with. .Com refers to commercial, why .edu refers to a site associated with an educational facility. These abbreviations are often important in judging whether the website being looked at is of credibility and is a reliable source.
Whether you’re new to the website world, building them, trying to understand them for your own business needs, or you simply just want to understand the basics of your own site, it is important to have some knowledge on how everything works together to create the big picture.
It often helps when there is a problem or issue to be diagnosed with a website if you can at least identify the chain of command and how the system works together to give you the end product.
Technology continues to advance and so should we!
