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Most webmasters and Internet users know that a domain name is simply the primary web address of a website. However, most people don’t bother to spend a couple of minutes to consider how domain names actually work. If you are an aspiring webmaster, developer, or are simply planning on managing your own network of e-commerce websites, then it is recommended that you have robust understanding of the domain name system (DNS), in order to have a full grasp on your industry and how it works.

Understanding the Levels of a Domain Name

A domain name is comprised of three different levels, each one serving to represent a different aspect of the domain. The first level, commonly known as the domain extension, is the TLD (top level domain). The TLD is basically the part of the domain name that occurs directly after the primary domain name. For example, in the domain name “www.examplewebsite.com”, the TLD would be .com. Popular TLD’s include .com,.org,.net,.info,.biz and .tv. However, most people don’t realize that there are nearly 200 different types of TLD’s available for registration, with the majority of these TLD’s being ccTLD’s (country code top level domains). An example of a country code top level domain would be .com.au (intended to be used for commercial Australian domains). A complete listing of every TLD currently offered for registration can be researched on the website of the Internet assigned Numbers Authority (IANA).

Websites and IP Addresses

In basic terms, a domain name is simply a linguistic representation of an IP address. Every device that connects to the Internet is assigned an IP address, whether it be a cell phone, laptop, or a web server (which hosts your website). An IP address is simply a number that is separated by dots, which usually appears similar to the following –165.124.28.88. Every website also has its own IP address. It is even possible to access a website by typing in its IP address in the address bar of your web browser. However, it is much more difficult to remember a string of segmented numbers than it is to remember a simple name. Thus, the domain name system was invented, and is explained briefly below.

The Domain Name System and How Domain Names Are Registered

When you register a domain name, you are actually leasing it for a limited period of time (most registration lengths range from 1 to 10 years, depending on the registrar). A domain registrar is a company that is accredited by the appropriate governing authorities to distribute and register domain names within the domain name system. Many web hosting providers are also domain name registrars, and will even provide free domain registration services and/or a domain name for life when you purchase one of their hosting plans. The domain name system is actually the largest digital database on the planet, containing the registration and administrative details of hundreds of millions of domains at any given time.

The DNS (Domain Name System) is the largest database in the world, holding the records of every single domain name on the planet. This database is spread out over hundreds of servers in order to ensure its continuity, and is maintained and regulated by several governmental organizations. Every time you register a domain name the records of your registration are published in the DNS, and are then sub sequentially viewable in the WHOis database, which is the publicly avoidable information of the DNS. Name servers are any web servers with DNS software, which is a type of software designed to facilitate networking and communication within the DNS system. The following information should help you understand more about the DNS and name servers in general.

Explaining the DNS

The DNS is a crucial component to the internet, and without it the web as we know it would cease to exist. The job o the DNS is to translate IP (internet Protocol) addresses, which are the numerical locations of a web site, into domain names that are easy to remember and more aesthetically pleasing. Before the DNS was developed, a web surfer would have to use an IP address in order to access a web site, which is considerably more difficult considering it is a string of numbers separated by dots. Today, computers still connect to each other sign IP addresses, however on the surface the web site visitor never has to deal with any of this because of the DNS. The domain name system also makes it easier for governmental organizations to prevent cyber terrorism and other criminal activity that could take place if all domain records were not recorded in a database.

Understanding DNS Software

DNS software, also referred to as name server software, facilitates communication between a basic web server and the domain name system. Any web server with DNS software installed can be used as a name server, and any time you purchase a web hosting plan from a hosting provider you should receive access to their nameservers. It is important to note that not all web severs are compatible with DNS software so it is important to inquire about this before trying to establish your own private name servers with a particular hosting company.

Understanding Name Servers

Every web site online is associated with at least one name server, however most sites have two name servers – one for primary functions and the other for redundancy and secondary functions. The address of a name server usually appears as NS1.nameserver.com or NS2.nameserver.com, however the address s can even be the name f your own site. If you are trying to establish your own private name servers then you will need to have access to more than one IP address in your hosting plan, as well as a domain to devote to the name server, and a web server that is compatible with DNS software. You may need to seek guidance from your hosting company during the installation and implementation of DNS software.

Name servers are a very important part of the way the internet works, connecting IP addresses to domain names and making the world wide web an enjoyable experience for everyone. Every site online has is pointed toward two name servers, also known as DNS servers. When you register for a hosting account you are given the addresses of these two name servers, after which you have to log into your domain registrar account and point the domains to the appropriate address. This allows you to attach your site to your web hosting account so that it can be put live on the internet.

Registration Privacy

When someone does a DNS lookup on your domain in the WHOIS database there is a variety of information displayed, including the name of the person who registered the domain, the address, phone number, and of course the name servers. This information can be made private, however after the fact there is little you can do to hide it, other than creating your own name server. While it may sound incredibly complex, creating your own name server is as simple as installing a piece of software on your web server. Keep in mind that some web hosting accounts (particularly those in the shared hosting environment) do not allow the account holder to make software adjustments or install new software on the server, so you will need a VPS or dedicated hosting plan to create a custom name server.

Professionalism and Presence

Having an online presence that is trustworthy and  professional is of the utmost importance when operating an online business, especially if you want to expand your presence and gather new clientele. While most people will not execute  DNS lookup on your site, some will, and when they do they will be able to see your name server. If you want to appear as professional as possible then you may want to consider purchasing your own domain and installing DNS software on that domain to create your own custom name server. For example, if the name of your company is “Random Company”, then you could purchase a domain entitled “randomcompanynameserver.com.” If the custom name server was created on this site, the nameservers would appear as: “NS1.RANDOMCOMPANYNAMESERVER.com” and “NS2.RANDOMCOMPANYNAMESERVER.COM,” this would give your client or site visitor the impression that you own your own web server and are therefore more established company.

Installing DNS Software

Before looking for DNS software to install on your server it is important to esquire with your web  hosting company to ensure that your plan is compatible with DNS software. This means having more than one IP address, and having the ability to install new software on the server. If you’re having difficulty learning how to create your own name server, or you would like to know more about DNS software and your hosting account you should contact the support staff of your hosting provider.

VPS(Virtual private Server) hosting is perhaps one of the most popular types of hosting available, aside from shared hosting. Most webmasters start out with a shared hosting plan, only to progress to a VPS hosting plan, and finally (if they’re successful enough) they may opt for a dedicated hosting plan. VPS hosting is capable of being just as powerful as dedicated hosting, however the cloud hosting environment would be needed for this.

Cloud VPS Hosting vs Conventional VPS Hosting

Cloud VPS hosting is more advanced than conventional VPS hosting and many dedicated hosting plans, primarily because the cloud hosting structure allows for a completely custom billing system that only charges the customer for the resources they use, yet provides access to seemingly limitless. Indeed, cloud VPS hosting is perhaps the best on the market right now, however many people are getting cloud hosting confused with standard VPS hosting. A conventional VPS hosting plan still has some significant restrictions that are seldom mentioned. It is important to note that the following limitations are only associated with conventional VPS hosting plans and do not apply to cloud VPS hosting.

IP Addresses and Software Configuration

Dedicated hosting plans tend to come with more IP addresses, which may be a factor for some webmasters that need access to several IP addresses for their sites. Although it is possible to purchase additional IP addresses for a VPS hosting plan in some cases, dedicated hosting provides a better value when it comes to an all-inclusive package that includes IP addresses. However, VPS hosting does carry an advantage over shared hosting in this area because shared hosting requires you to share an IP address with other webmasters, whereas VPS hosting gives you at least one IP address. Unfortunately, some VPS hosting providers will not let you install new software on the server partition, or modify software that is currently installed. It is important to inquire about your capabilities as a webmaster before deciding on any VPS hosting plan.

Upgrades and Cost

The cost of a VPS hosting plan can vary from under $20 to more than $200, depending on the type and the hosting provider, Each hosting provider can offer up to 7 or more VPS plans, all of which vary greatly in their capabilities and the amount of allocated server resources provided. Unfortunately, this large selection only serves to confuse many novice webmasters that are uncertain of their sites’ needs. Most of the time the webmaster pays too much and does not use enough of the plan to warrant an upgrade, or pays too little and has to upgrade again in the near future. Cloud hosting gets rid of this problem by providing instant expandability that is billed on a per usage basis. Although it is easy to upgrade to a new VPS hosting plan, you’ll have to do so when your next hosting bill arrives in some cases, which can be a problem for site owners that are experiencing a constant rise in web traffic.

Web site owners that make their living online are constantly looking for new ways to expand and create more revenue streams. However, there are always limitations and boundaries to overcome, especially pertaining to web hosting and search engine optimization. Learning the two aforementioned aspects of online business is perhaps he most crucial part of being a webmaster, as it directly affects the way your site performs and how high it ranks in the search engines.

Figuring out how to reach the top of the search engines and then perfect this and do it repeatedly is not for the faint of heart, and it requires a perfect web hosting plan (or several plans) and the right knowledge in SEO. If you have reached a point in your online career in which you would like to move forward and diversify then consider the following information.

SEO Web Hosting for Multiple Sites

SEO web hosting is relatively new, so many people do not understand what it is used for and why it is so important. SEO web hosting places a strong emphasis on the amount of IP address given to each hosting account. This is important in search engine optimization because search engines can see the IP address of your web site. This means you cannot have a strong backlinking network within the same niche without more than one IP address, because the search engines will view all of your sites as the same entity. Backlinks get you higher search engine rankings, and with more IP addresses you can create a network of sites in different niches that are providing link “juice” to each other.

Dedicated Hosting for Multiple Sites

Dedicated web hosting also comes with multiple IP addresses in many case,s however the number is usually along the lines of four or eight, whereas SEO web hosting can provide 50 or more C class IP address to each customer. In order to get access to this many IP addresses for your web sites with dedicated hosting you would need to provide justification, which means you’d have to give the web hosting company a reason for requesting more IP addresses.  It is possible to receive justification with a dedicated hosting plan, and gain access to IP addresses at a cheaper rate than SEO web hosting.

Conclusion

Having access to multiple IP addresses is only important if you plan on operating network of sites that are used to transfer search engine optimization benefits to each other through internal and external linking. If you are going two options; either buy an SEO hosting plan that includes an adequate amount of C class IP addresses, or you can purchase a dedicated hosting plan and provide justification. If you decide to purchase a dedicated hosting plan and provide justification then you will receive access to the IP address for a lower rate and you will have access to a more powerful web server.