title= [ Domains and Domain Registration ]

Registering a domain name is an important factor in developing an online presence. Public domain names are disappearing fast, so it's important to get in fast. There are many private sectors selling domain names, and there is also a broad selection of other extensions. So be prepared to compromise on your chosen domain name.

{ dns: domain-name system }

The Domain-Name System (DNS) allows users to refer to web sites and other resources using domain names instead of numeric IP addresses (such as "192.0.34.65") which are assigned to each computer on the Internet. Domain names are made up of a series of characters separated by dots. The extension (e.g - .com) in a domain name is referred to as its "top-level domain" (TLD).

The more common TLD's are: .com, .edu, .gov, .int, .mil, .net, .org , .biz, .info, .name, and .pro. You can register Domains under 7 of these without restriction : .com , .net , .org, .biz, .info, .name, and .pro. The other four: .edu, .gov, .int, and .mil have restrictions. There are also other sponsored TLD's: .aero, .coop, and .museum.

 

There are several types of TLDs within the DNS:

  • TLDs with two letters have been established for over 240 countries and external territories and are referred to as "country-code" TLDs or "ccTLDs". They are delegated to designated managers, who operate the ccTLDs according to local policies that are adapted to best meet the economic, cultural, linguistic, and legal circumstances of the country or territory involved. For more details, see the ccTLD web page on the IANA web site.
  • Most TLDs with three or more characters are referred to as "generic" TLDs, or "gTLDs". They can be subdivided into two types, "sponsored" TLDs (sTLDs) and "unsponsored TLDs (uTLDs).
  • In addition to gTLDs and ccTLDs, there is one special TLD, .arpa, which is used for technical infrastructure purposes. ICANN administers the .arpa TLD in cooperation with the Internet technical community under the guidance of the Internet Architecture Board.

 

You can find out more about TLD's at ICANN.