An essential part of any web page is the domain . In this article we are going to explain what exactly it is and how it works . It is something that is part of our day to day when it comes to surfing the net, whether from mobile devices or desktop computers, and there are millions with different extensions around the world.
What is a domain
We can say that a domain is a unique name that corresponds to a website so that visitors can enter. It is the name that allows us to write a word or series of words in the browser’s address bar and reach the site in question. For example a domain name would be redeszone.net.
What that domain name does is redirect to an IP address that corresponds to the server where the page is hosted. However, instead of having to memorize numbers, memorize that address ultimately, users simply have to remember what the domain name is.
Domains are undoubtedly the foundation of the Internet. They are necessary to understand the operation of the network, to be able to open pages, services and access web platforms. In turn, it can be divided into subdomains . For example one could be routers.redeszone.net.
A web domain has several parts . The most basic thing is that we can divide it into the name of the site itself and the extension. For example, in our case, this article would be the name and .net the extension of that domain.
A domain, which is the name that we put in the browser, can never change. The one that we created from the beginning will always remain. In case we want to change it we would have to register a new one. The only thing we could do is create a new extension that points to the main one.
You can have more than one domain on the same IP
One point to keep in mind is that it is possible to have several domains pointing to the same IP address. After all, the addresses are limited and the same server can host more than one website. It is another of the positive points that the domain name brings, beyond simply avoiding having to enter numbers to enter.
We can host different web pages on the same server. Each of them has a different name, logically, but they can have the same IP address. The server will be in charge of redirecting correctly to the appropriate site according to the name that users put in the browser.
How a web domain works
But how does a web domain work? We have seen what it is and now we are going to see how it works exactly. For it to be possible for a web page to appear once we have entered the name in the browser, what is called DNS or domain name system is necessary.
Its function is to translate the name we put, redeszone.net for example, to its corresponding IP address. The DNS server is, so to speak, like a phone book. Only then is it possible to navigate as we do, simply putting the name that we know and can remember.
An IP address is a series of numbers in four blocks. The numbers represent a value between 0 and 255. They are used to identify a computer to the Internet. In this case, what it does is identify the server that corresponds to that web page.
When a user types that domain name in the browser, it sends the request to the DNS servers and returns the IP address that corresponds to that site. Subsequently, the browser accesses that server through the IP and the corresponding page is displayed.
For everything to work correctly that web domain must be configured well and that it points to the corresponding DNS servers. Otherwise it would not respond. There could also be problems if the domain has expired or the DNS does not exist. In that case, when the user enters the name in the browser, they will not get anywhere.
The latter makes it very important to renew the domains when appropriate, as well as to configure them properly in case we have moved our site to another server, for example. If we don’t, there could be problems.