How domain names work - URL http

While a domain name helps Web surfers find a Web site quickly and easily, the Internet itself and the Web browser software used to surf the Internet don't pay any attention to the alphanumeric name you register for your site. When a new domain name is registered, you'll be required to provide a numeric address, called the IP (Internet Protocol). An IP is a set of four numbers separated by a period that will be assigned by your Internet Service Provider (ISP). Each number can be between 0 and 255. For example, an IP address could be 129.52.0.203. This string of numbers is the actual address of your site, telling computers where your site can be found on the Internet.

When someone types your Web site's domain name into their browser software, the Domain Name System (DNS) automatically translates Web site names (such. as www.your domain name.com) into the corresponding numeric IP address, which allows Web browser software to locate and access the Web pages. Take a look at the following URL which is the address of the University of Virginia, and find the domain name in it:http://www.virginia.edu/schis.html.

The URL has three major parts:

1. http:// Internet protocol (http or hypertext markup language) and separator

2. www.virginia.edu The domain name www means World Wide Web; Virginia is second level domain and edu is a top level domain

3. /schls.html A subdirectory of file (/schls.html) which is the list of schools at the University of Virginia that will be retrieved

As you can see, the first part is the Internet protocol name. The World Wide Web uses HyperText Transfer Protocol, or HTTP. A colon and a double slash follow the acronym as separators. The Internet protocol name always begins with http: / /.

The second part is the domain name. It includes the second level domain (virginia) and the top level domain (.edu). The third part is the subdirectory and file name that simply identify the specific file that the user needs (in our example, a list of schools).

As you can guess, reading a domain name is not that easy. It is actually read backwards. In our example, the address reads: I want the names of schools at the University of Virginia.

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