Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly is the Internet?
What is a domain name?
How do I register a domain name?
what is Hosting?
What is Search Engine Optimisation?
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What exactly is the Internet?
The Internet (also known simply as the Net) is the worldwide, publicly accessible system of interconnected computer networks that transmit data by packet switching using the standard Internet Protocol (IP). It consists of millions of smaller business, academic, domestic, and government networks, which together carry various information and services, such as electronic mail, online chat, and the interlinked Web pages and other documents of the World Wide Web.
Contrary to some common usage, the Internet and the World Wide Web are not synonymous: the Internet is a collection of interconnected computer networks, linked by copper wires, fiber-optic cables, wireless connections etc.; the Web is a collection of interconnected documents, linked by hyperlinks and URLs, and is accessible using the Internet. The Internet also provides many other services including e-mail, file sharing and others described below.
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What is a domain?
The term domain name has multiple meanings, all related to the:Domain Name System
- a name that is entered into a computer (e.g. as part of a Web site or other URL, or an e-mail address) and then looked up in the global Domain Name System which informs the computer of the IP address(es) with that name.
- the product that registrars provide to their customers.
- a name looked up in the DNS for other purposes.
They are sometimes colloquially (and incorrectly) referred to by marketers as "Web addresses".
- The authoritative definition is that given in the RFCs that define the DNS.
Domain names are hostnames that provide more easily memorable names to stand in for numeric IP addresses. They allow for any service to move to a different location in the topology of the Internet (or another internet), which would then have a different IP address.
Each string of letters, digits and hyphens between the dots is called a label in the parlance of the domain name system (DNS). Valid labels are subject to certain rules, which have relaxed over the course of time. Originally labels must start with a letter, and end with a letter or digit; any intervening characters may be letters, digits, or hyphens. Labels must be between 1 and 63 characters long (inclusive). Letters are ASCII A–Z and a–z; domain names are compared case-insensitively. Later it became permissible for labels to commence with a digit (but not for domain names to be entirely numeric), and for labels to contain internal underscores, but support for such domain names is uneven. These are the rules imposed by the way names are looked up ("resolved") by DNS. Some top level domains (see below) impose more rules, such as a longer minimum length, on some labels. Fully qualified domain names (FQDNs) are sometimes written with a final dot.
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How do I register a domain name? Although it is possible for any person or company to register a Domain name directly with the administrators of a specific domain, it is advisable to elicit the services of an Internet Service Provider (ISP). The Domain Name can either be hosted with an ISP or a Hosting Company. If the Domain Name is to be used immediately then it is advisable to talk to one of the ISP's or Hosting Companies about hosting the Domain Name. Most ISP's will complete the Registration Form on the applicant's behalf. If the ISP or Hosting Company requires that the applicant submit the Registration Form, then the applicant should get the Nameserver Details from the ISP and ensure that the Domain Name is set up on the Nameservers that were provided by the ISP. Registering a Domain Name is only the first step to participation in one of the largest emerging marketplaces. A registered domain name is nothing more than an address and, if visitors should turn up at this address a few times only to see "UNDER CONSTRUCTION", chances are that they may never return. Internet Service Providers are professionals who would offer guidance through the process of registration and advice on all matters regarding setting up a professional, attractive and successful Website.
What is Hosting?
An Internet hosting service is a service that runs Internet servers, allowing organizations and individuals to serve content on the Internet. There are various levels of service and various kinds of services offered. The most common kind of hosting is web hosting. Most hosting services offer a combined variety of services; most web hosting services also offer e-mail hosting service, for example. DNS hosting service is usually bundled with domain name registration.
A web hosting service is a type of Internet hosting service that provides individuals, organizations and users with online systems for storing information, images, video, or any content accessible via the Web. Web hosts are companies that provide space on a server they own for use by their clients as well as providing Internet connectivity, typically in a data center. Web hosts can also provide data center space and connectivity to the Internet for servers they do not own to be located in their data center.
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What is Search Engine Optimisation?
Search engine optimization (SEO) is a set of methods aimed at improving the ranking of a website in search engine listings, and could be considered a subset of search engine marketing. The term SEO (Search Engine Optimizers) also refers to an industry of consultants who carry out optimization projects on behalf of clients' sites. Some commentators, and even some SEOs, break down methods used by practitioners into categories such as "white hat SEO" (methods generally approved by search engines, such as building content and improving site quality), or "black hat SEO" (tricks such as cloaking and spamdexing). White hatters charge that black hat methods are an attempt to manipulate search rankings unfairly. Black hatters counter that all SEO is an attempt to manipulate rankings, and that the particular methods one uses to rank well are irrelevant.
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