How to setup domain and web hosting account

جميع برامج المسنجر وملحقاته

كل ما يتعلق ببرامج المحادثة والمسنجرات وتحميل المسنجر9  أو 2009 موجود هنا

انجليزي

إضغط هنا

 

This article shows how to setup your domain and your web hosting account. It also explains DNS, Nameservers, IP Address, Forwarding, domain registration and trouble shooting.

Introduction and scope
Almost Everyone who knows about the internet knows what a domain name is. It is what identifies a unique website or email server. When you send an email to someone@domain.com, the domain.com forms the domain name. When you type in http://domain.com in the address bar of your browser, the domain.com is the domain name of the website you are going to see.

But how does the computer know which page to show when there are almost infinite number of domain names possible ? How does it know where to fetch the webpage from ? This article answers these question and explains what you need to do to register and setup your domain and tell all the computers in the world that yourdomain.com should show your web page.

How to choose a domain name ?
There are many top level domains (TLDs) the most popular are the .com, .net and .org – Countries have their own like .us, .in, .ca, .au etc and then there is the new breed of domains like .tv, .info, .ws and so o­n but the most powerful king of all is the .com Why ? Because it came first ? In the domain market, single word domains sell for thousands of dollars and .com costs around 10 times more than the others and is as difficult to get a new name. There is a myth that domains with hypnens (dashes) are better for search engine rankings, I think there may be some truth in that myth, but domains without dashes always seem to cost more than the ones with dashes. The best way to register a domain is to determine the keywords you are going to target by using the free trial of keyword popularity and competition analysis from www.wordtracker.com and get a domain with those keywords in it. Another school of thought abandons this approach and advocates brand name domains like yahoo.com instead of everything-portal.com google.com instead of the-only-search-engine.com and ebay.com instead of online-junk-acutions.com – you get the picture.

Name Servers Explained
Every computer connected to the internet has an ip address that looks like 123.234.123.234 An ip address consists of 4 numbers separated by dots, each number ranging from 1 to 255. What this numbers mean is not important for us, all we need to understand is that each computer on the internet has a unique ip address and if the GoldenRobot wants to talk to R2D2 on the internet, it has to know the IP address of R2D2 (name borrowed from the movie Star Wars). But Wait a minute, does that mean that there are o­nly 256*256*256*256 number of computers that can connect to the internet, technically yes. But that number is large enough for now until they start connecting ever microwave and freezer to the internet (imagine your freezer automatically placing an order for 2 liters of milk to the grocery store when it detects that your milk stock is diminishing!)

OK, now you must be thinking all the ip address stuff is fine, but how does it relate to domain names ? Remember that I said “if the GoldenRobot wants to talk to R2D2, it has to know the IP address of R2D2 ” – but all you give to your computer is the Domain Name of the website you want to visit, so how can it get the ip address ? Enter the NameServer.

The job of a nameserver is to resolve a domain name to an ip address. Simple.

A nameserver is similar to a telephone directory except that instead of mapping person names to phone numbers, it maps domain names to ip addresses.

One misconception that I would like to clarify, some people think that each domain name maps to a unique ip address, not true. Just as many people in a house can share a single telephone number, many domain names can share a single ip address. The NameServer will return the same ip address for all of these domains and when the browser connects to that ip address, it says I am trying to reach suchandsuch.com domain, the webserver then returns the correct page for the domain requested. Obtaining a unique ip address (known as dedicated ip) for your website is usually more expensive than sharing the ip address.

How to setup your domain name
From the discussion we just had, you would be able to appreciate that in order for you to get your domain to point to your webpage, you need to do the following in theory

1> Obtain the ip address for the web host where your WebPages reside – this is the webserver ip 2> Make an entry (Called as DNS Entry) in a Nameserver to resolve your domain name to this ip address. 3> Configure your domain to use this nameserver

Most of the time, step 2 will be transparent to you as most webservers provide nameservers in which they make the DNS entry for you when you purchase webspace from them. Also, many good domain registrars provide their own nameservers that you can use.

While registering a domain or after registering a domain, you will need to set it up to use two or more nameservers. It is common to use multiple nameservers so that if one of them is down the others may be used.

You have three options to set the nameservers

• 1> nameserver provided by your web host Your webhost will usually have their own nameservers. In their documentation they may say you need to use something like ns1.yourwebhost.com and ns2.yourwebhost.com – If you use these, you need not bother about the webserver ip address or any other settings, just configure your domain to use these and you are all set.
  
• 2> nameserver provided by the registrar that you register your domain with If you use this option, you will need to know the ip address of your webserver (provided by your webhost). As you will be using the nameserver provided by your registrar, you will need to set it up to point to the correct ip address for your website by creating a DNS entry. The ip address for your webserver is called as the A record and the ip address for your mail server is called as the MX record, CNAME records are used if o­ne domain needs to be similar to another domain, but you do not need to understand these options for a basic setup. Many top notch domain registrars in the industry provide advanced DNS management like forwarding your domain to another site, subdomains, email id management, wildcard dns etc
  
• 3> third party nameservers This is an option that very advanced domain managers prefer when they wish to have more features and greater control over their DNS records which may not be provided by the registrar or the webhost.

Now a days, the line between the web hosts and the domain registrars is fading as most domain registrars are providing web hosting and most web hosts are providing domain registration. If you purchase your domain registration and web hosting from the same company, chances are that you may never need to do any setup at all.

What to look for in a registrar
It is always a good idea to register your domain with a domain registration site rather than with your webhost so you can be able to shift your webhost in case you need to without loosing your domain. A good domain registrar should provide you the following features

• No Cost Domain Forwarding – To Point your domain to anywhere you choose, you can even use a long free web host url and forward your domain to it.
  
• No Cost for Change of Registrant – Makes sure you can change registrars (transfer out to another registrar) for your domain without paying a heavy fee.
  
• No Cost Domain Parking – You get o­ne page saying your site is under construction or something like that.
  
• Domain Name Locking – makes sure that no o­ne can initiate a transfer request until you unlock your domain

• DNS Server Changes – You should be able to login to your own control panel and make any changes yourself

I use www.planetdomain.com for all my domain needs, they provide 1 year registration for $10.75 and $9.75 for a domain transfer including one year extension.

Trouble Shooting Domain Name Problems
What can you do if you have trouble setting up your domain? First of all, remember that it may take up to 48 hours for your domain changes to propagate across the internet. If you wish to verify the settings o­n any domain, you can use our recommended whois tool

The whois report on any domain will tell you about the current nameservers attached to that domain in addition to the contact addresses, the registration date, expiry date and the date when the last modifications were made to that domain record. If the nameservers are not correct then you know you have to change them by logging into your domain name control panel or by contacting your registrar support.

Related posts:

1. Internet Domain Registration – new domain name registerThere are many good reasons to register an internet domain, and it is easy to do! A professional touch is one benefit of having your own internet domain. You are able to do things such as send email from your domain, or link it to another personal account that you may have. Possessing an email...
2. What is web hosting – Hosting DefinitionWeb hosting simply means that the web pages or files that make up your web site reside on the hosting companys server. That web server provides the rest of the world with access to your web site through fast, dedicated Internet connections. The World Wide Web has become the single fastest growing scientific phenomenon in...
3. How To Host multiple domains under one accountIf you operate several websites, each with its own domain name, signing up of separate hosting accounts can be an expensive proposition. Even if your hosting company offers the add-on domain feature (which will allow you to add different domains to the same hosting account) you will be charged a monthly fee for each domain...
4. Web Hosting Top 10 List – The Best web hostersWeb Hosting Top 10 List – The Best web hosts reviews Our list of top 10 web hosts offers a rating of best hosting providers, the most reliable, feature-rich, well known web hosts that offer affordable hosting services at the lowest prices possible, including reviews of their services combined in top 10 web hosting services...
5. Choosing Best hosting for My web-siteChoosing a host for your web-site is no small decision. Once committed to one, it will become very difficult to move your business elsewhere – not to mention the damage that can be done to your business if you make the wrong choice. This makes it very important to “get it right the first time”....
6. Best windows Dedicated Web Hosting (2008) Dedicated servers can come as simple as a bare bones box or setup with management software already. It really depends on how sophisticated you are. With InMotions dedicated servers they will have preloaded Cpanel, setup your firewall, and configured your first account. If you want to do everything yourself, they wont be the best fit for you. If you really busy or not technical, they are a good choice....
7. 10 tips in choosing a good ASP hosting company the world of internet application, solutions are greater than products. Individuals and companies are still investing in web technologies, but they are investing in solutions with demonstrated benefits. If you are looking for top-notch ASP hosting solutions that helps you to deliver quick productivity and profitability, you need the necessary hosting foundation and ASP tools...
8. cloud hosting – group of connected servers – clustered hostingCloud hosting is a web hosting service delivered from a group of connected servers. The term cloud hosting (also called clustered hosting) is not precisely defined yet. In general, however, a hosting service can be considered cloud hosting when it is delivered from a fully redundant, multi-server system, in which the resources are dynamically scalable...
9. ASP.net hosting and SQL hosting providerASP.net hosting and SQL hosting provider, DiscountASP.NET, has deployed SmarterTrack customer service software to deliver customer support Ticketing, and Knowledge Base articles, among other services, to all of its customers. SmarterTrack brings all the functionality of a Help Desk, Ticket system, Live Chat, WhosOn, cost analysis, data mining, reporting, and a Knowledge Base in one application, all delivered through an elegant Web interface. Thanks in part to its unique ability to automate and extend to external databases and applications, SmarterTrack can effectively replace multiple applications and services, such as LivePerson, Bold Chat, Provide Support, Crystal Reports, Kayako, and more - saving money, time, overhead, and integration costs. Jeff Hardy, vice president of business operations at SmarterTools remarked, SmarterTools is very pleased that DiscountASP.NET has adopted SmarterTrack as a customer service solution for its customers. DiscountASP.NET has a well-earned reputation for quality and service and we are proud that they trust the complete SmarterTools lineup to deliver that value to their customers. DiscountASP.NET delivers email via the SmarterMail mail server, Web site statistics via the SmarterStats Web analytics tool, and sales and technical customer support via SmarterTrack customer service software. Takeshi Eto, VP Marketing and Business Development for DiscountASP.NET remarked, We found our previous customer service solution to be very inflexible and limiting in comparison to SmarterTrack. DiscountASP.NET had already migrated to the SmarterMail mail server and SmarterStats Web log analytics packages from SmarterTools and we were very happy with those results. SmarterTools has delivered on all counts and SmarterTrack has exceeded our expectations.Founded in 2003, SmarterTools Inc. is an information technology-management software company based in Phoenix, Arizona. SmarterTools builds a Windows mail server, customer service software, and a Web log analytics reporting tool that simplify and automate the day-to-day IT operations of businesses and hosting environments in over 100 countries. Additional information about SmarterTools Inc. and the SmarterTools product line is available at the company Web site: www.smartertools.com. DiscountASP.NET is a Microsoft Windows-based shared hosting provider, focused on providing the best value in ASP.NET and SQL database hosting. DiscountASP.NET was one of the first hosts to launch Windows 2008 hosting and SQL 2008 hosting. Through strong word-of-mouth and their commitment to ASP.NET and SQL technology, DiscountASP.NET has become the choice for affordable enterprise-class ASP.NET web hosting....
10. choosing good virtual private server hosting servicesMake sure you have root access.Some hosting companies may prevent account users from accessing the root of the server. This is equivalent to a shared hosting account. Make sure that you are not cheated for this. When you purchase a VPS hosting services, you will definitely have root access. By having root access you can...
11. Lynda.com Photoshop CS4 for the WebPhotoshop CS4 offers designers a rich assortment of editing tools with which to create compelling imagery for the web. Photoshop CS4 for the Web covers a wide range of uses for Photoshop in the web graphics workflow. ...
12. setup windows live messenger 2009 downloadThis is our first official post of sharing the offline installer for windows live messenger, previously we have shared various other offline installers including Download windows live writer full setup, Download yahoo messenger full setup, Download google chrome full setup etc....
13. Tips to Help You Avoid SpamSpam used to be just a simple canned meat product, made from hundreds of innocent little spam animals. Okay, well, maybe thats not what it was made with, but the fact remains that spam means something entirely different to the Internet community at large. While some people like the canned variety, almost everyone abhors the...
14. dls ervice microsoft download f2bdda8a f285 440b 98ce babee6ca0b0e wl setup customThis is Windows Live Messenger version 2009 aka Windows Live Messenger 9, the latest version of Windows Live Messenger from Microsoft. WLM, right now, is in beta stage, so ONLY beta testers will be able to sign in! Ta da! It’s the next-generation MSN Messenger. Along with everything you already love about Messenger-your contact list, emoticons, instant access to your friends-there are brilliant new ways to connect and share your photos ...
15. How To Disable Vista User Account ControlWindows Vista is Microsoft’s next operating system after its highly successful predecessor, Windows XP. I bought an OEM copy of Windows Vista Home Premium a few months ago alongside some computer hardware that were meant for a pc upgrade. As expected, the installation was a breeze, but there is a security feature in Windows Vista...