Website domain name basics
We get a lot of questions about how domain names (website addresses) work.
While it’s not important that you know the in’s and out’s of domain names, a high-level understanding is helpful.
Let’s take a look.
Domain names are like mailing addresses
We we mail a postcard, the mailing address tells the postal system where it’s going. So, for us, our Center Valley, PA post office will get it, look at the ZIP code, and put it on the proper truck. As it makes its way across the country, it’s handled and routed until it eventually ends up in its intended mailbox. It’s a simple system, and it works really well.
Domain names are just like mailing addresses. We we type www.forge3.com into our browser address bar, we’re telling the Internet where we want to go. The Internet is actually made up of a bunch of servers and connections – all of which know how to read our www.forge3.com “mailing address” to send us along to the Forge3 website server (which is currently located at Rackspace in Dallas, TX). The entire process takes milliseconds, and we’re soon browsing the Forge3 website.
It’s all about the pointers
So, our job is to tell the Internet where the Forge3 website is located. We do this by updating the domain name “pointers” – also called records – to point to the Rackspace server. Once we apply the updates, we wait 24-48 hours for them to take full effect across the Internet.
Proceed with caution
Messing around with your domain name can be confusing and dangerous – possibly causing you break your website, email and other mission-critical pieces of your business. This is why we have a master Forge3 account in which we manage all of our client’s domain names. We ensure that they don’t accidentally expire, and can make and necessary changes along the way. Regardless of who handles your domain name, just make sure it’s in good hands.
