Getting Started
- A domain name is a name that identifies a computer or computers on the internet. These names appear as a component of a Web site's URL, e.g. ipera.com.au. This type of domain name is also called a hostname.
- The product that domain name registrars provide to their customers. These names are often called registered domain names.
- Names used for other purposes in the Domain Name System (DNS), for example the special name which follows the @ sign in an email address, or the Top-level domain names like .com.
- They are sometimes colloquially (and incorrectly) referred to by marketers as "web addresses".
The most common types of domain names are hostnames that provide more 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 an intranet), which would then have a different IP address.
The following example illustrates the difference between a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) and a domain name:
URL:
http://www.yourdomain.com.au/
Domain name:
www.yourdomain.com.au
Registered domain name:
yourdomain.com.au
The following FAQ and How to pages will walk you through the steps and procedures needed to register or transfer your domain name, brand your business and take your first steps into the internet market.