Everything about the domain name system and its relevance!

1. Introduction

What do we usually notice about the domain name system? One slice of URL, and that’s it! However, the system of domain names is a very complex system, and it is definitely not easy to understand. 

In this article, we will introduce you to this whole world, from its core elements to the domain name itself. Don’t forget that the more you understand this world, the better you can take advantage of it. Therefore, you can attract more visitors to your site, and have more sales!

2. What is the domain name system (DNS)?

We tend to memorize familiar words better than a combination of numbers. That was the reason why this whole system was made. When you type down “pepsi.com” to your browser, you don’t need to memorize anything. You have heard this brand many times before, you are familiar with the name. Now, imagine that instead of this little word, you need to type this: 165.197.100.0/23.

Well, the truth is this mentioned mass of numbers is the correct formula to arrive at Pepsi’s servers. Although, just computers use this. They translate the domain name (like pepsi.com) into an IP address, which is either a 32-bit (IPv4) or 128-bit (IPv6) number.” 

So the domain name system works to distinguish sites between each other, and translate names into addresses that help users reach the correct website.

3. How does the DNS work?

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Now, let’s present the whole process, from the start of the query to the moment when we arrive at the site.

1. You type the domain name into your browser.
2. Your computer checks for DNS cache → if the memory stores the IP address, the computer uses it and loads up the correct site for you. But, let’s say that you have never searched for this site earlier. In that case the process moves further. 
3. All internet service providers ensure a DNS resolver. In this case, the computer sends a query to the DNS resolver. Of course, you can disable your provider’s DNS resolver, and use a private one, which can enhance the duration of this process, or have more in-depth security features. 
4. The resolver asks the root DNS server → The DNS resolver has never heard of this domain name before, so he starts looking around. He notifies the root DNS server. The root DNS server doesn’t know the correct IP address, but recognizes something: It ends with a “.com” Top-level domain (TLD). 
5. The resolver contacts the TLD server → This TLD server has information on all domain names that end with the phrase “.com”. So the TLD server points out which authoritative name server has the “pepsi.com” domain name.
6. Resolver reaches the authoritative name server → The authoritative name server responds with the IP address associated with pepsi.com. Then send it out to your computer, who can load up the page for you. 

4. What is the URL and why is it important?

Now that we know how the whole process works, we need to understand the URL itself. 

The URL is basically the whole web address. It tells our computer where we want to go, and in what way we want to get there. 

5. What are the parts of a URL?

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It is a common mistake to believe that the domain name equals the URL. Alongside the domain name, the URL consists of more (up to 7) other parts.

Here is a fictional URL name: https://www.example.com/products/shoes?brand=nike&size=42 – Let’s break this into its elements. 

1. Protocol (https://): 

The way your computer needs to communicate with the web server. These are basically the set of rules your computer needs to pass in order to transfer the data. In fact, “https” is the secured version of “http”, which has a wide range of security rules to prevent data theft, and breaches. Therefore, most domain registrars provide clients with this – more secure – option.

2. Domain name (www.example.com): 

The domain name is the unique characterization of an online entity. Therefore, to avoid confusion, every domain name needs to be different. The domain name has three separate elements:

1. The subdomain (WWW.):

A subdomain is an optional part of a website that can point to a specific section of a site. For example, if you want to go to the blog section of a website, you can type this inside the subdomain, and you can save some clicks. 

However, the “WWW” expression is a little bit different than that. It is the abbreviation of “World Wide Web”, and even though it had a specific meaning earlier, now it completely lost its relevance. Nowadays, your computer loads up all websites with and without it, too. 

2. The Second Level Domain (example):

The SLD is where you can make your creativity fly, since you can freely choose this from domain name registrars. It is usually a catchy word, or the name of the person’s current offline business. Instead of the IP address, potential visitors need to recognize this, so be sure that it is a short, and memorable expression. 

3. The Top Level Domain (.com):

The TLD is always the end of the domain name, and starts with a “.”. It tells information, therefore limited choices are available. 

There are generic ones (.com, .net), which are commonly used by all types of companies. However, there are some alternative domain extensions. 

For example, nonprofit TLDs (.gov, .edu) that are only eligible for non-profit companies, or state entities to use. Or country-code specific domain names (.uk domain, or .us), which is reserved for one-specific country’s websites. It helps the visitors find search results which are more relevant to them. Also, there are industry specific TLDs (.museum), or region specific ones (.eu). 

3. Path (/products/shoes):

This ensures that the visitor will arrive at the exact element of the webpage that he wants to land on. In this case, he wants to reach the “shoes” subpage, which opens up from the “products” subpage. 

4. Query parameters (?brand=nike&size=42)

Sometimes, the visitor even wants to jump to a more specific element immediately. In this case, it also needs to be part of the URL.

6. Conclusion

This is it! If you read it through, you finally understand the whole domain name system and the relevance of this quite complicated mechanism. With this being in your head, you can finally understand the “why-s”, and make decisions based on this knowledge.