A domain name is a "unique" name used to identify and locate computers on the Internet. Internet domain names provide a system of easy-to-remember Internet addresses which are translated by DNS (Domain Name Servers) into numeric IP (Internet Protocol) addresses used by the Internet.

An Internet domain name is unique and allows you to have an "identity" on the Internet.

Domain names are typically allocated by the domain registrars on a "first come, first served" basis - currently in excess of 100,000 domain names are being registered per month!

You should register your domain name NOW as in the near future most of the memorable domain names will have been taken and only obscure domain names will remain.

A domain name adds value to your Internet presence and is therefore of great value to your organisation. Remember domain names are not just for businesses or organisations - many people register names for their own personal use.

If you register a domain name you could be:

Web site address: http://www.your-domain-name.com Email addresses: name@your-domain-name.com

If you DO NOT register a domain name you would be:

Web site address: http://www.your-isp.com/users/your-name Email addresses: your-name@your-isp.com

The portion of a traditional domain name that comes after the dot. So, in google.com, the top level domain is .com. The generic top level domains (gTLDs) are .com, .net and .org; there are also country code top level domains (ccTLDs) such as .ca, or .uk.

"Registration" of a domain name is basically you claiming a domain name as your own. It gets this name from the fact that there are central "registries" that provide all of the computers on the internet with the information necessary (IP addresses, DNS information, etc.) to find your web site or send you e-mail when they enter your domain name in their web browser or e-mail program.

In order to complete a registration you will be required to provide certain contact and technical information and agree to certain terms under which registrations are accepted and maintained. The information you give is publicly available but it is possible to register in the name of a third party who is willing to accept responsibility.

Registrations are for a period of one to ten years (typically, however there are exceptions). "Registrars" are the companies that collect and manage this information. After the initial registration period (60 days) it is possible to transfer your registration to a different registrar.

Currently, you can register any domain names with the following extensions (TLD- Top Level Domain's) through Web Design Pro:

.com, .net, .org .ca, .us, .biz, .info, .name, .pro, .cn

If you have a great idea for a web site or perhaps you think of a domain name but are not quite ready to develop a site for it yet, that doesn't mean that you can't have a domain name. You can "Park" the name until you are ready to use it.

Many people and businesses register names for future use, as an investment, to protect against competition or confusion and so on.

Register a name (or names) today and we will park it for you until you are ready to use it. "Domain Parking" is free with any domain registered with Web Design Pro. The name will be registered with the domain name registrar.

Your domain name records will be setup on a primary and secondary DNS servers.

"DNS" stands for the "Domain Name System". Sometimes, this acronym is used to mean the "Domain Name Service".

A domain name is one of the familiar names that you type into your web browser, such as "www.microsoft.com", or "www.cnn.com". These names are familiar and easy for a human to remember. When you type in one of these names into your web browser, your web browser attempts to connect to the website you specified. To make this connection, your web browser first needs to obtain the IP address of the target website.

An IP address is like a phone number for a computer. It takes the form of four numbers separated by periods (e.g. 207.104.128.4). Every computer on the Internet has at least one of these IP addresses. For example, www.microsoft.com has several IP addresses, 207.46.197.102, 207.46.230.218, and 207.46.197.100.

When you type "http://www.microsoft.com" into your browser, your browser needs to look up the IP address of www.microsoft.com. It needs a "directory service" to look up the IP address from the name, just as you would use the phone company's 411 service to look up someone's phone number from their name.

The Directory service that your computer uses to look up IP addresses from domain names is called the "Domain Name Service", or "DNS". When you type in "http://www.cnn.com" into your web browser, your machine contacts a DNS server, asking it to find the IP address for www.cnn.com. The DNS server then contacts other DNS servers on the Internet. These servers determine which DNS server is "authoritative" for www.cnn.com, and then ask one of the authoritative servers to answer the question: What is the IP address of www.cnn.com?

Yes, note the table below.

Domain	Structure
ALL	Domain names must consist only of letters (a-z) and numbers (0-9) - they may also contain the hyphen (-) symbol but may NOT contain special characters like the "and" symbol (&) or exclamation mark (!).
ALL	Domain names may not contain spaces or start or end with a hypen (-).
ALL	Domain names cannot be more than 63 characters (excluding the domain extension (eg. - .com, .biz, .ca, etc.).
ALL	All domains are lower case.

The domain registration is completed as soon as DomainPeople (registrar) receives the completed registration form and payment. The registration process takes minutes. A confirmation e-mail is sent to the domain name's administrative and billing contacts with the details of the domain registration.

If a registration fails you will receive notification and the fee charged for the domain name registration will be refunded to you.

NOTE: The zone files, which make the Internet work, are updated twice daily, 7 days a week, beginning at 5:00 am and 5:00 pm Eastern Standard Time. Requests received and completed by these times will be included in the next zone file update. However, your newly created/modified record may not be visible in the whois database for 24-48 hours from the time of the zone file is updated.

There is only the cost of your renewal fee. Whenever your Domain name is due to expire (1 year, 2 years, etc.) you must renew your registration in order to keep the domain. If you keep a domain name for 5 years, and you renew it annually, you'll have to pay 5 separate fees, you can register it once for five years.