It's easy to feel lost in the terminology surrounding the Domain Name System (DNS). There are many acronyms and phrases that can be difficult to understand. Here we break down some key terms to help you navigate the .au domain.
Domain Name System (DNS): a critical component of the Internet that enables users to find and connect to local websites and email addresses by mapping IP addresses to their corresponding domain names.
IP address: a unique series of numbers identifying where a website or email address is hosted online e.g. 104.17.238.107 is the IP address for auDA’s website. Every Internet-connected device has an IP address that allows devices to communicate with each other and people to find what they are looking for online. IP addresses are long and often difficult to remember.
Domain Names: part of network addresses in written word that stand in for IP addresses e.g. auDA.org.au. Domain names are used in website and email addresses. They are easier to recognise and remember than IP addresses, making it simpler for people to find websites and send emails.
Think of searching for a website like dialing up a friend on the phone. To make a phone call you have two main options:
1. Dial the phone number directly
2. Select a contact that is saved in your mobile phone.
To access a website, you also have two main options:
1. Enter the numerical IP address of the website into an Internet search bar
2. Type the domain name of the website into an Internet search bar.
Manually entering a phone number is similar to connecting to a website directly through its IP address. However, selecting a saved contact in your phone is easier for most people. In the same way, using a domain name in place of a string of numbers makes it simpler for Internet users to navigate from website to website and send emails to their desired destination.
Learn more key terms from the domain name industry here and about the DNS here.
