| What exactly is a nameserver? A better question | | | | website the visitor request ends there, and the |
| might be, why do you need to know? The answer is, | | | | person is able to see your website in their browser. |
| you don't-unless you're running a website. If you are, | | | | If you are sharing a server with several other |
| you'll come up against nameservers eventually. When | | | | websites, then your hosting company's DNS servers |
| that day comes, understanding what they are and | | | | take over and redirect the visitor request to the part |
| how they work will keep you from being caught off | | | | of the server where your account and website are |
| guard. | | | | located. |
| For example, when you set up your website with a | | | | Some hosting companies take care of all this for you, |
| hosting company, they may provide you with the | | | | setting up both your website and your domain name |
| numbers for two nameservers. But what do you do | | | | all at the same time. In such cases, the complicated |
| with them? When you go to register your domain | | | | linking of domain names, IP addresses, and |
| name (for example, yourwebsite.com), the domain | | | | nameservers takes place quietly behind the scenes. |
| name registrar will ask you for the addresses of two | | | | Other hosting providers require you to register your |
| nameservers but you may not know what they, or | | | | domain name yourself. In this case, your hosting |
| where to find them. This article will explain to you the | | | | company will provide you with the IP addresses of |
| basics of what nameservers are and how they work. | | | | the two nameservers that they maintain. Then, when |
| If you haven't guessed by now, the nameserver has | | | | you go to register your domain name, the registrar |
| something to do with the domain name for your | | | | will ask for your hosting company's two nameserver |
| website and the server where your website is | | | | IP addresses, so that they can link your domain |
| hosted. To understand the link between the two, | | | | name to your hosting company's server. |
| you first need to understand what an IP address is. | | | | Knowing about nameservers and understanding how |
| How do computers find each other on the internet | | | | they work becomes particularly useful when need to |
| superhighway? The answer is the same way that we | | | | change your website hosting provider. You can |
| find houses on a street by the address and house | | | | switch which company hosts your website, and |
| number. Each computer and server on the internet is | | | | transfer all your files over, but until you update your |
| assigned an unique IP address number consisting of | | | | domain name registration with the IP addresses of |
| four three-digit numbers separated by periods. Think | | | | your new hosting company's nameservers (can take |
| of them as house numbers, but for computers. | | | | anywhere from fifteen minutes to three days), no on |
| Of course, when people want to go to your website | | | | will be able to access your website. When someone |
| on a server, they don't type a long string of numbers | | | | types the address for your website into their |
| into their browser. Why could remember all those | | | | browser, they'll be directed to your old hosting |
| numbers for every website they like? Instead, we | | | | company's server and since your website is no longer |
| use domain names, which are much simpler and easier | | | | there, they'll get an error instead of your home page. |
| to remember. But how does a computer know which | | | | A lot of people stay with a hosting companies |
| domain name is linked to which IP address? Well, | | | | they're not satisfied with or are too expensive |
| that's what the nameserver does. | | | | because they're not sure how to change their domain |
| When a visitor request for a particular domain name | | | | name registration to point to their new web hosting |
| comes through, the nameserver looks up the domain | | | | provider. Knowing how to handle domain names and |
| name, cross-references it with the IP address of the | | | | nameservers gives you the ability and freedom to |
| hosting server for it, and then forwards the visitor | | | | change to a less expensive or higher quality website |
| request to that server. If you have a dedicated | | | | hosting provider whenever you need to. |
| server an entire server all to yourself for your | | | | |