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FAQ's
What exactly is a Domain Name?
Why should I register a Domain Name?
How do I register my Domain Name?
Can I choose any Domain Name?
How do I check if a Domain Name is available?
Is it possible to offer unlimited bandwidth/space/transfer?
What is WWW?
How Does the WWW Work?
How Does the Browser Fetch the Pages?
How Does the Browser Display the Pages?
What is Search Engine Optimisation?
Tutorial on emails and my cPanel (Control Panel).
What exactly is a Domain Name?
Like a telephone number, a Domain name is a unique Identifier that points to a certain site on the World Wide Web. Each computer on the Internet has a unique numeric Internet Protocol address such as 131.215.3.29 . These numbers are not user-friendly and give no indication as to what this address contains. A domain name is a mnemonic that is not only a lot easier to remember but that could also indicate what the Web Site contains. It is easier to remember old-books.co.za than 121.202.7.23 and, if you are a collector of old books, you have a fair idea that this site will contain information that you would find interesting. Typically, Domain Names operate like telephone dialing codes in reverse. The first portion of the name points to a specific site, the second points to the broad category the site falls in and the third portion is the country code where the site is registered. For example, no1webhosting.co.za refers to NO1 WEB HOSTING Web site. This site is registered in the commercial (co) domain in South Africa (za). In all countries there are Domain Name Servers, computers that will take the Domain Name and look up the relevant Internet Protocol Address and feed this address back to your computer so that it can connect with the site you wish to visit.
Why should I register a Domain Name?
Every year companies spend millions building up names or brands and images linked to these names. It is sensible to register this name and to protect the branded investment and to give Internet Customers a Domain Name they know. This is more so the case where a company's name is a generic word with other meanings or uses. This is a powerful brand name that most people immediately link to database systems but there is nothing preventing a spiritual medium from registering a website under this name and providing prophecies. Such a medium would be proven correct if they prophesied that a certain IT Company would soon be offering him a vast sum of money for his Domain Name. In the case of well-known registered trademarks and brand names, a company may resort to legal steps to retrieve such names from any person that has wrongfully registered the name as a Domain Name. Even this could involve litigation, an expensive and time-consuming exercise. Compare this to the cost of registering a Domain Name in South Africa's co.za domain, a mere R120 for the first year with No1 WEB HOSTING.
How do I register my Domain Name?
Although it is possible for any person or company to register a Domain name directly with the administrators of a specific domain, it is advisable to elicit the services of an Internet Service Provider (ISP). The Domain Name can either be hosted with an ISP or a Hosting Company like No1 WEB HOSTING.. If the Domain Name is to be used immediately then it is advisable to talk to one of the ISP's or Hosting Companies about hosting the Domain Name. Most ISP's will complete the Registration Form on the applicant's behalf. If the ISP or Hosting Company requires that the applicant submit the Registration Form, then the applicant should get the Nameserver Details from the ISP and ensure that the Domain Name is set up on the Nameservers that were provided by the ISP. Registering a Domain Name is only the first step to participation in one of the largest emerging marketplaces. A registered domain name is nothing more than an address and, if visitors should turn up at this address a few times only to see "UNDER CONSTRUCTION", chances are that they may never return. Internet Service Providers are professionals who would offer guidance through the process of registration and advice on all matters regarding setting up a professional, attractive and successful Website.
Can I choose any Domain Name?
What's in a name? Well, technically, the letters in the alphabet (A - Z) and the numbers (0 - 9) and the hyphen ( - ) may be used and there should be no more than 30 characters in the domain name. The technical limit is 256 characters but we have imposed a practical limit of 30 characters. Having said that, however, it is important to remember that the domain name may be used as part of the URL to access your web page or as part of an e-mail address. Whether the domain name is chosen for a Company's presence on the Web or for pleasure, the same guidelines and rules apply. Let's use a hypothetical example: I have taken over the family business "Michael Salibas and Sons". The business has been operating for several years and has an established and growing customer base. I decide to register a domain and put up a web page. I can either register MICHAELSALIBASANDSONS.CO.ZA or MSS.CO.ZA . The logo for my business cards and Letterheads has the letters "MSS" in a fancy flowing light blue font with a red line running across the letters. Why? Because it is CATCHY and people will REMEMBER it. The same rules apply to a domain name. It is easier to remember and "catchier" to have www.MSS.co.za than to have www.MICHAELSALIBASANDSONS.co.za . By the way, the domain MSS.CO.ZA is already registered and belongs to "Medical System Support(Pty)LTD" so I would have to come up with another Domain Name.
Is it possible to offer unlimited bandwidth/space/transfer?
It is not possible for a web host to offer 'unlimited' bandwidth or diskspace. Such hosting plans always come with clauses that restrict how much bandwidth you can transfer at a given moment, how much CPU usage you can use (which is arbitrarily decided), and so forth.
What is WWW?
The WWW is a network of computers all over the world. The WWW is most often called the Web. The computers on the Web communicate using standard protocols and languages. The W3C (The World Wide Web Consortium) are making the rules and standards for the Web.
How Does the WWW Work?
Web information is stored in documents called Web pages. Web pages are files stored on computers called Web servers. Computers reading the Web pages are called Web clients. Web clients view the pages with a program called a Web browser. Popular browsers are Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox.
How Does the Browser Fetch the Pages?
A browser fetches a Web page from a server by a request. A request is a standard HTTP request containing a page address. A page address looks like: http://www.someone.com/page.htm .
How Does the Browser Display the Pages?
All Web pages contain instructions on how to be displayed. The browser displays the page by reading these instructions. The most common display instructions are called HTML tags. Open your Internet Explorer - click on view - on the drop down list click on source and you can immediately see what the instructions for that particular page look like.
Search Engine Optimisation
Search Engine Optmisation
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