

W E B D E S I G N
Domains
WHAT IS AN IP ADDRESS?
Before we talk domains, it’s important to understand what an IP address is.
Each computer has an unique IP address, which consists of a set of numbers separated by periods (for example, 94.172.0.912). This set of numbers is a language that computers use to communicate with each other over a network.
IP addresses allow any number of internet-connected computers to be distinguished from other computers. It’s just like calling someone on the telephone. Everyone in the world has a unique telephone number, and you have to dial someone’s exact number to reach them.
WHAT IS A DOMAIN NAME? (www.yourdomain.com)
Let’s continue with the phone analogy. You’ve probably got a long list of contacts saved in your mobile phone. Each contact has a unique phone number. When you want to call someone, you usually click on the contact’s name rather than typing in the full phone number.
Domain names are just like a contact in your phone. Rather than typing a complicated set of numbers (the IP address) into your browser, you type in a domain name. That domain name is human-friendly and much easier to remember than an IP address. All domain names are connected to a unique IP address.
MORPHOLOGY OF A DOMAIN NAME
Now that we understand what a domain name is, let’s break it down a bit more. There are three different parts of a domain name that assign meaning to the domain.
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Domain name: JAXONROAD® is the domain name in jaxonroad.com.
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Top-level domain: This is the suffix at the end of the URL. Examples include .com, .org, or .net.
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Subdomain: This is a prefix that further classifies a domain, such as subdomain.jaxonroad.com.