Illovox Media wrote: > > Care to explain all this in plain english for the newbies here, like me?
Every computer connected to the internet has a unique address, expressed as four numbers between 0 and 255 separated by period. For example, my web server oscar.pharmacy.arizona.edu has the address 128.196.116.16 DNS, or Domain Name Servers handle the translation between 'oscar.pharmacy.arizona.edu' to that unique address. If you want to have your own web site name you need to have a DNS list that as an acceptable name for your machine's ip address. Now you get an ip address when you connect to the internet, one way or another. Most often it is simply assigned to you out of a pool of addresses owned by your Internet service provider. Their own DNS server will list whatever their name is for it. The free DNS place mentioned in Damien's e-mail, http://www.fdns.net, simply takes the IP address you give them, and inserts it into their name lists, giving your computer a recognized name in the fdns.net domain. <Note: the following is an enormous simplification of DNS and TCP/IP networking, and shouldn't be taken as a literal cookbook for name lookup services!> When you type MyWebsite.fdns.net into a web browser, behind the scenes, the systems sasy "What computer is this 'MyWebsite.fdns.net' thing? Better look it up. Hey, my local DNS server, do you know who this is?" Local DNS server says, "Nope, not one of mine, check their neghborhood." The System then asks further away until someone goes, "Hey, I know who MyWebsite.fdns.net is, it's 123.123.123.5" This is returned to your computer which then says "Hey you there 123.123.123.5, send me your index web page." Now this is enormously faster than this because lists and compilations of lists are stored all over the place, as Top DNS servers gab constantly and name-drop atrociously "WHo do you know?" "Well, I know about xyz.com, who do you know?"... Here is a good into to the very basics: <http://djbdns.wolfhome.com/x161.php> But you gotta have an IP address first, and more importantly for web servers, a *static* one, one that doesn't change! (Most ISP's use DHCP, which is a way of autmatically managing all those IP addresses; but it does mean if you turn off you computer, the next time you turn it on, you'll likely get a new IP address. Not good if MyCoolWebsite.fdns.net is listed as 123.123.123.5 and tomorrow your system has the ip address 123.123.123.6...) -- Bruce Johnson University of Arizona College of Pharmacy Information Technology Group Institutions do not have opinions, merely customs -- PCI-PowerMacs is sponsored by <http://lowendmac.com/> and... Small Dog Electronics http://www.smalldog.com | Refurbished Drives | -- Sonnet & PowerLogix Upgrades - start at $169 | & CDRWs on Sale! | Support Low End Mac <http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html> PCI-PowerMacs list info: <http://lowendmac.com/lists/pci-powermacs.shtml> --> AOL users, remove "mailto:"; Send list messages to: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To unsubscribe, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For digest mode, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subscription questions: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Archive:<http://www.mail-archive.com/pci-powermacs%40mail.maclaunch.com/> Using a Mac? Free email & more at Applelinks! http://www.applelinks.com
