When you have purchased rights to a domain name—your website name, like SonicSEO.com—and you want to create a website that “lives” at that address, you need hosting service. Your website host will establish a (semi)permanent address for your website by assigning a domain name server (DNS).
Domain Name Server Basics
The primary functions of a domain name server are:
Assigning an address to your website that computers understand
Human users use domain names and URLs to find websites. When you want to get to a specific site, you type something like “sonicseo.com” or “amazon.com”. But, that’s not what your computer uses for navigation. Instead, devices use a numeric address referred to as the “IP address.” The URL and IP address are linked through the DNS. So, while you are looking for “sonicseo.com,” your computer is directed to 69.49.175.226.
Maintaining a directory of those addresses
Domain name servers act like phone books of internet addresses—both domains and IP addresses. All domain name servers are linked to a central registry. When changes are made to any single domain or IP address, the central registry is updated, so you can continue to find the right site using your internet connection/browser.
Domain name servers also inform how domain-specific emails function and how spam for domain-specific emails is filtered.
DNS Management
Domain name servers are constantly being updated. They have to because:
- New domains are frequently added
- Domains may change registrars and hosts, so they need new IP addresses
- Some websites have dynamic IP addresses, which means a new IP address is generated every time a connection accesses a domain
For the most part, domain name server updates happen automatically and without the domain owner or end-user ever being aware of the update.
However, there may be times when DNS updates need to be done manually or DNS configurations need to be modified to enable or enhance email functionality.
DNS Management Made Easy
If DNS sounds like just more meaningless letters in the alphabet soup of internet marketing, that’s okay. You have SonicSEO.com to make sense of the technical-ese.
Whether you need our services to build a website from scratch or take over an existing site to improve performance, we handle all the technical aspects. We will either acquire the domain name and establish DNS association for you or liaise with your current registrar and hosting company on your behalf.