Registering And Hosting Domain Name
How Are This Two Related?
When it comes to registering and hosting domain names most folks get confused and tend to equate the two to be the same thing and product. This is compounded further by web hosting companies who tend to offer the two products together with their promotional offers of free domain name registration when one signs up for a given hosting package. Let us put that to rest on this page.
- Domain name and web hosting are two completely different products.
Web hosting
Is simply the act of renting or leasing space on a web server that is connected to the internet and in turn paying a given fee either on a monthly or annual basis to the web hosting company for the service received. You can read more about web hosting here.
Domain names
On the other hand is a distinct IP address that makes it easy for both computers and humans to identify and differentiate one computer machine from the other. Read more about what is a domain name here.
Registering and hosting domain name;
Here is a simple Illustration that will help us understand the relationship between domain name and web hosting so that you won't be confused any more.
A domain name can be taken to be the same as your home or office telephone number. Your friends, family members or visitors are able to find and communicate with you by calling that number.
Just like the phone number it's through a domain name that computers are able to identify and therefore communicate with each other.
Now web hosting can be equated to the physical structure or building that is associated with a given phone number. The building enables you to store your furniture, personal belongings, work related tools and all that you'd want to store as long as it can be accommodated in the space available.
You will notice that it's possible to transfer and move your phone from one building to another and still be able to keep the same number.
Unfortunately the best you can do when moving from one building to another is to move with you your personal belonging. The physical structure remain. With web hosting, you can only be able to transfer your contents to a new host provider.
