How does registering a Domain work?

I want to get a website. Now, I want for it to be in letters, so people wouldn't have to type "x.x.x.x". So, lets say that I register "www.SomePage.com" with google. How will DNS on people's PC know that "SomePage" = "x.x.x.x"?
Will google send my page's IP to all ISPs? How does it work?

Here is a funky cut, copy and maul from my host


First, make sure your nameserver record for your pointed/addon domain is pointing to:

primary nameserver : ns#.host.com
secondary nameserver : ns#.host.com

After the domain has resolved to the hosting server (generally takes about 24-48 hours for ISPs to completely pick up the change), you can then login to your hosting account control panel and choose "addon domains" option to setup the domain.

If you are unable to change the name servers without having the domain setup as a addon domain first. Please email host support with the following information and we can setup the addon domain for you.
1. Your main domain name:
2. The domain to be setup as an add-on domain:
3. The sub-folder you would like the add-on domain to reference:
4. A password for the FTP account that will be created for the add-on domain:
5. The last 4 digits of the CC or the password on the account for verification:

Note: Remember the domain will not work through our servers until the name servers are pointing to:

ns#.host.com and
ns#.host.com

That's a loaded question there Shadow and I am not sure if I understand it correctly so here goes my try...

I want to get a website. Now, I want for it to be in letters, so people wouldn't have to type "x.x.x.x".

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Q: You want to have your own website (i.e. www.yourwebsite.com) and need to register the domain name?

A: Registering the domain is only reserving that name so nobody else can use it. You still need to host your website on a web server. You can register your domain with somebody like Network Solutions www.networksolutions.com.

So, lets say that I register "www.SomePage.com" with google.

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Q. You want Google to host the website? Or are you asking about Search Engine Optimization (SEO) so when people search on Google your website appears in Google's results? Not sure what you are asking?

How will DNS on people's PC know that "SomePage" = "x.x.x.x"?
Will google send my page's IP to all ISPs? How does it work?

Click to expand...

Q. You are asking how does www.yourwebsite.com resolve to your actual website that is hosted by a web host provider?

A. If you sign up for web hosting after registering your domain name, the web host will replicate the DNS over the internet: www.yourwebsite.com should resolve to their web server (i.e. ns1.somewebhost.com).

Does that help? I really tried to simplify the answers I gave.

Enablingwolf said:

After the domain has resolved to the hosting server (generally takes about 24-48 hours for ISPs to completely pick up the change), you can then login to your hosting account control panel and choose "addon domains" option to setup the domain.

Click to expand...

the web host will replicate the DNS over the internet: www.yourwebsite.com should resolve to their web server (i.e. ns1.somewebhost.com).

Click to expand...

If I get a Linux box, install an Apache, and name it "somewebsite.com", how will it get resolved? And how does registering it protect from being taken?

You can use free nameservers, that wil help you out. If you do not have a static IP. Everytime your hosting IP changes. You will have some downtime.

Here is more information on that.
http://www.thefreecountry.com/webmaster/freedns.shtml

Registering will reserve the name for your use. It is yours until you no longer pay to own it. Otherwise, anyone can use the unique name. Plus someone has to have a name on the numbers or letters. It is not the wild west. Otherwise, there will be 50 jillion entries for one name and you will not know where to point your broswer to.

Think of it like this. If somehost.com was owned by 4 enities. Which one would get the traffic? Plus if there is subjects on the site breaking laws. Someone has to be in charge of the name. To fix it or take the fall. Someone has to own the name. Just like a car tag in a simply put way.

Tip, be careful looking for names. Only research for a name availablity when you are actually going to purchae it. Otherwise you might find out it is taken when you are ready to buy it.

Enablingwolf said:

You can use free nameservers, that wil help you out. If you do not have a static IP. Everytime your hosting IP changes. You will have some downtime.

Here is more information on that.
http://www.thefreecountry.com/webmaster/freedns.shtml

Registering will reserve the name for you. It is yours until you no longer pay to own it. Otherwise, anyone can use the unique name. Plus someone has to have a name on the numbers or letters. It is not the wild west. Otherwise, there will be 50 jillion entries for one name and you will not know where to point your broswer to.

Think of it like this. If somehost.com was owned by 4 enities. Which one would get the traffic? Plus if there is subjects on the site breaking laws. Someone has to be in charge of the name. To fix it or take the fall. Someone has to own the name. Just like a car tag in a simply put way.

Tip, be careful looking for names. Only research for a name availablity when you are actually going to purchae it. Otherwise you might find out it is taken when you are ready to buy it.

Click to expand...

Thank you! That explained a lot. But, who gets the money for all the domains?

The registar and ICAAN. ICAAN is the big dog in domains/IP's. They control all things in that area. Your internet provider even buys the number/snames you use for your internet account. They usually buy blocks of (IP range) numbers. (mine is rr.neo.xxx.xx.xxx.xxx for example.) It works on the same idea as a local networks in some ways. Except the network id is made easier with letters. Which makes it easier to move around different parts of the network(WAN). That is the dns part and resolving nameservers.

http://www.icann.org/

The registar is the thrid party who is like a store to let you buy the name and control it for you. It is yours to move around if you like. The reigstar just holds it in one spot for you. Simply put anyways. The ICAAN site explains it all. If you would like to delve into the politics of that.

This is a very simplified way of getitng you to understand all this.

Enablingwolf said:

The registar and ICAAN. ICAAN is the big dog in domains/IP's. They control all things in that area. Your internet provider even buys the number/snames you use for your internet account. They usually buy blocks of (IP range) numbers. (mine is rr.neo.xxx.xx.xxx.xxx for example.) it works the same idea as a loca lnetworks in soem ways. Except the network id is made easier with letters. Which makes it easier to move around different parts of the network(WAN). That is the dns part and resolving nameservers.

http://www.icann.org/

The registar is the thrid party who is like a store to let you buy the name and control it for you. It is yours to move around if you like. The reigstar just holds it in one spot for you. Simply put anyways. The ICAAN site explains it all. If you would like to delve into the politics of that.

Click to expand...

Thanks for that gracious link! I love dwelling into something deep. Now it makes more sense with having a men in between.

Pick your registar intelligently. Some are aholes and screw you. One just got its ability to do domain transactions(accreditted registar) pulled a few months back. They were a bunch of tools and screwed customers.

Make sure you can unlock your name if you want to move. Some give a big 'ol hassle trying to move the name around. Yes, if not done right, you can have your name swiped out form under you. So a good registar is a good thing. My fisrt registar was actually tucows, and was painless to move the name when I felt that I needed the name on the same place as my host. When it is nearing expiration, I might keep it there, or move it yet again. Depending if I like the price to renew and the policies they have at the time.


Edit:
I you look towards the bottom of the pages here. You can see one of our sister sites. webhostingtalk.com.. Good forum reading for the noob.