Website Domain Name

Anytime you surf the web or send an email you are using a Domain Name Server (DNS). A DNS is necessary because the plain-English names that we're accustomed to using (yahoo.com, for instance) don't mean anything to computers. When you type in the text name, a DNS translates this into something the computer can understand, and IP (or Internet Protocol) address. Worldwide DNS servers perform billions of these transactions every day.

In many ways, your website domain name is like its phone number. Even though the domain name points to an IP address, each domain name must be unique. If the name of your website is www.mywebpage.com, there can't be another site with the same name anywhere in the world. Because of this, there is a huge, continually-updated database with all the domain names and their corresponding IP addresses.

When you're choosing the domain name for your website, all you really need to worry about is finding a unique name for it. To do that, you can use MSN.net Hosting's online domain name search. This search engine will tell you immediately if that name is already in use. If it is, we'll suggest a different extension (.net instead of .com, for instance). Once you've settled on a name, it's time to purchase it.

When you buy your domain name with MSN.net Hosting, you have sole rights to that name for one year (you'll have an opportunity to renew your purchase, so you don't have to worry about the name lapsing). When you do purchase your domain name through MSN.net Hosting, we'll also give you a website and unlimited email addresses. You'll also have the option to purchase a hosting plan, which will afford you with even more options.