Computers communicate on the Internet through Internet Protocol or IP. Every Device on the internet has an IP address. They are 4 sets of numbers separated by a ‘.’ And look like this 205.152.138.50. It would be difficult to remember those numbers just to go to www.archdiocese-no.org. Luckily there are Domain Naming Servers (DNS). DNS matches all the friendly www. names to IP addresses. This is very convenient; it is easier to memorize ten names then ten IP addresses.
You may have registered a domain name or would like to register a domain. There are a few things you should know before registering a domain name. First, is the company your registering with reliable? You will need to submit credit card information, so the safer the better. We suggest registering with www.networksolutions.com, they may not be the cheapest, but they are dependable. Second, you need to know where your DNS servers are located. Usually your Internet Service Provider (ISP) will provide DNS resource records, so you can point your Name Server Information, (when registering) towards your ISP’s DNS (If the Archdiocese of New Orleans is going to host your web site, please point them towards NS1.CL.BELLSOUTH.NET and NS2.CL.BELLSOUTH.NET). Then have your ISP point its Resource Records for your Domain Name towards the IP address of the web server, where your web page will reside. This is where the Domain Name www.archdiocese-no.org gets matched to the IP address of 205.152.138.50. Once the name is registered it takes about 24 to 48 hours for the domain name to be usable. The way to determine this is by pinging your domain name using the c prompt. If your response to the ping is the correct IP address, than your domain is active.
If Internet Services is going to host your web site please contact us and will assist you in the process of registering your domain name and creating the Resource Records.