DNS basics questions

Discussion in 'Internet, Connectivity and Communications' started by adrian, Mar 10, 2009.

  1. adrian

    adrian Nibble Poster

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    lo, I am currently studying networking and having learned about domains and all that I have a few questions that may or may not make sence to someone who knows :P

    As I understand it there are a bunch of DNS servers all over the place own by various companies. If I wish to have a domain name i must pay a resistrar company (who presumably own or have access to a DNS server) what is essentially a rental fee on the name that i choose (assuming the name isnt already taken).
    In a web address such www.example.me.com - the "www" is the hostname which is the DNS server, "me" is the domain that i rent from the resitrar and "example" would be a subdomain.

    My first question:
    Is all that correct :P? im least sure about teh hostname bit because if it is true then who owns "www" there cant be some all powerful DNS server that hold all the www addresses that exist can there?
    Also if www is just a generic prefix for all domains then which bit of the address specifies the host server?


    Next question:
    Say I set up my own DNS server and i start filling it up with domain to ip maps....what regulates it? I mean to say, what stops me adding a domain name that already exists on another DNS server?

    Last question: (not sure how to phrase it)
    How does my or any computer know to look at a DNS server to find the address it needs? infact, how does a computer even know where to find the DNS servers in the first place?

    cheers in advance for any answers
     
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  2. greenbrucelee
    Highly Decorated Member Award

    greenbrucelee Zettabyte Poster

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    DNS is a naming system for computers, or any resource participating in the Internet. It associates various information with domain names assigned to such things. it translates domain names into binary identifiers associated with networking equipment for the purpose of locating and addressing these devices world-wide. Think of it as the phone book for the Internet by turning domain names or hostnames into IP addresses. www.example.com translates to 169.77.188.166. (random number btw) so every computer will know www.example.com when it is typed into the browser and the results will tell the computer that it is looking for 169.77.188.166

    every computer has its own address but uses DNS to get onto groups of computers such as the Internet.
     
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  3. hippy

    hippy Kilobyte Poster

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    The www.example.me.com.

    . - root level
    com.
    me.com.
    example.me.com.

    example would be a subdomain of me which is a subdomain of com (if you could own it)

    www.example.me.com - the www but is just a CNAME record in the example.me.com zone to make for easy reading.

    DNS Domains and AD Domains are two different things.

    Nothing regulates your own DNS server. What stops you is permissions of zones and populating other poeples DNS.

    The first set of servers you contact are Root Hint Servers, which contacts the DNS servers holding the com zone, etc... etc... If the first DNS server you contact already knows the address it will just give you a non-authoritive answer as it is not authoritive for the zone e.g. does not own it.

    ^ all the above answers are short hand answers you really need to read DNS articles etc...

    my brain just used the last bit of its power.... ill read this tomorrow and probably think its all wrong hmph...
     

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