Introduction
This post is a very simple overview and meant to help non-technical audiences.
Components of a website
Domain registrar
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- This is likely to be where you initially purchased your domain from. e.g. GoDaddy, Name Cheap, 1&1
- This is where you set your DNS Name Server
- There is no need to change the provider, but you will need to update DNS Name server records.
DNS Name Server
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- Usually this will be managed by the domain registrar by default or by the web hosting company.
- For our customers
- DNS Name server is where you add DNS details for your web host and email host.
Email host
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- This is where your email inbox will live.
Web host
- This where your website code will live.
What is DNS (Domain Name System)
Your website code lives on a webserver.
In the simplest terms DNS is used to find out which web server a visitor to a particular domain should be directed to.
Your domain registrar (where you purchased your domain from) is where you update the Name Servers.
Name Servers are a mini-directory which directs internet traffic to a particular server.
e.g. if a visitor is visiting your domain using a browser, then the DNS will direct the visitor to our web server. If they are sending you an email, then the DNS will point the email to your email hosting server.
When do we update DNS?
If we are rebuilding your website we’d build it on a test domain and then ask you to update DNS when you are happy with the test-website. If it’s a new website, then we’d update the DNS at the begining of the project.
