IDX Knowledgebase

When it comes to your business being on the Internet, there are 5 major components:

1)  Domain Name Registration

This is your identity on the Internet and what everything else will be based on.  Just like a physical store needs establishes a street address, this is your 'location' on the Internet.

For this you use a Registrar, which is an entity that allows you to register domain names.  You can use companies like GoSite, GoDaddy, Register.com, or Network Solutions to do this.

2)  Domain Name Services (DNS)

You can think of DNS as the 'phone book' of the Internet.  Every website on the Internet is actually located via a numeric Internet Protocol (IP) address.  Since it's hard for humans to remember all of the numbers, DNS helps to associate the domain names that are registered in Step 1 with the actual location of where those services exist on the Internet.

DNS is usually controlled in one of two ways:  1) Many Registrars now also provide DNS controls that can be administered via their control panel websites or 2) The company that will be providing most of your Internet services may need to use their name servers.

For example, if someone wants to visit your website, the first thing that occurs is that your computer asks the next computer up the line "Where can I find JoesWebsite.com?"  That computer checks DNS and replies "You can find JoesWebsite.com at 75.127.84.132" and your computer will then ask the web server at 75.127.84.132 to show you JoesWebsite.com.  This process is invisible most of the time.

3)  Website

The website is the collection of HTML, graphics and other supporting files that make up the set of pages you see in a browser.  Once you've registered your domain name and then established where it will be found via DNS, you have to setup something to be shown when a visitor wants to see your website.

You may have one or more primary websites and just have our IDX services plugged in, or our system can act as a complete website also.

4)  Email