When you type in a web address, a long series of events happen in mere seconds. All these events bring a web page to you without the fuss of remembering IP addresses.
Let's say your logging onto Misk.com to check on your domains. You'd first go to your address bar and type in http://www.misk.com/. After you press "Enter", it begins the process.
- The computer sends a request for misk.com to your Internet Service Provider. Each ISP has a Domain Name System (or DNS) server. The DNS server collects finds IP addresses for your computer.
- The DNS server contacts the Root Server. The Root Servers directs the DNS server to the Registry Server it should contact.
- The DNS server asks the Registry Server where to go for Misk.com. The registry tells the DNS server what nameservers are responsible for the domain name. Since this request is for Misk.com, the .com registry tells the DNS server to go to one of our nameservers.
- The DNS server contacts the nameserver to find the IP for www.misk.com. The nameservers give the IP address for the host. Since the request is for www.misk.com, our nameserver tells the DNS server the IP address.
- Now that it knows where to go to get to the host directly, the DNS server tells your computer to go to our IP address for www.misk.com.
- Finally your computer's web browser contacts our IP and the Host replies with the requested information, in this case, the Misk.com homepage.