Why Do I Need a Domain Name?
The concept of "domain name" has been critical to the success of the Internet, although it is not intrinsically necessary for the Internet to function. A domain name provides a relatively easy name for humans to remember when they want to refer to a particular resource on the World Wide Web, or as part of an email address. Domain names are mapped though the Domain Name System (DNS) to IP (Internet Protocol) addresses of machines that host Internet resources.
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IP Addresses
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Most networks are now based on Internet protocols, in particular Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4). In a private network, a router registers computers on the network and assigns them an IP address, which currently consists of four sets of up to three digits joined by a period (dot). (A new Internet Protocol, version 6, providing a much enlarged address space, has been defined as a standard by the Internet Engineering Task Force, because available IP addresses are nearing exhaustion due to the number of computers attached to the internet. This new standard, though adopted in 1998, is not in widespread use yet.)
Domain Names
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A number of IP addresses have been reserved for private networks, so a computer in one private network can have the same IP address as another computer in a different private network. Computers in a private network might not be identified by a domain name, or the computer name might not be "fully qualified" and might be something like "Phil-PC," or "Lab-PC-1." A fully qualified domain name consists of a recognized generic Top Level Domain (.com, .org, .edu, .net, .gov, .biz), preceded by the identifying name or root name. Preceding the root name might be a sub-domain, or a service indicator (www or ftp).
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ICANN
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The domain name system is administered by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), which is responsible for overseeing the issuance of IP addresses, the registration of domain names and making sure the two are unique and properly linked. ICANN is a public benefit nonprofit entity operating under a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. Department of Commerce to transition the management of the domain name system from the U.S. government to the international community.
DNS Request-Response
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When a request for a web page is made through a browser or an email message is sent, the address, or URL (uniform resource locator), is matched in the DNS system and mapped to an IP address. The IP address identifies the specific computer on which the resource resides. The request gets forwarded to the computer identified by in the DNS as hosting the resource. The request is then answered, with the reply address again matched in the DNS to the IP address of the requestor. The request/reply sequence can be conducted using IP addresses without reference to domain names.
Benefit of Domain Names
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While the Internet can function without domain names, there are two distinct advantages provided by these names. They are easier for humans to remember---and they provide a level of independence from a specific computer, allowing the resources identified with specific domains to be moved from one computer to another without the end-user having to keep track of specific IP addresses of the underlying hardware.
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References
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