Domain name registry vs. domain name registrar - find the differences and function of each in the article domain registrar vs. registry. Both have valuable functions in the domain name registration process for cheap domain names.

When you are involved with setting up a Web site, you will be asked to register a domain name. Your domain name will then be listed in a registry by the registrar. The difference between registries and registrars can be difficult to detect, but it does matter. The purpose of each is different, and there are different roles played by registries and registrars.

Domain name registries

After you have registered your domain name, it will be stored in a registry. Registries are places where information about your web site - and you - are stored for easy retrieval. Registries include the information necessary for the computers surf the Internet and servers that form the framework for the Internet, to find your Web address. The information stored in domain name registries can also help people contact you about problems and technical issues, as well as identify you to the government and others in the case of a suspected crime or a copyright violation.

How domain name registries work

Domain name registries store the information about your domain name and its location so that it is accessible from anywhere in the world. Your domain name is associated with a specific number. That number contains the location - where your Web site is stored on what server it is stored on - of your Web page. The registry allows computers that want to look at your Web site to easily find the location of the site and then "go there" using the Internet. Domain name registries are vital if you want to look at a Web site or send an email.

Domain name registrars

The company that takes your registration number and pairs up your domain name with a local address number is known as a registrar. Registrars charge a fee for helping you associate a domain name with an address location on Internet servers.

In order to issue Web domain names with the common endings, registrars have to be accredited by ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers). In other words, if you want your domain name to legitimately connect to a Web address, you need to make sure that your registrar has the proper authority to issue you a domain name.

Some registrars, however, have resellers as well. These are companies and people authorized to create domain name registrations on behalf of the registrars. However, even if you go through a reseller, it is the accredited registrar that has your information and takes care of technical issues. It is important to make sure that your registrar or authorized domain name reseller is legitimate.

If the domain name you want is already taken, your registrar will usually help you find a new one. In fact, many domain name registrars offer Web sites that allow you type in a domain name that you like and then almost immediately tell you whether it is available. This makes it easier to see what is available before you start the domain name registration process.

You can see that registries and registrars each have their own purpose. And once you understand that, you can be maximize the use of your domain name registration.

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