Demystifying Hosting and Domains - 2013 WordCamp Phoenix

If you plan on having a self-hosted WordPress site, you will need to have your own domain name and hosting. A good domain name helps a visitor to find your content, while web hosting provides the necessary hardware that your website needs to run on the Internet. Both are necessary and represent some very important decisions that you will need to make when determining to have a website. This session will cover the basics of domain names, registration and configuration, the typical types of hosting that you can select from, the questions you need to ask a potential host when setting up your new site, and finally, how to point your domain name to your hosting provider of choice.

Transcript

1. Demystifying Hosting
   and Domains
   Suzette Franck @mt_Suzette
   WordPress Evangelist Lead
   Media Temple
   January 18, 2013
   WordCamp PHX 2013
   

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2. Who am I
   ‣ Suzette Franck
   WordPress Evangelist Lead at Media Temple
   ‣ Twitter: @mt_Suzette
   ‣ Slides:
   https://speakerdeck.com/
   suzettefranck
   

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3. Domain Name Basics
   

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4. IP Addresses
   An Internet Protocol (IP) Address
   is a unique number assigned to a
   network device so that other
   devices on the Internet can
   communicate with it.
   74.125.224.72
   ✓ Try It! http://whatismyip.com
   

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5. Domain Names
   Domain Names were invented to make it
   easier to get around on the Internet
   74.125.224.72 = google.com
   ✓Try It! Go to http://74.125.224.72
   

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6. (DNS)
   Domain Name System
   Name to IP = Domain Resolution
   

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7. What’s In A Name?
   Top
   Level
   Domain
   .com
   .org .net
   .edu .gov
   mail.google.com
   TLD
   Subdomain SLD
   Second
   Level
   Domain
   

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8. Domain Registrars
   A registrar is an authority that can assign domain
   names directly under one or more top-level domains
   and register them with InterNIC, a service of ICANN,
   which enforces uniqueness of domain names across
   the Internet.
   + Most Hosting Companies
   

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9. Internet Corporation for
   Assigned Names and Numbers
   http://www.icann.org
   

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10. (SOA) - Start of Authority
    Domain Registrar has SOA which has core
    information about your website:
    ★Hosting Information
    ★Contact Information
    ★How long Information is good for (TTL)
    

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11. (TTL) Time To Live
    Tells ISP how long
    to save or “cache”
    DNS information
    before checking for
    new information
    Phonebook = 1 Year
    

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12. (ISP) Internet Service Provider
    An Internet Service
    Provider (ISP) is an
    organization that
    provides access to the
    Internet.
    

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13. Domain Summary
    • Domain Name = IP
    • Domain Registrars = Keeper of Domain
    Names (SOA)
    • ISPs cache DNS Info according to TTL
    

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14. Create Your New Identity
    ?
    WWW. .COM
    ✓Try It! http://www.internic.net/whois.html
    Research is Key!
    

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15. Hosting Basics
    

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16. Hosting Companies
    You put web page files on their servers
    They make it available on Internet
    

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17. Nameservers
    NS1.DOMAINAME.COM (PRIMARY)
    NS2.DOMAINNAME.COM (SECONDARY)
    

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18. Types of Hosting
    Type Expense Access
    Ward 3rd Party 0 0
    Dorm Shared $ +
    Condo Dedicated Virtual/
    Dedicated Private
    $$ ++
    House Dedicated $$$ +++
    

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19. 3rd Party Hosting
    Good For: Beginners, Bloggers
    ➡FREE
    ➡Easy To Use
    ➡Their Rules
    ➡Limited Customization
    

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20. Shared Hosting
    Good For: Small Websites
    ➡Cost Effective
    ➡Host Manages Server
    ➡Performance
    ➡No Root Access
    

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21. Dedicated Virtual / Dedicated
    Private Server (VPS)
    Good For: E-Commerce, Dynamic Sites, Business Sites
    ➡Root Access ➡Your Responsibility
    

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22. Dedicated
    Good For: High Traffic Business Sites
    ➡Yours Alone
    ➡Fast
    ➡Expensive $200/mo
    ➡You Are Responsible
    

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23. v5.2.4+
    v5.0+
    Server Requirements
    

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24. Hosting Considerations
    Storage Space
    Bandwidth/Transfer
    No. of Domains
    No. of Databases
    Email Requirements
    Acceptable Use
    Support Method
    Scalability
    

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25. Putting It All Together
    You tell your Registrar where your
    site is hosted - but HOW?
    

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26. Two Ways To Tell Registrar
    1. Edit Nameservers at Registrar (easiest)
    2. Edit DNS Records at Registrar
    • A Records (website & subdomains)
    • CNAMES (subdomains)
    • MX Records (mail)
    

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27. Nameservers
    Domain Details Screen ... Look for Nameservers
    

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28. Set Nameservers
    

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29. DNS Records
    (A) Host
    Name to IP
    (CNAME) Canonical Name
    Name (subdomain) to a Name
    (MX) Mail Exchanger
    Email to Name or IP
    

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30. Zone File
    

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31. Zone File
    

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32. Zone File
    $TTL 43200
    @! IN! SOA!
    ns.webair.net.! webmaster.180security.com.
    (
    ! ! ! 2012040101! ; Serial
    ! ! ! 10800! ! ; Refresh
    ! ! ! 3600! ! ; Retry
    ! ! ! 604800!
    ! ; Expire
    ! ! ! 43200! )! ; Minimum
    ! IN!NS!ns.webair.net.
    ! IN!NS!ns2.webair.net.
    ! IN!MX!10 filter.180security.com.
    ! IN!A! 209.200.16.162
    ns1!
    IN! A! 216.130.161.1
    ns2!
    IN! A! 216.130.161.6
    www!
    IN! A! 209.200.16.162
    ftp!
    IN! A! 209.200.16.162
    mail! IN! A! 216.130.191.1
    filter!
    IN! A! 216.130.191.236
    

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33. DNS Propagation
    Automated process of updating all the
    DNS Records as they exist everywhere
    on the Internet
    

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34. How To Avoid DNS
    Propagation Delay
    TIP:
    Edit the DNS 3 days
    before actual go-live date,
    set TTL (Time To Live) to
    5 minutes or 300 seconds
    

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35. Summary
    • Hosting Company gives you DNS Info
    • You update DNS at your Domain Registrar
    • DNS Propagation takes time!
    

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36. Suzette Franck
    sfranck@mediatemple.net
    Questions?
    @mt_Suzette
    

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