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The Domain Name System (DNS) helps users to find their way around the Internet. Every computer on the Internet has a unique address - just like a telephone number - which is a rather complicated string of numbers. This is called its "IP (Internet Protocol) address".
But it's hard to remember everyone's IP address. The DNS makes it easier by allowing a familiar string of letters, called the domain name, to be used instead of the arcane IP address. Instead of typing 192.0.34.65, you can type www.icann.org. It is a "mnemonic" device that makes addresses easier to remember.
Domain Name Information and Tools
Following is a list of links that provide information and/or tools to help you identify and manage domain names.
DNSstuff
Free fast, advanced and comprehensive web-based DNS and domain name tools for DNS hosting, going beyond just ping, tracert/traceroute, WHOIS and DNS lookups.
Domain Tools
Whois lookup and domain name search, P address searching, view all domain names hosted on an IP address, view historical whois records, monitor daily name server activty, and much more.
Generic Top-Level Domains (gTLDs)
The Internet's domain-name system (DNS) allows users to refer to web sites and other resources using easier-to-remember domain names rather than the all-numeric IP addresses. Each domain name is made up of a series of character strings (called "labels") separated by dots. The right-most label in a domain name is referred to as its "top-level domain" (TLD). This page is a list of and information about generic top-level domains.
Internet Corporation For Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)
An internationally organized, non-profit corporation that has responsibility for Internet Protocol (IP) address space allocation, protocol identifier assignment, generic (gTLD) and country code (ccTLD) Top-Level Domain name system management, and root server system management functions. These services were originally performed under U.S. Government contract by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) and other entities. ICANN now performs the IANA function.