12-21-2014, 05:58 PM
I was just in a different topic about some issues with the site here back in June, 2014 and it was related to the domain name's records and server records.
I just exited out of the web hosting arena about 2 months ago and still dabble in it, but more on a personal level. I am writing this to try to explain how web sites work in an easy to understand way so if anything should happen to this site, you can understand or suspect what might be going on.
Every time you type in a web address like roguevalleyforum.com, your computer first checks it's records for a numeric address. This address can be likened to a physical address such as your house number. The numeric address is given to the web server or computer where the website lives. If, the computer does not have a record for this site's number, it sends the request out to the world wide web and a common "DNS" service usually located geographically closest to you. The service then has a master list of all web sites in the world with their numeric address linked to it, and it sends it back to your web browser to load. All of this happens within milliseconds and is invisible unless we know where to look. In this case, let's access roguevalleyforum.com:
User types it into the browser address bar and presses the go button or enter or whatever they use to send the request....
COMPUTER Talks to DNS Cache file "Do you have a numeric address for roguevalleyforum.com?"
DNS Cache file says "No, sorry I don't."
COMPUTER then goes back to next step and consults with the ISP such as Charter or Centurylink to query their DNS records, and asks "Do you have a numeric address for roguevalleyforum.com"
ISP DNS System replies "Yes it is 208.91.138.187, please tell your browser to go this address now."
COMPUTER returns back to your browser and instructs it to load up the site by the numeric address and it communicates with the web server now located at that address. The web server than sees the name roguevalleyforum.com and matches it up with it's records and sends you to this site.
By the way, these numeric addresses are on EVERY device connected to the internet, and it is called an IP address. Your internet connection to your home or office has one right now. Even your iPhone or Android connected to the web. If you want to see yours you can go to Google and type in "IP" (Without the quotes) and it will tell you yours, or if you are not a fan of Google, you can to other sites such as ipchicken.com, whatismyip.com and so forth. That address you are given is tied to your modem connected to the Internet. What this means for you is probably nothing nor will it mean much. If you are in the publishing side of web sites or have anything to do with more than just surfing the web, then you will surely have interest in it.
I know this was a long post, but hopefully it was easy to understand and the next time you have trouble accessing any web site, you might remember that it might have been the DNS server out of sync, or perhaps a failed communication between your computer and the web site and to try again just in case the records were being updated.
I just exited out of the web hosting arena about 2 months ago and still dabble in it, but more on a personal level. I am writing this to try to explain how web sites work in an easy to understand way so if anything should happen to this site, you can understand or suspect what might be going on.
Every time you type in a web address like roguevalleyforum.com, your computer first checks it's records for a numeric address. This address can be likened to a physical address such as your house number. The numeric address is given to the web server or computer where the website lives. If, the computer does not have a record for this site's number, it sends the request out to the world wide web and a common "DNS" service usually located geographically closest to you. The service then has a master list of all web sites in the world with their numeric address linked to it, and it sends it back to your web browser to load. All of this happens within milliseconds and is invisible unless we know where to look.
In this case, let's access roguevalleyforum.com:User types it into the browser address bar and presses the go button or enter or whatever they use to send the request....
COMPUTER Talks to DNS Cache file "Do you have a numeric address for roguevalleyforum.com?"
DNS Cache file says "No, sorry I don't."
COMPUTER then goes back to next step and consults with the ISP such as Charter or Centurylink to query their DNS records, and asks "Do you have a numeric address for roguevalleyforum.com"
ISP DNS System replies "Yes it is 208.91.138.187, please tell your browser to go this address now."
COMPUTER returns back to your browser and instructs it to load up the site by the numeric address and it communicates with the web server now located at that address. The web server than sees the name roguevalleyforum.com and matches it up with it's records and sends you to this site.
By the way, these numeric addresses are on EVERY device connected to the internet, and it is called an IP address. Your internet connection to your home or office has one right now. Even your iPhone or Android connected to the web. If you want to see yours you can go to Google and type in "IP" (Without the quotes) and it will tell you yours, or if you are not a fan of Google, you can to other sites such as ipchicken.com, whatismyip.com and so forth. That address you are given is tied to your modem connected to the Internet. What this means for you is probably nothing nor will it mean much. If you are in the publishing side of web sites or have anything to do with more than just surfing the web, then you will surely have interest in it.
I know this was a long post, but hopefully it was easy to understand and the next time you have trouble accessing any web site, you might remember that it might have been the DNS server out of sync, or perhaps a failed communication between your computer and the web site and to try again just in case the records were being updated.
