Domain Names

A domain name is the readable label that stands in for a numbered IP address. It is the part of a web address you type into a browser, such as homework.oakfieldhigh.org.uk, and the network uses the IP address behind it to reach the correct computer.

Domain names exist because IP addresses are awkward for people. Think about a pupil opening their school's homework portal. They type homework.oakfieldhigh.org.uk; without the name they would have to key in 198.51.100.42 exactly, every single time. A name is far easier to remember and quicker to type, and far less likely to be mistyped. The number still does the real work of the network, but the name gives people a friendly label to use instead.

A domain name is not the same thing as the IP address itself; it is a label that points at it. The label can stay the same even when the address behind it changes, so homework.oakfieldhigh.org.uk keeps working without anyone learning a new number. The matching between label and address happens automatically, so you only have to remember the name.