This is a really basic question, but I don't get it... What is a subdomain used for? <br />
<br />
An example I read about is <!-- w --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.webopedia.internet.com">www.webopedia.internet.com</a><!-- w -->, where webopedia is a subdomain of internet.com.<br />
<br />
This makes no sense to me. When would this be of use?<br />
<br />
I'm asking because my hosting Co. offers it in my plan, yet, I don't have a clue if it is of any real value to me. Examples in your explanations would really help.<br />
<br />
<br />
Thanks!<br />
Ken<!--content-->I'm not a huge web designer, im just getting back into it all, I'm sure there is someone who can explain this better than me, but in my opinion, a company offers you a subdomain because a real domain costs money ( and the fact that they really like to piss people off, lol in my opinion) and is shorter + you get to pick it. if the company's main highlight is "free subdomain" they are probably one craptastic host. personally, for me, it doesnt matter. The thing that really sucks about it is that its so long. if you want a short address, check out <!-- w --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.shorturl.com">www.shorturl.com</a><!-- w --> . they are great.
<br />
<br />
heres the "real" web definition & example:<br />
<br />
Web Definition: Subdomain - a subsection of a domain. Domains to not have their own IP address; instead, all traffic going to a subdomain first looks for the domain's IP address, then checks to see which subfolder's main page should be displayed. For example, if you had a site <!-- w --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.yourdomain.com">www.yourdomain.com</a><!-- w --> and a subdomain pictures.yourdomain.com, the content could also be reached by typing in the longer URL <!-- w --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.yourdomain.com/pictures/">www.yourdomain.com/pictures/</a><!-- w -->. />
<br />
really, i think there kinda useless. i think the main reason they have them is because they probably wouldn't have enough domains. so they make subdomains an make you pay for the domains. it's ez to explain but im not very good at it.<br />
<br />
later<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<!--content-->Read this page. <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.web-hosting-101.info/subdomain.htm">http://www.web-hosting-101.info/subdomain.htm</a><!-- m --><br />
<br />
Subdomains: No Registration Fee!<br />
One key point to keep in mind is that, unlike domains, subdomains can be created "at will". For any domain, you can create as many subdomains as you like; you do not have to go to a registrar and pay an annual fee for each of them.<br />
<br />
TIP: Web hosts can create a subdomain for you within minutes. If they charge you for it, it should only be for the time spent and the additional resources used (disk space etc.), not for "registration" of the name itself!<!--content-->I bought a domain and have now bought a basic hosting package for it. With that hosting package, I get free subdomains. I understand that I can create as many as I want, but I'm unable to determine a real-world use for them.<br />
<br />
The BIG question is:<br />
When and why would I ever setup a subdomain?<br />
<br />
Thanks for your help guys.<br />
<br />
Ken<!--content-->Hi!<br />
<br />
Assumption: you are running a company. The name is somecompany. You registered a domain somecompany.com - now you want different sites for different branches:<br />
sellingstuff.somecompany.com<br />
buyingstuff.somecompany.com<br />
hiringstuff.somecompany.com<br />
support.somecompany.com...<br />
<br />
Assumption2: you made a website for your family - myfamily.us - subdomains:<br />
grandpa.myfamily.us<br />
dad.myfamily.us<br />
mom.myfamily.us<br />
littlebrother.myfamily.us....<br />
<br />
Of course you could put all that stuff in subfolders or just individual pages accessible through a menu.<br />
<br />
I just made a subdomain once, and found that useful:<br />
website: mydomain.tld for computers - wap.mydomain.tld for phone surfers...<br />
<br />
Cheers - Pit<!--content-->That makes sense. So if I have a bunch of divisions in my company, I could break them up by creating a subdomain for each... <br />
<br />
I don't think I'll use it, but at least I know what it is now..<!--content-->Another aspect of what is being called "subdomains" here is that generally (but by no means always) each of those "subdomains" is actually the name of a separate computer. So if your company has three computers exposed to the Internet and you call them larry, curly and moe they would be larry.mydomain.com, curly.mydomain.com and moe.mydomain.com. What this all REALLY comes down to is "What IP address is going to be returned when a program asks a Domain Name Server to look up a particular name?"<!--content-->
<br />
An example I read about is <!-- w --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.webopedia.internet.com">www.webopedia.internet.com</a><!-- w -->, where webopedia is a subdomain of internet.com.<br />
<br />
This makes no sense to me. When would this be of use?<br />
<br />
I'm asking because my hosting Co. offers it in my plan, yet, I don't have a clue if it is of any real value to me. Examples in your explanations would really help.<br />
<br />
<br />
Thanks!<br />
Ken<!--content-->I'm not a huge web designer, im just getting back into it all, I'm sure there is someone who can explain this better than me, but in my opinion, a company offers you a subdomain because a real domain costs money ( and the fact that they really like to piss people off, lol in my opinion) and is shorter + you get to pick it. if the company's main highlight is "free subdomain" they are probably one craptastic host. personally, for me, it doesnt matter. The thing that really sucks about it is that its so long. if you want a short address, check out <!-- w --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.shorturl.com">www.shorturl.com</a><!-- w --> . they are great.
<br /><br />
heres the "real" web definition & example:<br />
<br />
Web Definition: Subdomain - a subsection of a domain. Domains to not have their own IP address; instead, all traffic going to a subdomain first looks for the domain's IP address, then checks to see which subfolder's main page should be displayed. For example, if you had a site <!-- w --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.yourdomain.com">www.yourdomain.com</a><!-- w --> and a subdomain pictures.yourdomain.com, the content could also be reached by typing in the longer URL <!-- w --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.yourdomain.com/pictures/">www.yourdomain.com/pictures/</a><!-- w -->. />
<br />
really, i think there kinda useless. i think the main reason they have them is because they probably wouldn't have enough domains. so they make subdomains an make you pay for the domains. it's ez to explain but im not very good at it.<br />
<br />
later<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<!--content-->Read this page. <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.web-hosting-101.info/subdomain.htm">http://www.web-hosting-101.info/subdomain.htm</a><!-- m --><br /><br />
Subdomains: No Registration Fee!<br />
One key point to keep in mind is that, unlike domains, subdomains can be created "at will". For any domain, you can create as many subdomains as you like; you do not have to go to a registrar and pay an annual fee for each of them.<br />
<br />
TIP: Web hosts can create a subdomain for you within minutes. If they charge you for it, it should only be for the time spent and the additional resources used (disk space etc.), not for "registration" of the name itself!<!--content-->I bought a domain and have now bought a basic hosting package for it. With that hosting package, I get free subdomains. I understand that I can create as many as I want, but I'm unable to determine a real-world use for them.<br />
<br />
The BIG question is:<br />
When and why would I ever setup a subdomain?<br />
<br />
Thanks for your help guys.<br />
<br />
Ken<!--content-->Hi!<br />
<br />
Assumption: you are running a company. The name is somecompany. You registered a domain somecompany.com - now you want different sites for different branches:<br />
sellingstuff.somecompany.com<br />
buyingstuff.somecompany.com<br />
hiringstuff.somecompany.com<br />
support.somecompany.com...<br />
<br />
Assumption2: you made a website for your family - myfamily.us - subdomains:<br />
grandpa.myfamily.us<br />
dad.myfamily.us<br />
mom.myfamily.us<br />
littlebrother.myfamily.us....<br />
<br />
Of course you could put all that stuff in subfolders or just individual pages accessible through a menu.<br />
<br />
I just made a subdomain once, and found that useful:<br />
website: mydomain.tld for computers - wap.mydomain.tld for phone surfers...<br />
<br />
Cheers - Pit<!--content-->That makes sense. So if I have a bunch of divisions in my company, I could break them up by creating a subdomain for each... <br />
<br />
I don't think I'll use it, but at least I know what it is now..
<!--content-->Another aspect of what is being called "subdomains" here is that generally (but by no means always) each of those "subdomains" is actually the name of a separate computer. So if your company has three computers exposed to the Internet and you call them larry, curly and moe they would be larry.mydomain.com, curly.mydomain.com and moe.mydomain.com. What this all REALLY comes down to is "What IP address is going to be returned when a program asks a Domain Name Server to look up a particular name?"<!--content-->