How to Register a Domain Name With an IP Address

By Lisa Tilton

Domain names are used to find specific websites.
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Domain names allow individuals or companies to post their own websites, have personalized email addresses based on the domain names, and do business on the Internet. Examples of domain names are eHow.com and livestrong.com. When you put up a website, the web-hosting company provides an Internet Protocol address, which is a set of numbers that pinpoint your site on the Internet. It is possible, however, to supply your own IP address, called a static IP. This can provide flexibility for gamers, allow web hosting from your computer or make connecting to a virtual network simpler.

Contact your Internet service provider and request a static IP address. Static IP addresses may cost extra, but some providers do include it in their service. Consult your provider to configure your computer with the new static IP address.

Shop for a domain name registrar. Compare pricing among companies to save money. Two places to find registrars are the websites for the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, and InterNIC (see the Resource section).

Register your domain name online with the company you chose. Specify the static IP address on the web form that should be associated with the domain name. Call the customer service department if the form doesn't have space for the IP address.

If you have a previously registered domain name, contact the company used to register it and request your static IP address be assigned to your domain.

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