Understanding Domain Names and Their Importance

The digital landscape today offers numerous hosting platforms, including Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform, and Amazon Web Services. Typically, when you create a virtual machine on these platforms, you receive a public IP address (e.g., 35.67.43.XX) for your website. However, relying solely on an IP address is not practical; it’s cumbersome to recall. This is where domain names come into play, as they provide a more memorable and visually appealing way to access websites.

Domain names are resolved to IP addresses through dedicated servers known as Domain Name System (DNS) Servers. When you type a domain name into your browser’s address bar, it queries a DNS server to retrieve the corresponding IP address, allowing it to load the desired web page.

Setting Up a Cloud Host

Before we proceed, ensure you have a virtual machine instance set up in the cloud with a website deployed. You should also be aware of its public IP address and be able to access your website using this IP.

Acquiring a Free Domain via Freenom

If you don’t already have a domain, we’ll guide you on how to obtain one for free using Freenom. Follow these steps:

Step 1: Search for Your Domain

Enter the desired domain name. For instance, if you’re looking for a domain for your organization, simply input its name and check for availability. Freenom will display a list of free domains you can claim for the first year.

Step 2: Choose Your Domain

After selecting a domain you like, click "Get It Now" and proceed to checkout. Make sure to select the 12-month free option. Avoid clicking "Continue" just yet, as we still need to link the domain to our server.

Linking Your Domain to the Server

Now that you've added your domain to your cart from Freenom, we can proceed to link it to your server. While we will demonstrate this with Freenom, the process is similar across other domain providers.

The essence of linking a domain to an IP address involves creating a record on a DNS server that associates your domain name with your server's IP address. DNS servers around the world communicate constantly, ensuring that any record you create will eventually propagate to other DNS servers, though it may take some time.

Step 1: Locate the DNS Option

If you obtained your domain from Freenom, you should see a screen similar to the one below:

Look for the option labeled "Use DNS." We won’t focus on domain forwarding in this tutorial. If you used a different domain provider, seek an option like "Configure Domain" or "Create a Record." Click on "Use DNS." You'll have two choices—use Freenom’s DNS or your own. Since you likely don’t have a personal DNS server, select Freenom’s option.

Step 2: Input Hostname and Server IP Address

Next, create a DNS Record for your domain and server IP address. You can customize subdomains, which are the prefixes of your domain (e.g., www or api). You can assign the same IP address to multiple subdomains or different IPs as needed. Various types of DNS records exist; to map an IPv4 address, you'll need to create A records. For IPv6 addresses, AAAA records are necessary.

If using complex domain names from services like Google App Engine, you'll need to create a CNAME record instead, providing that complex domain rather than an IP address.

Step 3: Finalize the Process

After entering your DNS records, click "Continue." If you're using Freenom, you’ll be prompted to create an account for managing your domain, which is essential for future modifications or deletions. Similarly, if you used another domain provider, be sure to register an account with them.

Note that it may take up to 72 hours for DNS records to propagate globally, although it usually takes less than an hour.

Congratulations!

You have successfully learned how to link your domain to your server. If you're developing an open-source web application, this guide will assist you in acquiring a free domain.

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