to set up a web site, you need to have both domain name and web hosting account.
now you need to link the domain name to the hosting account on a web server, or say it more technically, change/point domain DNS to correct nameservers.
as mentioned in this post, domain name is just ownership by itself, you need to host web pages on a server and link/connect domain name and hosting account together. this is where DNS comes in.
DNS stands for Domain Name Server. the value in DNS is where/how all ISPs look for server location that’s hosting this domain name. in other words, when a visitor hits “http:www.yourdomain.com”, how his ISP (his Internet service provider, such as Singtel, StarHub, tec.) knows where to get the correct web pages? the ISP checks what’s in domain DNS.
the nameservers look like this:
Primary Name Server:
NS3.SINGAPOREWEBHOSTING.COM
Secondary Name Server:
NS4.SINGAPOREWEBHOSTING.COM
each of the nameservers are pointing to a unique IP address, which in turn is connected with certain server, in the case above, our Platinum server. this nameserver-IP-webserver relationship has been in all ISP’s database once we set up the server, so as end user clients do not have to worry about this part.
when ISP sees our nameservers as DNS under yourdomain.com, visitors’s browser will be directed to correct place – our Platinum server, and get the right web pages.
now, where to change this DNS stuff? answer is, with domain registrar. note, not with the hosting provider.
when you buy the domain name, the registrar (the one whom you buy domain name from) should give you a control panel to manage the domain. login to that control panel, you may see many options typically, such as “change registrant contact”, “change technical contact”, etc. look for “manage DNS”, or “change DNS”, or “change nameservers”, or something similar, then enter our nameservers there. don’t forget to “save changes” if there’s such button.
different registrars have totally different domain management interface, so nothing more i can describe the control panel.
if the registrar does not provide domain control panel (very rare though), ask them how to change DNS. not us, we have no further idea.
if you buy domain name from us, things are easier, we would have set it up for you already.
(our hosting plan does not include domain registration by default.)