What is the difference between domain name access and IP access?

In the Internet world, domain name access and IP access are two different ways to access websites and Internet services. Although they can both achieve the same goal, that is, access specific network resources, there are some differences between them in practical applications. This article will explore the differences between domain name access and IP access and their advantages and disadvantages.

First, let's understand domain name access. A domain name is a name that identifies and locates a website on the Internet, such as www.example.com. By using a domain name, users can access a website in an intuitive and easy-to-remember way. When a user enters a domain name in a browser, the browser sends a request to the Domain Name System (DNS), and the DNS resolves the domain name to the IP address associated with it. The browser then uses the IP address to establish a connection with the server and obtain the required web page content.

Compared with domain name access, IP access directly uses the IP address to access network resources. An IP address is a digital identifier that uniquely identifies devices and hosts on the Internet. IP access does not rely on domain name resolution, but directly uses the IP address of the target resource. A user can enter an IP address in a browser, and the browser will directly connect to the server corresponding to the IP address and obtain the web page content.

So, what is the difference between domain name access and IP access?

1. Readability and memorability: Domain name access has better readability and memorability. Since domain names are usually composed of human-recognizable words or phrases, it is easier for users to remember and enter domain names to access websites. In contrast, IP addresses are a string of numbers, which is not intuitive and easy to remember.

2. Flexibility and volatility: Domain names have high flexibility and their corresponding IP addresses can be changed at any time. This is very useful for website owners because they can migrate websites to different servers or hosts without changing the domain name. IP access is relatively fixed. When the IP address of the target resource changes, users need to manually enter the new IP address to access it.

3. Domain name resolution delay: Since the domain name requires DNS resolution, domain name access may have a certain delay. After the user enters the domain name, the browser needs to wait for the DNS server to return the corresponding IP address before establishing a connection. In contrast, IP access does not require additional domain name resolution and can establish a connection faster.

4. Security and anti-blocking: Some websites or services may be blocked or restricted, and domain name access provides a way to bypass the block. Users can use a proxy server or a virtual private network (VPN) to access blocked domain names, because blocking is usually based on domain names rather than IP addresses. However, IP access cannot bypass such blocking, because blocking is based on IP addresses.

In summary, there are some differences between domain name access and IP access in terms of readability, flexibility, latency, and security. Domain name access has better readability and memorability, and is more flexible in managing and migrating websites, but may be affected by domain name resolution delays and blocking. IP access directly uses IP addresses and is not affected by domain name resolution delays and blocking, but is not intuitive and easy to remember. In actual use, it is very important to choose the appropriate access method according to specific needs and situations.