This answer will explain what a domain name is, some of its basic functions, and the advantages to having your own domain name.

A domain name is a human-friendly address, sometimes called a URL (Uniform Resource Locator). The internet works on IP (Internet Protocol) addresses. These are numbers, much like a telephone number. However, most people find it much easier to remember names rather than strings of numbers. For instance, your domain name (http://www.example.com) rather than your IP address (123.123.123.123).

Your domain name is unique to you. When someone types it into an Internet browser (e.g. Internet Explorer or Mozilla FireFox) they'll be taken directly to your space on the Internet where they can view your site or files.

Domain names also have other uses. For instance, when choosing an email address, rather than having joe.bloggs.384574@myisp.com you could have joe@mydomain.com. This is far more memorable, and also means that if you decide to change your ISP you won't have to send out emails telling people your address has changed.

This answer will explain what a subdomain is and what you can use them for.

A subdomain is a subdivision of a domain, such as "support.example.com" is a subdomain of "example.com".

For example:If you buy a domain, e.g. example.com, you can set up subdomains, e.g. site1.example.com or secure.example.com. This is an excellent way of breaking up the website if you have different regions, products or even languages.

This answer will explain what a nameserver is, what it does, and what the default nameservers are for Midwales dot com

A nameserver is a server which controls the DNS for a domain.

The Midwales dot com nameservers are:

* ns1.arwystli.net
* ns2.arwystli.net

This answer will explain what an MX record is and what it does.

MX records or 'mail exchange' records
MX records specify which mail servers are responsible for a particular domain. This entry is not mandatory, and – as with the A record – several entries may be made. One special feature is $priority numbers, which provide information to the querying mail server about which mail server should be used first. The next entry is tried only when the mail server with the highest priority is not available. The priority of $priority numbers rises in opposition to the value of the number, meaning that lower numbers have a higher priority.

Another special feature is that only domains may be entered for mail servers. An entry referencing an IP results in an error.

This answer will explain what FTP is.

FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol and it is used for uploading files to the server from your computer and vice-versa.
To use it you will require a FTP client on your computer. You will need a login, a password and the name of the server. See the help that comes with your FTP software for details.

This answer will explain what HTML is.

HTML is an acronym for HyperText Markup Language. It is used to define layout and styling information in web pages.
See htmlhelp.com for more information on how to use HTML.

This answer will explain what CSS is.

CSS stands for Cascading Style Sheet. Stylesheets can be used to centrally control the layout and looks of any number of web pages on a website.

See htmlhelp.com for more information on how to use stylesheets.

This answer will explain what Javascript is.

Javascript is a computer programming language that can be included in a webpage.

See w3schools for a good basic tutorial on how to use javascript.

This answer will explain what a Content Management System or CMS is and does.

A CMS is a software application running on your webserver that will enable you to generate content quickly and easily without requiring too much knowledge about how web pages are constructed. This site for instance is built using a CMS called Drupal.