Every computer and website on the internet is allocated an IP address which is a series of numbers (a bit like a telephone number) which identifies that particular computer or web site. (Your own computer's IP address is 38.103.63.17 ). A domain name helps you access different web sites by linking a name (e.g. perfectblue.co.uk) with an IP address. This means that when you type perfectblue.co.uk into your browser, the browser can then tell that it should connect to the computer at the address 212.67.202.149