Pseudo top-level domain

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A number of pseudo top-level domains to be used in naming computers have been defined at various times. These "pseudo-TLDs" include .bitnet, .csnet, .local, .onion and .uucp. Although these pseudo-TLDs look like top-level domains, and serve the same syntactic function in creating names for network endpoints, they have no meaning in the global Domain Name System and are (or were) used only for specialist purposes; typically for addressing machines that were not reachable via the Internet Protocol for use in services such as E-mail and Usenet via UUCP.

Although they have no official status, they are generally regarded as having been unofficially "grandfathered", and are unlikely ever to be allocated as top-level domains.

.arpa is unique in having been a pseudo-top-level domain, formerly used by ARPA, that has now become a real top-level domain that is defined in the Internet DNS root for use as an infrastructure top-level domain.

 v  d  e Generic top-level domains
Unsponsored  .biz  .com  .edu  .gov  .info  .int  .mil  .name  .net  .org
Sponsored  .aero  .cat  .coop  .jobs  .mobi  .museum  .pro  .travel
Infrastructure  .arpa  .root
Startup phase  .asia  .tel
Proposed  .berlin  .bzh  .cym  .gal  .geo  .kid  .kids  .mail  .nyc  .post  .sco  .web  .xxx
Deleted/retired  .nato
Reserved  .example  .invalid  .localhost  .test
Pseudo-domains  .bitnet  .csnet  .local  .onion  .uucp
Unofficial  see Alternative DNS roots

See also: Country code top-level domains