If I set up a DNS server at let's say my house, like with a Windows server. Would I be able to get a .com domain that will work with my games like Minecraft or TF2? Or do I still have to pay for a registrar? I have been wondering this question for a long time.
2 Answers
No. Just because you can install a DNS server on your computer doesn't mean you will be able to get authority over an Internet domain name. Internet domains have to be "rented" in 1 to 10 year contracts - even Google and Facebook must renew theirs. As long as you keep renewing before it expires you can use it indefinitely.
If you decide to get a domain name, make sure to use a registrar that also provides free DNS service. You don't want to be running a DNS server on the same computer that is running the game server, you want your DNS service to have some form of redundancy and fault tolerance, i.e. at least 2 machines with 2 different Internet connections, geographically dispersed preferably.
For games that have an in-game server browser(i.e. TF2) there really isn't a reason to link a public domain name to it since they will allow you to set the hostname in the game's server configuration.
You could set up a DNS server at home that would have an authoritative record for your domain name. You would still have to pay a registrar for a domain name. A registrar must be accredited by the top level domain registry. In the current system new registrars must pay 4,000USD plus a variable fee totaling 3,800,000USD.
