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Select a question, or scroll down to learn more about
Domain Names:
What is a domain name?
A domain name is an address given to an organization or other entity on
the Internet. For example, the domain name "www.yahoo.com"
locates an Internet address for "yahoo.com" linked to
numerical addresses (IP addresses) 204.71.200.245 and 204.71.200.243,
physical points on the Internet, and a particular host server named
"www." Domain Name Servers (DNS) are used throughout the
Internet to translate domain names into their respective IP address.
The .com part of the domain shows the type of organization or entity (in
the above example, "commercial") and is called the top-level
domain name. The "yahoo" part of the domain name defines the
organization or entity and together with the top-level is called the
second-level domain name. The third-level of a domain typically
identifies the host server at an Internet address. In the above example,
"www" is the name of the server that manages World Wide Web
requests. However, a third-level of a domain is not required, because in
"yahoo.com" the host server is assumed to be "www."
A domain with the first, second, and third-levels together is called a
fully-qualified domain name. You may have also seen subdomains on the
Internet, which replace the "www" with another name, like
"shopping.yahoo.com."
Second-level domains are unique on the Internet and are registered with
an ICANN-accredited registrar for the .com, .net, .org,
.edu, .mil, and .gov top-level domains. In some cases, a top-level domain can be named
after a geographic location. At this time, many non-U.S. domain names
use a top-level domain name based on the country the Domain Registrar is
in. See a complete list of country
codes.
If you already have a domain name, there
is no additional cost to use that domain
name with us. If you need a domain name you
can purchase one through any Domain Name
Registrant or we can handle the entire
registration and domain name management
process for you.
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Are there more options than just the .com domain
extension?
Yes, there many extensions, or top-level domains available for you to
choose from for your domain name. The main U.S. top-level domains are
.com, .net, .org, .edu, .mil, and .gov. The first three are open to the
public, whereas the last three you must prove the domain is for an
educational, military, or government organization before you can obtain
it.
Several other top-level-domains have been popping up
lately: .cc, .biz, .info, as well as many more. The U.S. also has top-level domains for each state, such as
.ma.us.
And, Internationally there are hundreds of countries that have their own
Domain Registrar that will allow you to have a country code at the end
of your domain name.
Here are some links to help you find the top-level domain that is best
for you and your business:
Network
Solutions registers .com, .net, and .gov addresses.
The US NIC registers
.us and .st.us (.st = state abbreviation) addresses.
All Domains
helps you find a specific country's NIC web site and register your
domain.
InterNIC
helps you find the US .com, .net, and .gov registrars, as well as some
international NICs.
ICANN
has a List of Accredited and Accreditation-Qualified Registrars for the
US and internationally.
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How do I get my own domain name?
You are free to register your domain at any
of the growing number of name registration
agencies or we can handle the entire
registration and domain name management
process for you.
If you have something in mind, all you
have to do is tell us about it and we will submit the registration information for
you, if it is available.
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How long does new domain name registration take?
When registering a domain name with us, it usually takes
between 36-48 hours before a new domain name
is completely active and usable by everyone on the Internet.
Other name
registration agencies may vary.
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What about transferring a domain name?
We will help you with this if you want because the process of transferring a domain name is sometimes a little more
complicated than getting a new domain name.
With registration agencies such as Register.com, it is as easy as
filling in the correct forms online. With Network Solutions, the owner of
the domain name must be involved in the transfer process. In reading the Modify information, it says that the
E-mail address of the sender must match that of the owner of the domain name. This is
their way of assuring security. The reasons are obvious because any Joe Smoe out there can start re-arranging
everybody's domain names if such security measures were not in place.
If you are
planning on transferring your domain on your own, check to make sure that your
contact information is up-to-date before doing so.
In order to make the transition appear seamless to your
website visitors, there
is only one real solution: you must carry an account with both server for a
period of time. The reason is this: since the domain name transfer can take from 1-30 days to go through, there is no
telling when it will happen. We have seen domains get
transferred within 3 to 5 days, whereas some others take weeks. You must
first get an account on our server, mirror the site on our
server, and still keep everything on the old server. This way, when the domain
registration agency throws the switch,
the change will be instantly made, the end-user will not know the difference, and you'll
be off and running. You can then cancel the first account and smile.
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Who owns the domain name I register?
You or your organization owns the domain name. What this means is that
you are responsible for notifying your Domain Registrar when any of your
contact information changes, as well as pay the renewal fee each time it
is due. You are also responsible for transferring your domain name if
you decide to move it to another host.
If you choose to have us register the name for you,
we do all of this for you.
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What is the policy on trademarks?
According to Network Solutions, Inc., in the event of a trademark
conflict over your domain name, your web address will continue to be
yours unless:
a) A court of law decides that your web address registration infringes
on someone else's trademark rights.
b) You agree to turn the name over to the trademark holder.
If you are interested in trademarking your name or logo, you will want
to consult with an intellectual property attorney and contact the
government agency in your country that issues trademarks.
To learn more, read Network
Solutions' Domain Name Dispute Policy.
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Can I get a domain like "anything.domain.com?"
Yes. You can have as many subdomains as you'd like, as long as you own
the other part (the domain.com part) of the domain and it is hosted on
our name server. There is a monthly fee per
subdomain. (Subdomains already in use on your account are ftp., mail.,
pop., smtp., and www.)
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How do I set up a pointer domain or a parked domain?
To have more than one domain name point to your hosting account, you
would need to have "pointer" or a "parked" domain set up.
Basically this means yourdomain.com, yourdomains.com
and mydomain.com can all point to the same hosting
location.
Please note however, that the email accounts that come with your account
will only operate under one of these domain names. You will want to let
us know which of your domains you want your email to be set up under. If
you must get email sent to pointer domains, you will need to select a
email hosting company to host this email and provide us with the IP of
the email server at that host, for us to set up DNS.
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