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General
Information
What is a domain name?
What is a top-level domain?
What is a second-level domain?
What is the domain name system?
What does it mean to register
a domain name?
What is a name server?
Domain Name Extensions
Which top-level domains
are available?
What do .com, .net, .org, .biz, .info,
.ws, and .us represent?
What are the rules for registration of
.biz, .com, .info, .net, .org, and .ws names?
Who qualifies for a .us domain?
Which extensions are not available, and
why?
Registering a Domain
Name
How do I register a new
domain name?
How do I check if a domain name
is available?
What can I do if the requested domain is unavailable?
What do I enter as contact information
for my domain name?
How do I renew my domain-name registration?
Can I cancel a domain-name registration?
I just purchased a domain name. How long
until I can use it?
Transferring a Domain
Name
How do I transfer
a domain name from another registrar?
What do I do if I don't know the name
servers of the domain I am transferring?
How can I transfer my domain name for
more than one year?
My domain name is about to expire,
can I still transfer it?
Parking and Unparking
a Domain Name
What does it mean to park a domain
name?
How do I unpark my domain name?
Forwarding a Domain
Name
What does it mean to forward
a domain name?
What does it mean to forward with
masking?
Hosting a Domain
Name
What does it mean to host a domain?
Managing a Domain
Name Account
How do I manage my
domain-name account?
How do I find my domain name's expiration
date?
Can I purchase a domain without
having a hosting provider yet?
What if I forgot my password?
How do I forward or redirect a domain name
to my current Web site?
How do I enter the name servers of the hosting
account I have with another provider?
The Whois Function
Will my name and account
information be publicly available?
How do I find out who owns a domain name?
Miscellaneous
What can I do if I have misspelled
my domain name?
What is the uniform dispute resolution policy?
What if someone has my trademark registered?
General Information
What
is a domain name?
A domain name is a Web address. The domain name is mapped to an IP
address (which represents a physical point on the Internet). Thus
a domain name locates an organization or other entity on the Internet.
When someone types a domain name into a Web browser, the requested
Web page will open. For example, the domain name www.yourdomain.com
locates an Internet address for "yourdomain.com."
A domain name consists of a top-level and a second-level domain. The
"com" part of the domain name generally reflects the type
or purpose of the organization or entity and is called the top-level
domain (TLD) name. The part of the domain name located to the left
of the dot (" . ") — "yourdomain" in this case
— is called the second-level domain (SLD) name. The second-level domain
name — being the "readable" part of the address — refers
to the organization or entity behind the Internet address.
Second-level domain names must be unique on the Internet and registered
with an Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers- (ICANN-)accredited
registrar.
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What
is a top-level domain (TLD)?
A top-level domain is the part of the domain name located to the right
of the dot (" . "). The most common TLDs are .com, .net
and .org. Several new top-level domains have been added to the menu
recently, including, .biz, .info, .name, and .ws. The top-level domains
have certain guidelines attached, but are for the most part available
to any registrant, anywhere in the world. Exceptions are the restricted
TLDs (rTLDs) — which include .aero, .biz, .edu, .mil, .museum, .name,
and .pro — that require the registrant to represent a certain type
of entity, or to belong to a certain community. The .name TLD is available
strictly for individuals, while .edu is reserved for educational entities,
such as universities or high schools. Where appropriate, a top-level
domain name can be of geographic significance and hence only available
to registrants in the locale defined by the TLD. These are called
country-code TLDs (ccTLDs) and include such top-level domains as .bz
(Belize),.ca (Canada), .dk (Denmark), .ec (Ecuador), ie (Republic
of Ireland), .uk (United Kingdom), .us (United States), and .zw (Zimbabwe).
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What
is a second-level domain (SLD)?
Located immediately to the left of the dot (" . "), the
second-level domain is the "readable" part of the domain
name. The second-level domain is entirely defined by the registrant,
and often refers to the organization or entity associated with the
IP address. For example: In www.cnn.com "cnn" (Cable News
Network) is a second-level domain.
Second-level domains can be divided into further domain levels. For
example: www.sportsillustrated.cnn.com. These sub domains sometimes
represent different computer servers within departments.
More than one second-level domain name can be used for the same IP
address.
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What
is the domain name system (DNS)?
The domain name system (DNS) enables each machine connected on the
Internet to be recognized by a domain name. Every computer on the
Internet has a unique IP (Internet protocol) address which consists
of a string of numbers. Since the IP addresses can be difficult to
remember, the DNS allows a familiar string of letters (the "domain
name") to be used instead of the IP address. So instead of typing
the IP address' arcane string of numbers you can type, for example,
"www.espn.com."
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What
does it mean to register a domain name?
The Internet domain name system (DNS) consists of a directory, organized
hierarchically, of all the domain names and their corresponding computers
registered to particular companies and persons using the Internet.
When you register a domain name, it will be associated with the computer
on the Internet you designate during the period the registration is
in effect.
Note that the above description applies to domains that are registered
and hosted. If the registrant elects to, a domain can instead be registered
and parked. A parked domain name does not need
a DNS affiliation.
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is a name server?
A name server is a computer that contains a list of domain names and
the associated IP addresses. When a domain name is typed in a Web
browser's address bar, the name server associates that with the IP
address, and the correct Web site — barring any unforeseen difficulties
— opens in the Web browser window.
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top Domain Name Extensions
Which
domain extensions (top-level domains) are available?
The following top-level domains are available:
What
do .com, .net, .org, .biz, .info, .ws, and .us represent?
- .com — ("commercial") The most common extension for
domain names. Often represents companies or for-profit organizations.
Most personal Web sites also use this extension.
- .net — Generally represents Internet Service Providers (ISPs).
- .org — Usually represents non-profit organizations or groups.
- .biz — ("business") Reserved for use by businesses.
- .info — Made for both businesses and individuals. Usage is unrestricted,
but a .info TLD indicates that the Web site primarily is informative.
- .ws — (Web site) An all-around, universally available top-level
domain.
- .us — Country-code top-level domain available for registrants
in the United States.
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What
are the rules for registration of .biz, .com, .info, .net, .org,
and .ws names?
The .com, .info, .net, .org, and .ws TLDs are globally available and
unrestricted. Traditionally, however, names in .net have been used
by organizations involved in Internet infrastructure activities —
typically ISPs (Internet Service Providers) — while .org is frequently
used by noncommercial organizations. .biz is available to businesses
only. Albeit unrestricted, usage of the .info TLD implies that the
site content is of a primarily informative nature.
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Who
qualifies for a .us domain?
To qualify for a .us domain name you must meet one of the following
Nexus Requirements. The U.S. Nexus Requirement is intended to ensure
that only those individuals or organizations that have a substantive
connection to the United States are permitted to register for .us
domain names.
To be in compliance with the U.S. Nexus Requirement, all registrants
for the .us domain must be either:
- A natural person (i) who is a citizen or permanent resident
of the United States of America or any of its possessions or territories,
or (ii) whose primary place of domicile is in the United States
of America or any of its possessions,or
- An entity or organization that is (i) incorporated within one
of the fifty (50) U.S. states, the District of Columbia, or any
of the United States possessions or territories or (ii) organized
or otherwise constituted under the laws of a state of the United
States of America, the District of Columbia or any of its possessions
or territories,or
- An entity or organization (including a federal, state, or local
government of the United States, or a political subdivision thereof)
that has a bona fide presence in the United States.
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Which
extensions are not available, and why?
The sponsored top-level domains .aero, .coop, .museum, and .pro. require
the registrant to be member of or affiliated with specific communities,
and are therefore not accessible to the general public. The .aero
TLD, for example, requires the registrant to prove membership of the
aviation community. Similarly, .gov and .mil are reserved for the
U.S. Government, and U.S. Military, respectively, while .edu is restricted
to educational entities.
Country-code TLDs outside the United States are also excluded.
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Registering
a domain name
How
do I register a new domain name?
Please follow the below steps to register
a domain name.
Check
Availability
Type the desired domain name in the search box and select the preferred
extension from the drop-down list; then click "Check Availability"
to see if the requested name is available for you to register. If
the requested domain is available you may continue signing up the
domain by clicking "Continue." You will be presented with
all available variations of the desired domain name (i.e. .biz, .com,
.info, .net, org, .ws extensions). You can select any of the displayed
variations.
If the domain is not available you will instead be presented with
any available alternate versions of the domain name. Typically, this
means that you'll be offered the same second-level domain name, but
with a different top-level domain. If you don't like any of the suggestions,
you can pick another domain name and check its availability.
Log In
If this is the first time you have signed up for a domain name, you
must first create an account. To do so, define your user name and
password, and submit a valid email address so that the registrar can
communicate with you. If you are a returning user, enter your user
name and password, and click "Continue."
Select
Length of Registration
Select the desired duration of your domain-name registration. In most
cases, you can register a domain name for 1-10 years. When you sign
up for a domain, you do not own that domain outright. You are in essence
renting the use of the domain name for a certain period of time.
Enter Contact Information
Enter your contact information. This information is used for administrative
purposes and must be kept current. You can have up to four different
contacts for your domain name:
- Registrant — The person that registers a domain name.
- Administrative — The person responsible for any administrative
issues pertaining to the account. Any administrative changes to
the domain must be approved by the administrative contact. The
registrar will use this contact for any non-technical questions
regarding the domain name.
- Billing — The person responsible for all billing information
relating to the domain name. The billing contact will also receive
invoices, charges and billing questions.
- Technical — The person responsible for providing technical data,
including name-server information. The registrar will contact
this person with any questions of a technical nature.
You must complete the Registrant
part of the contact information form. Completing the Administrative,
Billing
and Technical
fields is optional. If you wish to, you can instead elect to apply
the registrant information to the technical, administrative and billing
contacts as well. Multiple contacts are often used for companies where
more than one person is in charge of the Web site.
Enter
DNS Data For Hosting Account
Select one of the following options for the desired domain name(s):
- Park domain
- Create "Domain for Sale" page
- Use one-page Web site
- Forward domain
- Forward with masking
- Host domain
- Enter name server information from other ISP
If selecting the latter, your Web site host can provide the name server
information you need.
Confirm
Registration Details
Confirm and verify your order details, and read and accept the registration
agreement.
Shopping Cart
Review your selections, submit the customer and credit card information
and click "Check Out." If you wish to add to or alter the
contents of your shopping cart, you may do so by selecting "Update
Cart" or "Shop More."
When you have completed the transaction, you will see a confirmation
page that displays your customer number and order number and provides
some general guidelines for account management. You will receive an
email notification confirming your order.
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How
do I check if a domain name is available?
To find out if a domain name is available, enter the desired second-level
domain in the domain name search box; then select the preferred extension
(top-level domain) from the drop-down list. Click "Check Availability"
to instantly find out if the requested domain is available. If it
is, you may proceed to the next steps in the registration
procedure.
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What
can I do if the requested domain is unavailable?
If the domain name you requested is already taken you will be presented
with any available alternatives (i.e. same second-level domain, but
with a different extension). For example, you may be able to select
a .info or .ws top-level domain, rather than the requested .com. Thus
you would be registering www.whatever.info, instead of www.whatever.com.
If none of the suggested alternatives are to your liking, you can
start over again and search for a different domain for your future
Web site.
An alternative solution is to use DynaGen Advanced Search, which will
generate a list of variations of a desired domain name. You may pick
any of the available listings.
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What
do I enter as the contact information for my domain name?
Enter your name, address, phone number, email address, company affiliation,
etc. Be sure to include accurate and updated information. The registrar
relies on this contact information if it needs to reach you with issues
concerning your domain name.
You must complete the Registrant
part of the contact information form. If you wish to, you can elect
to apply the registrant information to the technical, administrative
and billing contacts as well.
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How
do I renew my domain name registration?
Follow the below steps to renew a domain name that is currently registered
with this registrar.
- Select "Manage My Account" from the menu.
- Click "Domain Names" and log in with your user name
and password. A list of your registered domains will be displayed.
- From the list, select the domain name you wish to renew. You
can also search for domain names by using the domain search function.
Another option is Quick Search, which enables you to search for
a domain name by selecting a registration or expiration time frame
(e.g. "Past 7 Days" or "Next 30 Days).
- Click "Renew Domains."
- Select the desired renewal period from the drop-down list.
- Click "Submit."
- Finally, visit the shopping cart to review your order and submit
your billing information.
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Can
I cancel a domain-name registration?
Yes, you can perform this function from the "Manage My Account"
section of this site. To do so, click "Domain Names," log
in, and select from the list the domain you wish to cancel. Next,
click "Cancel Domains" and confirm the cancellation by clicking
"Yes, Cancel Domain(s) Now" button.
Note that canceling a domain-name registration is a permanent action
and you cannot undo this action. You may reregister this domain later
for a new registration fee.
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I
just purchased a domain name. How long until I can use it?
A certain amount of time will elapse before a domain is fully registered
and thus active on the Internet. Generally, allow 24-48 hours between
purchase and activation. In the interim, you will not be able to publish
or view your site, receive email messages or make use of your domain
name. Similarly, if you make any changes to your domain name, such
as modifying the DNS or name servers attached to your domain name,
it will take up to 48 hours before the changes are implemented.
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Transferring
a Domain Name
How do I transfer
a domain name from another registrar?
Please follow the below steps to transfer a domain name from an existing
account:
Select Menu Item
Select "Transfer Domains" from the program menu.
Type Domain Name Type in the domain
name you will be transferring and the registrar from which the domain
should be transferred; then click "Transfer Domains." Please
note that only domain names with .com, .org, .net, and .info top-level
domains can be transferred.
Log
In
If this is the first time you have signed up for a domain name, you
must first create an account. To do so, define your user name and
password, and submit a valid email address so that the registrar can
communicate with you. If you are a returning user, enter your user
name and password, and click "Continue."
Enter
Contact Information
This information is used for administrative purposes and must be kept
current. You can have up to four different contacts for your domain
name:
-
- Registrant — The person that registers a domain name.
- Administrative — The person responsible for any administrative
issues pertaining to the account. Any administrative changes to
the domain must be approved by the administrative contact. The
registrar will use this contact for any non-technical questions
regarding the domain name.
- Billing — The person responsible for all billing information
relating to the domain name. The billing contact will also receive
invoices, charges and billing questions.
- Technical — The person responsible for providing technical data,
including name-server information. The registrar will contact
this person with any questions of a technical nature.
-
- You must complete the Registrant
part of the contact information form. Completing the Administrative,
Billing and Technical fields is optional. If you wish to, you
can instead elect to apply the registrant information to the technical,
administrative and billing contacts as well. Multiple contacts
are often used for companies where more than one person is in
charge of the Web site.
-
Enter Name Server Information
Enter the name server information for the domain you are transferring.
You may complete the domain-name transfer, even if you do not know
the existing name servers of the domain you wish to transfer. To do
so, select "Keep existing name servers," and we will retrieve
the required name-server information from the current registrar. Select
the desired duration of your domain-name registration. In most cases,
you can register a domain name for 1, 2, 3, 5, or 10 years. When you
sign up for a domain, you do not own that domain outright. You are
in essence renting the use of the domain name for a certain period
of time.
Confirm Registration
Details
Review and verify your order details, and read and accept the registration
agreement.
Shopping Cart
Review your selections, submit the customer and credit card information
and click "Check Out." If you wish to add to or alter the
contents of your shopping cart, you may do so by selecting "Update
Cart" or "Shop More." When you have completed the transaction,
you will see a confirmation page that displays your customer number
and order number and provides some general guidelines for account
management. You will receive an email notification confirming your
order.
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What
do I do if I don't know the existing name servers of the domain
I am transferring?
You may complete the domain-name transfer, even if you do not know
the existing name servers of the domain you wish to transfer. To do
so, follow the domain-transfer
procedure. When prompted to enter the name server information,
select "Keep existing name servers," and we will retrieve
the required name-server information from the current registrar.
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How
can I transfer my domain name for more than one year?
When you transfer a domain your registration is automatically extended
one year. Once the transfer is completed you can renew your domain
name registration for up to 10 years. The transfer takes 5- 7 business
days. Once your domain name transfer is completed, please follow these
directions to renew the domain-name registration:
- Select "Manage My Account" from the menu.
- Click "Domain Names" and log in with your user name
and password. A list of your registered domains will be displayed.
- From the list, select the domain name you wish to renew. You
can also search for domain names by using the domain search function.
Another option is Quick Search, which enables you to search for
a domain name by selecting a registration or expiration time frame
(e.g. "Past 7 Days" or "Next 30 Days).
- Click "Renew Domains."
- Select the desired renewal period from the drop-down list.
- Click "Submit."
- Finally, visit the shopping cart to review your order and submit
your billing information.
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My
domain name is about to expire; can I still transfer it?
That depends on the current registration's expiration date. Close
to the expiration date, domain names cannot be transferred between
registrars. Specifically, this registrar cannot process transfers
within 10 days of a domain's expiration
date.
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Parking
and Unparking a Domain Name
What does
it mean to park a domain name?
Essentially, to park a domain name means to reserve your registered
domain until you have created the site content, found a hosting provider,
or sold the domain to a third party. When you park your site, a temporary
Web page will be displayed until you have decided what to do with
the domain. Domain name parking is often used by registrants who do
not yet have a hosting provider.
Parking options include a one-page Web site that'll inform the visitor
to the site that, for example, this page is "Under Construction,"
"Coming Soon," or "For Sale." You can also elect
to have a customized page displayed. To set up your parked domain,
use the One-Page Web Site Setup Wizard in the "Parked Pages"
section of the account management department.
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How
do I unpark (i.e. activate) my domain name?
Once you have determined which hosting provider you will use, you
must change the name server information so that the site is no longer
parked.
To do so:
- Select "Manage My Account" from the program menu.
- Select "Domain Names."
- Log in using your domain user name and password.
- Select the domain from the list.
- Click "Modify Name Servers."
- Enter the name server information.
- Click "Save Changes."
This change can take up to 48 hours to take effect.
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Forwarding
a Domain Name
What
does it mean to forward a domain name?
Forwarding a domain name enables you to direct incoming traffic from
your domain to an already existing Web site. Thus, when someone attempts
to access your site, he or she is automatically redirected. Typically,
this option is selected by users who are registering a new domain,
but are already hosting their files elsewhere. When the domain name
is forwarded, the destination address, not your domain name, is displayed
in the browser's address bar. This can be avoided by choosing to forward
with masking.
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What
does it mean to forward with masking?
If you decide to forward with masking, visitors are effectively kept
from knowing they have been redirected.
Forwarding with masking secures that your domain name remains in a
visitor's browser's address bar when the visitor is being redirected.
That way, the actual destination address is concealed from the user
who only sees the domain name from which he or she is being forwarded.
If you are using regular forwarding, the destination address, not
your domain name, is displayed when the visitor is redirected. So
if, for example, the destination Web page has the address http://members.geocities.com/users/username,
that address can be hidden and www.yourdomain.com can be shown instead.
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Hosting
a Domain
What
does it mean to host a domain?
Hosting (also known as Web site hosting and Web hosting) is the business
of housing, serving, and maintaining files for one or more Web sites.
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Managing
a Domain Name Account
How
do I manage my domain name account?
To manage your domain name account, select "Manage My Account"
from the program menu. The account management menu encompasses the
following items:
- Domain Names — Displays a list of registered domain names. Select
from the list to modify contact information, modify name servers,
renew domain registrations, cancel domain registrations, and change
domain ownership.
- Parked Pages — Enables setup of parked pages, including creation
of one-page Web site.
- Domain Forwarding — Enables management of forwarded domain names.
- Customer Information — Allows you to review and update your
customer profile, including name, address, etc.
- Order History — Displays receipts from your prior purchases.
- Payment Information — Enables you to update the credit card
information on file for your account.
You will need your user name, password and/or customer number and
email address in order to perform the above actions.
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How
do I find my domain name's expiration date?
If your domain is registered with another registrar:
- Go to your registrar's Web
site and do a "Whois" lookup on your domain name.
- If you do not remember who
your registrar is, you can find the information by doing a "Whois"
lookup here. Just click the "Whois" link at bottom of
any page.
If your domain is registered with US:
- Click the "Manage Your
Account" link
- Select "Domain Names."
- Login with your domain name
user name and password.
- A complete list of your registered
domain names and their expiration dates will be displayed.
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Can
I purchase a domain without having a hosting provider yet?
You can register and purchase as many domains names as you'd like
and choose to have them parked until you have found a hosting provider.
To do so, register a domain name and select "Parking." If
this option is chosen, a temporary Web page will be displayed while
you finish creating your site, sell the domain, etc. The temporary
site will inform anyone passing by that this is the future location
of your site. The temporary site will be active 24-48 hours after
you have completed the purchase.
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What
if I forgot my password?
If you have forgotten your account password, click "Forgot your
login name or password" on the login screen. Enter the domain
name. The login information will then be emailed to your domain's
administrative contact.
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How
do I forward or redirect a domain name to my current Web site?
To forward or redirect visitors from your parked domain to an already
existing Web site, select domain name forwarding.
If you prefer to conceal the destination for the address from the
visitor and only display your domain name, you can choose forwarding
with masking.
Please follow these directions to set up the domain name forwarding:
- Select "Manage My Account" from the program menu.
- Click "Domain Forwarding."
- Log in using your customer number or email address, and password.
- Select "Set Up Forwarding."
- From the drop-down list, select the domain name you are forwarding.
- Enter the URL you want your domain name to point to.
- Click "Save Settings."
It will take approximately 15 minutes before updates are implemented.
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How
do I enter the name servers of the hosting account I have with another
provider?
Follow the directions below to enter the name server information:
- Select "Manage My Account" from the program menu.
- Click "Domain Names."
- Log in using your user name and password.
- Select the domain name(s) for which you wish to enter the name
server information
- Click "Modify Name Servers."
- Enter the name servers.
Continue following the above directions until you have added all name
servers. Contact your current hosting provider if you do not have
the name-server information.
- Click "Save Changes" when done.
Please note that it will take up 48 hours before the updates are implemented.
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The "Whois"
Function
Will
my name and contact information be Made publicly available?
Information about who is responsible for domain names is publicly
available to allow rapid resolution of technical problems and to permit
enforcement of consumer protection, trademark, and other laws. The
registrar will make this information available to the public on a
"Whois" site. It is, however, possible to register a domain
in the name of a third party, as long as the third party agrees to
accept responsibility — consult your registrar for further details.
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How
do I find out who owns a domain name?
If you select a domain name that is already taken, a link ("already
taken, click here for info") to the "Whois" function
will appear. You will then be able to look up the contact details
of that domain's owner.
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Miscellaneous
What
can I do if I have misspelled my domain name?
Your domain-name registration is submitted as soon as you complete
the registration process. The registrar is required to pay the registration
fee at that time. Therefore, your domain name cannot be changed after
you complete the registration.
You will have to register the correct spelling if you want that domain
name. This registrar cannot offer any refunds for misspelled domain
names.
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What
is the uniform dispute resolution policy?
ICANN's Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) defines
how disputes over domain-name registrations are resolved in the global
top-level domains (.biz, .com, .info, .name, .name, .net, .org, .pro,
and .ws, as well as .aero, .coop, and .museum). In accordance with
the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy, you can dispute
a claim to a domain name by following the dispute process. The UDRP
does not apply to country-code top-level domains, except in a few
cases where the local administrator has decided to adopt it. Please
see the dispute policy for more information.
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to top What
if someone has my trademark registered?
If you can prove that the trademark in question is yours, you may
be able to bring a dispute against the registrant. For more information
on how to bring a dispute against another party, please see the dispute
policy.
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