Domains - FAQ

[Sudhakar]

About Domains Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is cheapest and/or best registrar (or reseller)?
A: None. The market is always changing and defining price can vary. Some places say 'free domain WITH widget' and others say 'free domain if you do such and such' and others just claim $6 domains. Quality also varies from user's experience. Some find an interface they like and advocate the user of a particular registrar for that reason. Some people find support to be the most important feature in domain registrars, and feedback on support quality will vary from person to person. You have to either listen to the general public and their advice or try various registrars until you find one you like.


Q: How do I make sure my domain is not hijacked and is safe?
A: There is no 100% secure way to do anything online. You can take measures to make it very difficult for anything to happen such as using a strong password (long, alphanumeric passwords tend to be some of the strongest). Remember to change your password regularly. Other things that can be done to help secure the domain is to turn on 'Registrar-Lock' feature.


Q: How do I transfer my domain name?
A: This process varies by TLD (Top Level Domain - .com/.net/.org/.biz/.us/.info/etc). The domain MUST be unlocked in any case. For .com/.net/.cc domains there is a loose process in place where the registrar requests a transfer to another registrar for a domain name. The domain name in question then needs to be authorized by the administrative contact on the domain name (this process varies from registrar to registrar). For many other TLDs the EPP (Extensible Provisioning Protocol) process is used where an authorization key is provided with the transfer request. The entire process is seamless and fast. The transfer requires nothing more than the key, the administrative contact will not be contacted.


Q: I want to sell domains online, where do I start?
A: You need to work with a registrar or reseller of a registrar. The official registrar list can be found at http://www.internic.net/alpha.html. Look for a reseller or affiliate program to begin selling domains online. Be sure to do a lot of research about different programs before you commit yourself to one.



Q: Where can I find a script to perform WHOIS lookups on my website?
A: Many free scripts are available at such resources as http://www.who.is or http://www.domaintools.com


Q: When does a domain name 'expire'?
A: Domain names are leased for 1-10 years by a registrant. After they hit the expiration date listed in the whois they either enter 'on-hold' period or directly into the 'Redemption Grace Period.'(RGP) The 'on-hold' periods means that the registrar has paid for the name and gives the owner the opportunity to renew at a low cost for up to 45 days approximately (afterwards the domain enters the Redemption Grace Period). The RGP period is a grace given by the registry to renew the domain name for a higher cost (often around $200) and lasts 30 days. If the domain is not renewed during these grace periods it enters the 'Pending Delete' cycle and will be deleted in 6 days for .com/.net domains and 5 days for .org domains.