Domain Names FAQ

A domain name is a Web address, such as www.davidsdomains.com, that is linked to an IP address(Internet Protocol address) (which represents a physical point on the Internet). The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is the governing body that coordinates links between IP addresses and domain names across the Internet, so you can find Web sites by entering domain names instead of IP addresses into your Web browser.

For example, think of an IP address as an address for a house or business, such as the White House. The address, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is comparable to an IP address, and the name you know it as, the White House, is comparable to a domain name.

A domain name consists of a top-level and a second-level domain. A top-level domain (TLD), or domain extension, is the part of the domain name located to the right of the dot (davidsdomains.net). The most common domain extensions are .COM, NET, and .ORG. Some other popular domain extensions are
.BIZ, .INFO, .NAME, and .WS. These common extensions have certain guidelines, but are usually available to any registrant, anywhere in the world.

There are also restricted top-level domains (rTLDs), like .AERO, .BIZ, .EDU, .MIL, .Museum, .NAME, and .PRO that require registrants to represent a certain type of entity or to belong to a certain community. For example, the .NAME domain extension is reserved for individuals, while .EDU is reserved for educational entities.

Country-code TLDs (ccTLDs) are for Web sites and registrants of a particular geographic location, such as .BZ (Belize), .CA (Canada), .DK (Denmark), .EC (Ecuador), .IE (Republic of Ireland), .UK (United Kingdom), .US (United States), .EU ( European Community) and .ZW (Zimbabwe).

The part of the domain name located to the left of the dot (coolestdogontheplanet.net) is called the second-level domain (SLD) name. The second-level domain name is the "readable" part of the address and refers to the organization or entity behind the Internet address. Second-level domain names must be unique on the Internet and registered with an ICANN-accredited registrar.

Registering a domain doesn't automatically make your Web site appear when visitors enter your domain into a Web browser. You have to upload your Web site to a computer that hosts the site and assigns a numeric address, called an IP address, to your domain. Your domain and associated IP address are stored in a database with every other domain and associated IP address. When visitors enter your domain into a Web browser, your domain works like an address forwarding service by forwarding visitors to the IP address where your Web site is stored. We use domain names instead of IP addresses because most people find it easier to remember a name rather than a series of numbers.

When you register a domain, you do not have to create and upload a Web site. You can also:

Sell it. Domains can be a great investment. If you have registered a domain that you are not using, maybe someone else can. Log in to your Account Manager and set up a For Sale parked page for your domain. Don't forget to include your contact information.

Protect your brand online. The more domains you register, the better. Prevent others from registering a similar domain to yours-just to steal away your customers. What to do with all these names? Forward them to your main domain. For instance www.5mz.com forwards to www.davidsdomains.com

Hold on to it. Maybe you haven't decided what to do with your new domain. Don't worry - there's no rush. You can leave it parked with your resistor for the length of your registration.

For new .COM and NET domains and updates, it may take up to eight hours for changes to become effective. It may take up to 48 hours for changes made to all other domain extensions to become effective. This is because of the number of networks and agencies involved. Delays apply to all domains and registrars. Allow for this delay when planning Web sites or configuring a domain to work with your email.

If your domain is available, you can register it for a period of time that you specify during the checkout process. You can use your domain to build your business and assist you in creating a dynamic online identity. You may also want to consider registering multiple domain names to:

* Keep your competition from registering a domain name that draws customers to them instead of you.
* Promote the different products and services you offer.
* Drive more traffic to your Web site.
* Enjoy more opportunities to market to, and be listed on, search engines.
* Create distinct advertising strategies that reach different target markets.
* Provide customers more ways to find you when searching the Internet.
* Capture common misspellings of your domain name, instead of sending visitors to an error page.
* Protect your brand and online identity from those who may have unsavory purposes.

To get started, you need to check if the domain name you want is available.
To Check a Domain's Availability

1. Go to our Home Page.
2. In the Domain Name Search field, enter the domain you want to register, and then select the domain extension from the list.
3. Click Go.

If the domain you requested is taken, we present you with available alternatives. For example, you may be able to select a .INFO or .WS domain extension, rather than a .COM. For example, you could register www.luaufun.info, instead of www.luaufun.com

If the domain is available, follow the instructions to complete the checkout process. As you complete your registration, include valid contact information for each contact.
ICANN, the governing body for domain names, requires valid information for your contact information (Registrant, Technical, Billing, and Administrative). If you enter false information, your domain is cancelled.

Your contact information is public and accessible through the Whois databases of most registrars. However, you can protect your privacy by registering your domain with us using our private domain name registration services.

When you purchase our private domain registration services, the Whois directory lists Domains By Proxy's name, postal address, and phone number instead of yours. Although Domains By Proxy is the registrant of your domain name
registration, you still retain the full benefits of domain registration. You can:

* Cancel, sell, or transfer your domain registration.
* Revert the registrant listing for your domain registration back to you.
* Renew your domain registration when it expires.
* Designate the nameservers for your domain.
* Resolve claims arising out of a dispute involving your omain name registration.

If you're thinking about registering more than one domain name, you've got the right idea. Registering and using multiple domains names is great for building your business and can help you create a dynamic online identity.

When you register multiple domain names, you can:

* Keep your competition from registering a domain name that draws customers to them instead of you.
* Promote the different products and services you offer.
* Drive more traffic to your Web site.
* Enjoy more opportunities to market to - and be listed in - search engines.
* Create distinct advertising strategies that reach different target markets.
* Provide customers more ways to find you when searching the Internet.
* Capture common misspellings of your domain name, instead of sending visitors to an error page.
* Protect your brand and online identity from those who may have unsavory purposes.

Besides setting up your Web site, there are a number of things you can do with your domain once you register it.

Sell it. Domain names can be a great investment. If you have registered a domain name that you are not using, maybe someone else can. Log in to your Account Manager and set up a For Sale page online. The more domain names you register, the better. Prevent others from registering a similar domain name to yours-just to steal away your customers. What to do with all these names? Forward them to your main domain name.

Hold on to it. Maybe you haven't decided what to do with your new domain name. Don't worry - there's no rush you can leave it parked with your registrar for the length of your registration.

Yes, you can register domains before you find a hosting provider. We automatically park domains you register with us. A temporary parked page displays when visitors go to your Web site. The parked page indicates you are reserving the site until you find a hosting provider and upload your site.

A top-level domain (TLD) is the part of the domain name located to the right of the dot (" . "). The most common top-level domains are .COM
, NET, and .ORG. Some other popular top-level domains are .BIZ, .INFO, .NAME, and .WS. These common top-level domains have certain guidelines attached, but are for the most part available to any registrant, anywhere in the world. There are also restricted top-level domains (rTLDs), like .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. For example, the .name TLD is reserved for individuals and .edu is reserved for educational entities. Country-code TLDs (ccTLDs) are for Web sites and registrants of a particular geographic location. For example: bz (Belize), .ca (Canada), .dk (Denmark), .ec (Ecuador), ie (Republic of Ireland), .uk (United Kingdom), .US (United States), and .zw (Zimbabwe).

he second-level domain is the readable part of the domain name that is located immediately to the left of the dot. For example, the second-level domain in coolestdogontheplanet.com is "coolestdogontheplanet." You define the second-level domain when you register most domains. However, there are some registries that restrict the second-level domain, such as .UK domains. Domains with this extension must include .CO. For example, davidsdomains.co.uk.

Second-level domains can be divided into further domain levels (for example, www.one.davidsdomains.com). These subdomains sometimes represent different computer servers within departments, but they can be created for any purpose. More than one second-level domain name can be used for the same IP address.

Internationalized domain names are foreign language .COM or .NET domain names that include non-ASCII characters. You can register an internationalized domain name using the native language characters or standard punycode character format. If you enter the language characters, we convert it to punycode and register the punycode version with the registry.

To view characters in an internationalized domain, you must adjust your language settings in your Web browser. If you can't see the characters, you may need to install the foreign language pack.

When you park a domain name , a temporary Web page displays when visitors go to your domain. You may want to park your domain to indicate you are reserving it until you create your Web site, find a hosting provider, or sell the domain to a third party. You could also monetize your domain names.

omain kiting is the process of registering a domain to test it for monetization purposes and then, if it doesn't generate advertising revenue, cancelling it within the five-day grace period for a full refund. Typically, registrants register recently expired domains that may still receive traffic from search engines and other visitors. If the domain has the potential to earn enough money to exceed the cost of registration, the registrant keeps the domain. If the domain does not have the potential to earn enough money to exceed the cost of registration, the registrant cancels the domain for a full refund.

Unfortunately, registers are unable to change or edit the spelling of a domain after it has been registered. We try to register the domain exactly as you enter it. Should the registration succeed, you are charged, even if the domain you entered was not what you actually intended to type.

You do have the option of cancelling the domain so that it is no longer registered to you, but cancelling does not entitle you to a refund of any part of your registration fee. Cancelling a domain is a permanent action.

There are 23 domain status codes that you may come across when using DomainAlert Pro. Most of these are variations of a few basic states.

A domain's normal state is ACTIVE or OK. Active domains can be used for Web sites, email, or to register nameservers.

The domain registrant can also transfer domains from one registrar to another. A few status codes exist to keep track of a domain when changes like this are pending. Likewise, cancelling a domain registration can put it into a PENDING status.

Domains can also be placed in a LOCK or HOLD status. The domain registrant might do this to prevent its settings from being casually altered by associates. A registrar or registry might also lock or hold a domain, as necessary.
.COM and NET Domains

These are the 6 status codes used for .COM and .NET domains:

ACTIVE
The normal state for a domain name. Domains that are active can be used for Web sites, email, or to register nameservers.
REGISTRAR-HOLD
The domain was placed on hold by the registrar and cannot be used.
REGISTRY-HOLD
The domain was placed on hold by the registry and cannot be used.
REGISTRAR-LOCK
The registrar, often at the request of the domain registrant, locked the domain so that its settings cannot be modified.
REGISTRY-LOCK
The registry locked the domain so that its settings cannot be modified.
REDEMPTIONPERIOD
The domain expired, and the registry is waiting for 30 days as a precautionary measure before releasing it.
PENDINGRESTORE
A domain that had expired is being restored to ACTIVE status.
PENDINGDELETE
The domain expired 75 days ago, and the registry is about to erase it. A domain remains in this status for five days before it is deleted.

.ORG, .BIZ, .US, .INFO, and .NAME Domains

Here are the 15 status codes used for .ORG, .BIZ, .US, .INFO, and .NAME domains:
CLIENT_DELETE_PROHIBITED
The registrar locked the domain so that it cannot be deleted.
SERVER_DELETE_PROHIBITED
The registry locked the domain so that it cannot be deleted.
CLIENT_HOLD
The registrar placed the domain on hold, and it cannot be used.
SERVER_HOLD
The registry placed the domain on hold, and it cannot be used.
CLIENT_RENEW_PROHIBITED
The registrar locked the domain so that it cannot be renewed.
SERVER_RENEW_PROHIBITED
The registry has locked the domain so that it cannot be renewed.
CLIENT_TRANSFER_PROHIBITED
The registrar locked the domain so that it cannot be transferred to another registrar.
SERVER_TRANSFER_PROHIBITED
The registry locked the domain so that it cannot be transferred to another registrar.
CLIENT_UPDATE_PROHIBITED
The registrar locked the domain to prevent its settings from being changed.
SERVER_UPDATE_PROHIBITED
The registry locked the domain to prevent its settings from being changed.
INACTIVE
The domain cannot be used because the nameservers haven't been entered or there is a problem with the nameservers.
OK
The domain is active and can be used for Web sites, email, or to register nameservers.
PENDING_DELETE
The registration for the domain is about to be deleted by the registry, as when the domain expires.
PENDING_TRANSFER
The domain is in the process of being transferred from one registrar to another. It may not be modified during this period.
PENDING_VERIFICATION
The registry is in the process of creating the domain record.

Any public domain registration that you register has your name as the registrant with any ICANN-certified registrar. You can change all four contact fields for the domain whenever you want.

If you want to restrict your personal information from displaying, you can purchase privacy service. For more information, see Adding Privacy to Your Domains.

e must make the contact information you listed for your domain public, per our registrar's agreement with ICANN (the international governing body of names). Using false information violates the registration agreement and leads to the termination of your domain registration.

However, we do offer our private domain registration services to help protect your privacy. You can purchase our private domain registration services, and we will list the Domains By Proxy name, postal address, and phone number on the Whois directory. Although Domains By Proxy is the name on the registration, you retain the full benefits of domain registration. You can:

* Cancel, sell, or transfer your domain registration .
* Revert the registrant listing for your domain registration back to you.
* Renew your domain registration when it expires.
* Designate the nameservers for your domain.
* Resolve claims arising out of a dispute involving your domain registration.

You can Forward or mask a domain name to redirect to another domain of your choosing. When specifying the information for redirecting the page, you can use either a 301 or 302 redirect.

A 301 redirect sends people to the site you specified in the Forward To field using a "301 Moved Permanently" HTTP response. The HTTP 301 response code tells user-agents (including search engines) that the location has permanently moved.

A 302 redirect sends people to the site you specified in the Forward To field using a "302 Found" HTTP response. The HTTP 302 response code tells user-agents (including search engines) that the location has temporarily moved.

ameservers are the Internet's equivalent to phone books. A nameserver maintains a directory of domain names that match certain IP addresses (computers). The information from all the nameservers across the Internet is gathered in a central registry.

This makes it possible for visitors to access your Web site using a familiar domain name, instead of having to remember a series of numbers.

Nameservers on other networks can access information at the central registry up to 8 hours after registering .COM and NET domains and up to 48 hours for all other domain extensions. This period is referred to as the propagation period.

Your DNS or Domain Name Server is the system that allows your Web site to display when users enter a domain in a Web browser. Nameservers are the Internet's equivalent to a phone book; they link the number to the name. The nameserver maintains a directory of domain names that match the IP addresses, or computers. Information from all nameservers on the Internet is compiled in a central registry, making it possible for people across the Internet to access your Web site using domain name.

For new .COM and NET domains and updates, it may take up to eight hours for changes to become effective. It may take up to 48 hours for changes made to all other domain extensions to become effective. This is because of the number of networks and agencies involved. Delays apply to all domains and registrars. Please allow for this delay when planning Web site or configuring a domain to work with your email.

or most domains, when you transfer your domain to us, we add one year to the existing registration period. When transferring .EU domains, you forfeit any time remaining on your original registration. Your registration for .EU domains expires one year from the date on which you completed the transfer.

Once you complete your transfer, you can renew your domain through us for up to ten years.

ICANN's Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) defines how to resolve trademark-based disputes over domain names (.BIZ,
.COM, .INFO, .NAME, NET, .ORG). In accordance with the UDRP, you can dispute a claim to a domain name by following the dispute process.

NOTE: 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.

Yes, you can register any domain extension combinations and take advantage of our bulk pricing. We apply bulk pricing based on the total number of domains you register in bulk. For example, you can register 48 .COM domains a 12 .BIZ domains and qualify for bulk pricing for 50 to 100 domains.

Yes, you can renew through us now and not have to pay the other registrar's renewal fees. Keep in mind that ICANN regulations prohibit transferringa domain that was registered or transferred within the last 60 days.

e do not purchase domains through any other company. Our parent company is a fully accredited registrar of domain names. ICANN, the governing body of domain names, has approved our parent company as a registrar. Our registration services compete directly with those of other registrars.

We can charge less by accepting lower profit margins without hidden fees or gimmicks. We do not make you use our hosting services with your domain, and we strive to offer better services than our competitors.

Most businesses don't like to use subdomains because they feel like they give them a disadvantage in many areas, such as having a prefix name before your web-site, being ignored by bots and index spiders in search engines and all in all, it just doesn't look right. So let's check our facts on subdomains.

A subdomain is substitute or second-level of a domain. A regular domain looks as follows: www.davidsdomains.com . A sub domain looks like this

http://squid.davidsdomains.com. Subdomains do not have www on the front of them. All subs start with "http://subdomain/maindomain.com pattern of identification.

Subdomains rank efficiently well. Search engine spiders and bots are not prejudiced when it comes to the ranking of subdomains and regular domains. As long as your site has the right SEO keywords and has been optimized, whether you have a subdomain or regular domain name doesn't make a difference at all.

Let's pretend that you site has a lot of categories in it. If you were to submit to a search engine, you could submit each subdomain as its own individual category and still get a good ranking. Each subdomain would be looked at by search engines as a new site with its own index or home page. You may want to try creating subfolders on the subdomain to get around this so that search engines can read the folder as one set of site information.

People worry about their subdomain getting banned if the main domain name is banned. If the main domain is banned, it will have an effect on the subdomain. You see this happen often in adult content sites that have violated certain agreements that they have signed with a provider that does not want a domain used for adult material.

Again, there is nothing wrong with using a subdomain. If you want to develop each subdomain as its own entity, then by all means, do so. If not, get yourself a main domain name and use that as a certified landing page.

here are approximately 68 million .COM domains registered. That's a lot of domain names out on the Internet that are either already taken or just parked in some obsolete spot gathering dust. The most common dictionary names are already taken up by companies or net investors who resell the rights to the names to the highest bidder!

There are 900 possible combinations for two letter sequences. If you're looking for "ET" then you just won't find it! Even allowing for digits, again every single web address is taken. Of course, that's ignoring the fact that .COM registrars now mandate a 3-character minimum length, so it wouldn't be an option.

Many of the three-letter sequences are taken. Adding digits to a domain name creates a number of garbage domain entries. If you're dying to acquire great domains and unique domain names, they'll free up sometimes only to be auctioned off through unique domain name sales.

The longer the domain name that you choose, the more that the possibilities are that it could be available presuming that you're willing to accept an arbitrary sequence of letters and/or digits. For example, most organizations have 4 letter acronyms (WQAM.com and AFTA.org so you may have a chance using over 4 letters to get the domain name that you want in acronym style!

Of course many of the registered domains are ever visited, with a huge percentage having nothing more than a "parked page" (users pay domain registrars to put up ads for themselves on these type of parked pages). There are so many combinations to domain name cataloging and classification, the possibilities are endless.

The rule is to obtain a domain name that closely resembles who you are about which gives you and identity and brand on the internet.