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Domain name Frequently Asked Questions What is a domain name and why should you register
one?
An Internet domain name is unique and allows you to have an "identity" on the Internet. Domain names are typically allocated by the domain registrars on a "first come, first served" basis - currently in excess of 100,000 domain names are being registered per month! You should register your domain name NOW as in the near future most of the memorable domain names will have been taken and only obscure domain names will remain. A domain name adds value to your Internet presence and is therefore of great value to your organisation. Remember domain names are not just for businesses or organisations - many people register names for their own personal use. If you register a domain name you could be: Web site address: http://www.your-domain-name.com If you DO NOT register a domain name you would be: Web site address: http://www.your-isp.com/users/your-name What does it cost to register a domain
name? .uk (.co.uk / .org.uk / .ltd.uk
/ .plc.uk, .net.uk) domains - £25 These charges cover ALL registration costs for 2 years and include the fees payable to the central registry. C lick here to see if your domain name is available Please note these charges are for the domain name registration only and do not include any costs for web, email Who are the domain name registrars? A domain name registrar is an organisation that holds the central records (database) for all the domains they administer. They are often government owned or sponsored. The central registrar for .com, .net and .org domain names is Network Solutions (used to be InterNic). The central registry for .co.uk, .org.uk, .me.uk, .ltd.uk, .plc.uk and .net.uk domain names is Nominet. The central registry for .gov.uk and .ac.uk domain names is UKERNA. The central registry for .uk.com / .uk.net / .gb.com / .eu.com / .gb.net / .us.com / .de.com is CentralNic. Although it is sometimes possible to register your name direct with the central registry you will find that domain registrars do not usually provide the other "required" services you need to go with your domain name. They normally deal with maintaining the central domain name database ONLY and you need an ISP to provide these other services (DNS setup / service) In addition an ISP is able to provide the next level of services for your domain - including setup of a web server / web space and email services Are there restrictions over who may register a domain name? .com .eu.com back to top ALL back to top The name will be registered with the domain name registrar (this is usually for a period of 2 years for new registrations). Your domain name records will be setup on a primary and a secondary DNS server You get a FREE web placeholder page that will appear as http://www.your-domain-name.com to show your domain name is registered. Please note that domain name registration "on its own" does NOT include any web or email services What details do you need to register a domain? We need the name, address and contact details of the person or company the domain name is to be registered to. We also need your payment details (credit card or cheque) so we can process your registration. Payment by credit card is preferred since we can process the domain name immediately If you are a Limited (LTD) or Public Limited Company (PLC) and wish to register a .ltd.uk or .plc.uk domain we will also require your company registration number. How long does it take to register a domain name? Common domains normally take from 4 to 24 hours to confirm registration. .ltd.uk, .plc.uk, .net.uk, .gov.uk, .ac.uk can take up to 7 days. Sometimes registration of a domain name can take longer although this usually only occurs when either the central registries are very busy or insufficient information has been provided, certain documentation must be verified or your payment was unsuccessful. Once registered it can take up to 36 hours before your domain is fully visible across the Internet It is important to note that the application to register a domain name does not guarantee reservation of that name and the application will only be processed following payment. Can I transfer my domain name elsewhere? Yes - you can transfer your domain name at any time - we would hate to lose you but there is no charge to transfer. We will need to know where you wish to transfer the domain name to and we need to know the details of at least 2 DNS servers that will hold your domain records. We would like to know WHY you are transferring (we would not like to think it was because we were not competitive, did not provide a great service etc.). I already have a domain name registered - can I transfer my domain to you? Of course you can -for parking we charge £25 to move your records onto our DNS servers - this covers the period until your domain name becomes due for renewal - at this time you can either continue to pay the registration fees direct to the registrar (and we will charge you £25 for the next 2 years) or we can usually transfer the billing to us in which case we will charge you the same rate as for new registrations, Host your site with us however and we will take care of all the costs included in the hosting package. We will need to know where the domain details are to be transferred from. Your domain name records will be setup on a primary and two backup DNS servers. You get a FREE web placeholder page that will appear as http://www.your-domain-name.com to show your domain name is registered or you can take out one of our great value web hosting / email packages Why should I not just register the name directly with the registrar? Many registrars will allow you to register a name directly - but the registration is only half of the domain name registration process. You require a minimum of 2 DNS servers to host your domain records Domain registration requires technical knowledge of the DNS system as well as knowledge of the required administration and filing requirements. It can actually cost you more. We charge an "all in" £25 for 2 years (for a UK domain) and if you host with us it is free. If you did it yourself it would cost £80 and you would still have to find and setup 2 DNS servers to "host" the domain records! Once a domain is registered, who "owns"
the domain name? The domain name "registrant" is the person or organization listed at the top of the WHOIS database record. The "registrant" is the individual or organization that registers a specific domain name. This individual or organization holds the right to use that specific domain name for a specified period of time, provided certain conditions are met and the registration fees are paid. This person or organization is the "legal entity" bound by the Terms and Conditions and Domain Name Registration Agreements. The administrative, technical and billing contacts are individuals who the organization trusts to handle issues involving the domain name record. Care must be taken to avoid infringing the rights that a third party might have in the name, intentionally or otherwise. This applies to both businesses and individuals. Although companies may have traded with the same or similar name for many years only one can use it as a domain name. If a company believes that the registration of their company name, brand names or registered trademarks as a Domain Name by a third party constitutes an infringement of trademark or an act of passing off we advise that they seek qualified legal opinion. WEBZ cannot offer legal advice! I am a web designer registering a domain name for a customer - who should be the "registrant"? You should register the domain against the "end user" company - if a company is paying for you to register the name it would normally be registered under their name. Transferring domains at a later date is a time consuming process and may incur additional costs. You should also make them aware of their obligations - the registrant is the "legal entity" bound by the Terms and Conditions and Domain Name Are my registration details "private"? Firstly any payment details (credit card numbers etc.) you give us will be kept private and confidential. However, the WHOIS system (the database used to interrogate domain names) is freely accessible to anyone on the Internet - this stores details including the registrant, registrant address and contact details as well as when the domain was first registered, last updated and the DNS servers responsible for the domain records. If you have registered a domain name with us and would prefer that your address details were not publically available you can elect to have your address details changed to be "c/o Webz" at our address. Alternatively if you change address please let us know so we can update our internal systems as well as the central WHOIS database. Why can a domain registration fail? It is important to note that the application to register a domain name does not guarantee reservation of that name and the application will only be processed following payment. Very few registrations fail (less than 1%) - common reasons for failure include: Someone may beat you to the registration or the domain
may be already registered to someone else. We cannot confirm any registration until we actually receive notification from the registrar. To find out how long this usually takes please see here. If a registration fails you will receive notification and the fee charged for the domain name registration will be refunded. How will I know if a domain registration has been accepted and is complete? We cannot guarantee or confirm any registration until we actually receive notification from the registrar. For .uk domain names this is usually within a few hours but for .com, .net or .org domain names it can take 2-7 days (depending on their workload). You must not rely or advertise your new domain until you have confirmed the registration was successful! A registration should only be considered as successful and complete when you have both: Received confirmation from us (usually sent via email)
that the domain registration was accepted and is complete. Once you have checked your name - contact us with your details or use our online Domain Name Order Forms Once registered can I use my domain immediately? Once you have confirmed your registration was successful your domain name is ready to use. However, due to the nature of the DNS system it can take up to 36 hours for all the DNS servers across the Internet to "learn" and be able to "see" your domain. Although it can take up to 36 hours it is typically much less than this (usually around 12-24 hours). Occasionally domains may not get included in the main WHOIS or DNS database update for that day (depends what time of day the domain was registered relative to the database update). This can additionally delay the time it takes the domain to be fully "visible" for up to 24 hours but this is usually very rare! When my domain is due for renewal what will it cost? Our charges for domain name registration (.com, .net, .org and .uk domains) normally cover the domain for 2 years and include the central registrars fees. If you host your site with us registration is free. When your domain is due for renewal we charge the same rates for the next period (typically 2 years) - this is currently £25 for .uk domains and £40 for .com, .net or .org domains If you host your site with us renewal is free. If we do not handle the billing for your domain name we will charge £25 to cover the DNS hosting of the domain for up to 2 years. Please note these charges are for the domain name registration only and do not include any costs for web, email or Internet access services you may also have Once you have submitted your domain name for registration, your payment will be processed and your domain submitted for registration. It cannot normally be cancelled without still paying the standard registration fees - this is because as soon as we have submitted the domain the registrar will enter it on the central database and invoice us for the central registry fees. Of course once your have your domain name - if you decide you no longer need the domain you can cancel it at any time before it comes due for renewal (usually 2 years) and will not then be liable to pay renewal fees on that domain name. Will I receive a domain registration certificate for my domain? Registration certificates are issued for .uk domains. At present there is a large backlog from the central registry that issues the certificates that has meant that it usually takes around 6 months to receive your .uk domain registration certificate. No registration certificates are issued for .com, .net
or .org domains. If I register a domain name is it mine for life? When you initially register a domain name it is usually registered for an initial period of 2 years. For more details of costs and registration periods At that time you will be given the chance the renew the registration for a further period (usually 1-2 years). Please note that if you change your telephone number, postal or email addresses it is important you let us know as if you are uncontactable and / or fail to pay for a domain registration or renewal the domain may be deleted and then available for re-registration by other people! What can I do if my name has been registered by someone else? If someone else has registered a name you would have liked there are several options available to you. Firstly you can try to buy the name or if you feel you have better reason to have that domain then legal action to retrieve it may be an option? It should be noted that neither of these are guaranteed and both can be expensive! If you have any questions or need any assistance please contact us! Often it may be better to simply register an "alternative" domain name To find a domain name or lookup details of an existing registration use our Domain Name Search or if you have any questions please contact us for more details! Unfortunately it is not really possible to suggest an accurate price for / value of your domain name as it is a unique item and really depends what its "worth" to someone else. Also it really depends if you are just trying to sell the domain to recover your costs and the costs incurred / hassle of transfer. As a "very" rough guide we have seen domains
sell for between £250 and £75000 (although the latter was
for a particularly good .com name!).
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