DNS and Domain Parking
Post Registration
Domain Transfers
A domain name tells people (and the computers they use) how to find your homepage on the Internet. Each domain name is assigned to a numerical IP (Internet Protocol) address by your host provider. Since people remember names better than numbers, the domain name, eg. www.myname.com, translates this number into words. Why do I need to register a domain name? Registering a domain name for your business or organization is essential to your marketing efforts. A domain name gives your business a unique identity on the world wide web. How will I be able to tell if my desired domain name is already taken? Before registering a domain name you will first have to do a "WHOIS" search to see if your requested domain name is available. If the domain search request returns without a match, you will be able to register that domain name. What if my desired name is the same as a trademarked name? Generally, if you've registered the name in good faith, it's not a name belonging to an internationally known company, and you can show that you have a legitimate reason to use that name then you will likely to be able to keep that name. That may not be the case if it can be shown that you purchased the name for the express purpose of re-selling it to a company with a legitimate claim to the name. Where can I learn more about trademark issues? Here is a short list of web sites that will be able to help you learn more about trademark and copyright issues: US Patent And Trademark Office How do I choose a good domain name? Choose a name that reflects the intent and purpose of your web site or business. Try to keep it short and snappy, and say it out loud, as if you were telling someone at a party to visit your web page. Some domain names may look good on paper, but are confusing when you try to send someone to it over the phone. Keep in mind the image that it conjures. Your domain name will be one of the ways people recognize or evaluate their choices of sites for their interests when they are searching via Yahoo or the other search engines. When facing a large number of choices, the snappiest domain sometimes grabs the most attention. What are the valid characters for a domain name and how long can it be? The only valid characters for a domain name are letters, numbers and a hyphen "-". Other special characters like the underscore "_" or an exclamation mark "!" are NOT permitted. Example: your name.com (incorrect - no spaces allowed) A domain name can be up to 67 characters long -- including the 4 characters used to identify the Top Level Domain (.NET, .COM, .ORG, or .EDU). Do not type the www. before your domain name when registering. Why are some domain names "On Hold"? When searching a "WHOIS" database, sometimes a domain name may show a status of "On Hold" if a.) payment for the domain is not current, b.) the domain name is involved in a trademark dispute, or c.) the domain is pending server activation. Why can't I register for a domain that is already expired? In some cases, domain names may be kept by another Registrar even after it has expired because a.) payment for the domain is not current, b.) the domain name is involved in a trademark dispute, or c.) the domain is pending server activation. As long as it is kept by another Registrar, we will not be able to register it for you. You will have to contact the Current Registrar for more information about the domain. DNS is an acronym that stands for Domain Name Service. Each domain is assigned a unique numeric address and DNS servers takes care of locating and routing information to the domains so that the world can find you. When you fill out your registration form, we give you the option to park your DNS with us or to specify your own DNS or the DNS of your hosting service. If you already have a website or have found an ISP to host your website, you should use your ISP's DNS servers when registering your domain name. Parking allows you to use our DNS (domain name service) server to hold your domain name until you are ready to use it. A DNS server is required to register a domain name and it is usually your ISP or web hosting provider. But if you do not have an ISP or are not planning to use your domain name yet, you can park your domain with us. To park your domain name, simply leave the DNS information as default when you register and your domain will automatically be parked. This service is free and you can park your domain with us for as long as you wish. Best of all, your parked domain name will be provided an under construction page, free of charge as well. I have registered my domain name, now what? After you register your domain, we can provide you with web hosting to host your website for you. Simply send us an E-Mail when your ready. Once I have a domain name secured, how long may I use it? If there are no trademark disputes, your secured domain name will be yours for as long as you maintain the yearly registration fees. How do I change the DNS or Contact Information for my domain name? Simply send us an E-Mail Why doesn't my domain show up in WHOIS search? You could be using an out of date WHOIS Server for WHOIS queries, but most of the time, "WHOIS" information for a domain can take up to 48 hours to propagate worldwide, so it may not be visible until then. I already have a web site at www.mydomain.com. Can I point my domain at it? Yes we can do this. This is called URL Forwarding. Simply send us an E-Mail with the nameservers that you want it pointed to. How much does it cost to transfer my domain? Transfers are charged $19.95 US and that "includes a free first year". This means that any remaining time you have left on your current registration will be transferred and one year will be added to your current expiry date. It takes up to 10 business days for transfers to complete as authorization is required from both the Current Registrar and yourself. Once a domain transfer is requested, your current registrar will be notified and they will send an email requesting transfer authorization to the Administrative Contact on your current domain record. If you authorize their request promptly, the transfer process could take as little as 3 days to complete. Why was my transfer request declined? Transfers are declined if you do not authorize the email sent to your domain's Administrative Contact. If, for whatever reason, you do not have access to the email address listed as the Administrative Contact on your domain, you will have to contact your current registrar directly to authorize the release of your domain. What happens if my transfer is declined? If for whatever reason we are unable to transfer your domain after 30 days, you may request for a full refund by sending us your domain name plus the first and last four numbers on your credit card to Support@InternationalWebhostingServices.com Note: for security reasons, we prefer that you do not E-Mail us the entire card number (Unless your using our Secure Online Form to send the request). Back to our Homepage Registration Form Payment Form WHOIS
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