GeekBusiness - Domain Registrar Information
Domain Information |
Registering Your Domain Name |
Popular Domain Name Registrars
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Finding a Registrar |
There are as many domain name registrars out there as their are websites! Ok, so that is
an exaggeration, but there are hundreds of sites that will seek to be your domain name registerar.
We'll present a list of some of the more popular domain name registrars, and
provide anecdotal insight that we've gathered over time.
Things to consider when choosing a registrar are:
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Cost - What is the annual cost of domain name registration, and more importantly, will
the annual cost remain the same after the initial registration (some
registrars have been known to raise the annual cost during renewal)?
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Administration Interface - You will want to change information for your
domain on occasion (e.g., contact names, addresses, email address, domain
name servers, etc). Make sure that the domain name registrar you choose offers an
easy to use admin interface.
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Stability - You will typically want to register your domain name with a
domain name registrar that you are confident will be around for the long haul.
GoDaddy and Yahoo are both good options with regards to stability. Getting a
domain name from Yahoo is a pretty safe alternative.
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Registering Your Domain Name |
The actual process of registering your domain name is dependant on the registrar
you choose, however, the basic steps are the same across all domain name
registrars.
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Choose a domain name - most registrars have a simple form that allows you
enter your desired domain name and to select the top level domain (TLD).
The TLD is going to be .com, .net, .biz, etc.
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Enter contact information - once you find a domain name that is available,
you will need to enter basic contact information (name, address, email
address, organization, etc). This data is stored in the central database
and can be queried by whois unless the data is kept private (usually an
extra fee).
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Chose a registration time period - all registrars will give you the option
to register a domain name for a single year. Most now also give you the
ability to register your domain name for multiple years (up to 10 years
in the case of some registrars).
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Pay the registration fee - this will almost assuredly be a credit card
transaction. Make sure you that you have your domain name correctly
entered, as getting a refund from a domain name registration is virtually
impossible.
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Enter nameserver data - most registrars will set your domain name up to
point at their nameservers for free. Assuming you are hosting somewhere
other than your domain name registrar (many offer hosting services now as well),
you will need to get the nameserver names from your host. There will be
at least 2 nameservers (primary and a backup). It typically takes up to
48 hours for your nameservers to be replicated across the net, so you
typically will not be able to access your domain name by name during
that time period.
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Don't Forget to Renew Your Domain Name |
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Your domain registration is for a limited time period, usually ranging from 1 to
10 years. Your registrar should send you email notifications to remind you when
your domain is about to expire. You can let the domain name expire (i.e., you
relinquish ownership), or you can extend you ownership in 1 year
increments. The one year increments extend from the expiration date, not the
date that you purchase the extension.
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Beware the Bogus Renewal Letter |
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Unfortunately, you will almost assuredly get emails or even snail mails from
"registrars" claiming that you will lose the rights to your domain name if you
do not send them the next years registration fee. If these notices do not come
from the registrar you chose, either disregard these notices, or report them to a
business bureau.
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| Next - Popular Domain Name Registrars |
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