Domain Name FAQs, Domain Registration FAQ

1. Why You Need A Domain Name ?

On the World Wide Web your domain name is your own unique identity. No two parties can ever hold the same domain name simultaneously; therefore your Internet identity is totally unique. If you have a business site on the Internet your domain name is your own online brand and in a sense you can use your domain name as your online business card. With your own domain name, your website and e-mail addresses (e.g. www.cyberhost.in, bob@cyberhost.in) will have a professional look, being unique to your business. Sometimes people who don't know the importance of a unique domain name end up losing their own by not renewing it on time. Once it happens they will soon realize that they have lost their whole online identity.

2. How does a domain name work?

To understand why you need a domain name, you first need to know how a domain name works.

A domain name is an addressing construct, used for finding and identifying computers on the Internet. Computers use Internet Protocol (IP) Addresses, which are a series of numbers used to identify each other on the Internet; however, many people find it hard to remember IP Addresses. Because of this, domain names were developed so that easily remembered names and phrases could be used to identify entities in the Internet instead of using an IP Address.

For example, the domain name cyberhost.in identifies the company Cyberhost Websolutions India. When a user types the domain name cyberhost.in in their browser or sends an email to cyberhost.in, the Domain Name System (DNS) will translate the domain name into IP numbers. These are then used by the Internet to connect the user to Cyberhost's web presence.

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3. What should I use as a domain name?

You can use a word or phrase as a domain name. When thinking of a domain name, think of catchy words or phrases that are easy to remember and that will bring more traffic to your site. Try to use a domain name that is relevant to your web site. If your web site is a business site, it is a good idea to use the companies name as the domain name or if your site is a personal site try to think of a domain name that is related to the topic of your web site.

Also try to keep your domain name as short as possible, around 5 to 20 characters is fine. The shorter the domain name the easier it will be to remember.

One thing to keep in mind is assumed spelling issues; if you think up a 'clever' domain name such as 1luv4u.com, One Love For You (dating service), people may type in oneloveforyou.com believing this is the domain name; or oneluv4u.com, or 1love4you.com etc. This leads to brand problems. In this case the 'oneloveforyou.com' name would be best.

4. Why should I keep my domain name registered?

If you lose your domain name you can lose your whole online identity.

Because you can only register a domain name for a year or so, you will need to make sure that you renew it before the expiry date. Once your domain name expires, you will no longer own that domain name. Your Registrar will then own it and be able to sell your domain name to the highest bidder. To make sure you don't lose your domain name you will need to make sure you renew your domain name at least two weeks before it expires.

Also make sure that your information is registered properly, especially if you didn't register your domain name yourself. Ensure that your information is displayed as the registrant, administrative and billing contacts; most importantly make sure that the e-mail addresses for these contacts are ACTIVE. When you receive any information about your domain name, such as renewals, price changes, etc. an email will be sent to this email address. If you can't receive any mail from the e-mail addresses listed under the domain names contact then you are at risk of not receiving important notifications about your domain names, which could result in losing your domain name.

People often miss the importance of having their own unique domain name for their web sites. A domain name represents you, your company and your online presence; as does a 'business card'. If you don't have your own domain name you won't be able to promote your own online identity and web site on the World Wide Web.

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5. What do I need in order to register a Domain Name?

To register a Domain Name you will need to provide the following information:
1. Provide the following personal information for the Domain Name owner, Administrative, Technical and Billing contacts.

• First Name
• Last Name
• Postal Address
• Email Address
• Username and Password

2. Provide your Domain Name Server (DNS) information which can be obtained from your website hosting company
3. Read and accept our service agreement.
4. Provide your credit card and billing information for payment purposes.

6. What is the Domain Name Registration Process?

There are five (5) steps to follow to register a Domain Name:

1. Search for a Domain Name. If it is available confirm intention to register.
2. Select the registration term, and provide your contact details and DNS information.
3. Review the information for correctness.
4. Agree to the Service Agreement.
5. Provide payment information and submit your request.

7. Can I register more than one Domain Name at a time?

Yes, you can. By clicking on the multi search you can register multiple Domain Names (no limit) at once.

8. I don't have a Web Site; Can I still register a Domain Name?

Yes. You don't have to have an existing web site or be a registered business to register a Domain Name. You can register a domain name at any time and start your online identity.

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9. How much time do I have to wait after requesting registration of my Domain Name?

After you have registered your Domain Name and paid for it, it is reserved immediately. From then on, it is attributed to you and is not available for purchase by anyone else for the term of the registration.

The Domain Name then has to be technically available. This will happen within 24 to 72 hours later, assuming you have provided the correct technical parameters such as valid DNS servers.

10. How do I know if I have registered a Domain Name successfully?

You will receive a confirmation email, confirming your registration details and customer ID, Login information etc.

11. How can I make changes to my Domain Names?

Go to the link provided along with your domain registration information. You must login with your domain registration username and password to use this. This function will enable you to effectively manage your domain name and make many changes. E.g. changing contact details. You will then be able to choose from a number of possible actions and be given specific instructions online on how you can complete any changes you need to make.

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12. Which DNS servers do I list as authoritative for my Domain Name?

When registering a Domain Name you must list a primary and secondary server. If you do not have name servers or do not know what they are, you can automatically elect to have the default DNS servers listed. This is called parking.

13. Can I modify the DNS server information?

Yes. Once you have registered a domain name you can edit your DNS server information directly through the Manage Domains option. You then select modify Name Server details and enter the new name server details.

14. Is web hosting included with my Domain Name registration?

Web hosting is an additional service to Domain Name registration.

15. What are nameservers (DNS)?

Nameservers are used to provide information about your domain name to other users on the the Internet. When somebody types in your domain name to their browser, the browsers accesses the specified nameserver to find out the IP address of the server where the browser should locate the file associated with the domain name. To put in another way, the nameservers translate your domain name into a server address.

16. What is a Sub-Domain?

A subdomain is a subdivision of a larger domain. For example, "mail.mysite.com" is a subdomain of "mysite.com"

The subdomains can be used to take visitors to a specific part of your site, that is not neccessarily tied to your "main" website.

ie; sales.mysite.com, photos.mysite.com, video.mysite.com, etc. Subdomains can be anything you'd like them to be, and can be used for any reason you'd like them to be used for.

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