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Domain Name Registration - Register A Name
Now that you have presumably decided on the domain name(s) you are
going to register, the next step is to choose a Registrar and register
the domain name. You will find a selection of Registrars below.
While each Registrar may have slightly different requirements in terms
of the information you will need to provide when registering a domain
name, a registration generally requires 5 pieces of information.
Information Needed:
| A) |
Registrant |
This is the company or individual to whom the domain
name actually belongs. YOURSELF |
| B) |
Administrative
Contact |
This is a person authorized to make certain changes
to the domain name, such as alter the address associated with that
domain name. YOURSELF |
| C) |
Technical
Contact |
This is a person authorized to make certain changes
to the domain name, such as alter the DNS servers associated with
that domain name. YOURSELF or REGISTRAR |
| D) |
Billing Contact |
This is the person to whom all bills and other correspondence
will be sent. YOURSELF |
| E) |
DNS Server
Settings |
This is where you specify the primary and secondary
DNS server settings you would like to associate with the domain
name. Supplied by your web host |
NOTES & WARNINGS:
| 1) |
It is possible to specify the same person or company
for each of A-D above i.e. you can specify the same Administrative,
Technical and Billing contact |
| 2) |
In practice, there is very little to distinguish the
roles of B-D. |
| 3) |
Some Registrars may streamline the registration process, or may
not even allow you to enter certain information (some do not require
Billing Contact information, for instance).
BE CAREFUL: If a Registrar does not
ask for registrant information, you should be cautious and read
every inch of their terms and conditions carefully... some unscrupulous
Registrars take their client's money, set their clients up as
the Admin, Technical and Billing contacts, but put THEMSELVES
as the Registrant (which effectively means that registrar ends
up "owning" all the domain names belonging to its customers). |
| 4) |
You will also be asked for payment information, but
payment procedures vary widely from Registrar to Registrar. |
| 5) |
You may be asked for additional information, such
as a user name and password (so that you can log into the Registrar's
control panel and make changes to your domain name information) |
| 6) |
Some Registrars may let you register multiple domain
names in bulk, others will require you to go through the whole lengthy
registration process for every name you want to register. |
While it may seem very tempting to use a false name and address when
registering a domain name (to maintain your privacy and keep your personal
details out of the reach of direct marketers) there are a number of
downsides to this approach:
| A) |
It is, theoretically at least, against the registration
rules of most Registrars. There have been several cases in which
domain owners have been forced to provide accurate contact information
at short notice, or risk losing their domains. |
| B) |
You run the risk of not finding out about important
changes that could affect your domain name. e.g. if you don't supply
a real "snail mail" address, your registrar may not alert
you when it's time to renew your domain name registration. |
| C) |
You cannot be contacted for legal challenges. While
this may sound like a positive benefit, you actually run the risk
of losing your domain name by default if you do not respond to a
complaint against the domain. |
If you really want to maintain your privacy many registrars now offer
"Private Registration" for a domain name for a small fee per
year. This allows you to enter your details during registration
then alternate contact information is displayed by the registrar. You
still get the important information without most of the spam.
Remember to write down the URL of the Registrar you used to register
your domain name; occasionally, an emailed or mailed confirmation can
go astray and you'll have no record of which domain name you registered
or where you registered it. This information is key if you need to make
changes later.
For a full list please visit the ICANN
Accredited Registrars List
We have only interacted with the first two (2) and only endorse Network
Solutions.
This information is part of:
IGOLDRUSH.COM -
The Web's #1 source of domain name news, links and information
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