Domain Names
Domain FAQ
What is a domain Name?
A domain name tells people (and the computers they use) how to find your homepage on the Internet. Your hosting provider assigns each domain name to a numerical IP (Internet Protocol) address. People remember names better than numbers, but computers translate www.yourname.com into IP address numbers.
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 gives your business credibility and a unique identity on the World Wide Web.
How
do I transfer my existing
name to your servers?
Most registrars give you a username and password
so you can go to their site, login and make the
necessary DNS modifications (change hosts). You?ll
need to enter in our nameserver information as
follows:
Primary
Hostname: ns1.interactivevillages.com
Secondary Hostname: ns2.interactivevillages.com
Feel free to contact our DNS
department by email, domains@Interactive
Villages.com,
or by phone, 1.206.357.9443 should
you have any questions.
What is
a URL?
It stands for Univesal Resource
Locator. Some people refer to
it as a web address (although
URL is not limited to the web).
An example of a URL is http://www.Interactive
Villages.com. Please note that
a URL is a unique identifier.
No two websites can have the
same URL. This is the reason
why you should register your
domain name before someone else
does.
What is
an IP address?
Every computer on the Internet
has a numeric address called
IP-Address that is used to identify
the location of the computer.
An example of an IP address
is 216.251.32.100. This kind
of addressing system is cumbersome
and hard to remember for humans.
Having a domain name will eliminate
the need to remember an IP address.
What is
a DNS?
DNS stands for "Domain
Name Server". It translates
domain names into IP addresses
that computers understand. For
example, if someone wants to
access our website (www.Interactive
Villages.com), the DNS will
translate the domain into the
IP address 216.251.32.100, which
will allow the computer to locate
our web server.
What are
the components
of a domain
name?
A domain name consists of two
or more words separated by a
period. The last word (the far
right) is called a "top-level
domain". Here are some
common top-level domains and
their use:
.COM
Used for commercial entities.
It is the most popular top-level
domain. Anyone can register
a .com domain.
.NET
Originally used for networking
organizations such as Internet
Service Providers and backbone
providers. Today, anyone can
register a .net domain.
.ORG
Designed for miscellaneous organizations,
including non-profit groups.
Today, anyone can register a
.org domain.
Country
Codes
Other top-level domains include
those for countries (.CA for
Canada, .UK for the United Kingdom,
.HK for Hong Kong, etc.), which
are based on the International
Standards Organization's 3166
standard for country abbreviations.
To the left of the top-level
domain is what is called the "second-level
domain." In Interactive
Villages.com, "Interactive
Villages" represents a
second-level domain within the
top-level domain of .com.
Do you
handle the
domain registration
process? How
much does
it cost?
Yes, we now register domain
names for only US$25.00/year!
We also take care of any modifications
on your already existing domain
(i.e. transferring your existing
domain to our servers). By paying
for the name yourself, you are
assured of complete title and
ownership of it.
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 the requested domain
name is available. You can do
this right from our website.
If you need more detailed information
about the ownership of the domain
name we suggest the following
URL: http://www.betterwhois.com/.
Can I register
a domain name
without web
hosting?
If you don't need any of our
hosting plans, feel free to
take advantage of our Free Parking.
You can park your domain names
indefinitely on our servers
at no extra cost, as long as
you maintain ownership of your
domain.
Once I have secured my name,
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 with Interactive Villages.com.
What if my desired domain
name is the same as a trademarked
name?
If you register a name in good
faith, it does not belong to
an internationally known company
and you can show that you have
a legitimate reason to use the
name, you will probably be able
to keep the name. This 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.
How do I choose a good domain
name?
It is important to choose a
domain that will reflect the
intent and purpose of your website
or business. Try to keep it
short and simple. Your domain
name will be one of the ways
people recognize or evaluate
the site for their interests
when they are searching via
Yahoo! or other search engines.
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 (not correct, no spaces
allowed) Example: your-name.com
(is correct) A domain name can
be up to 72 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.
Can I transfer an already
existing name to your servers?
Yes, simply visit our domain
transfer page by clicking here.
You should keep the service
with your current provider while
waiting for your registrar to
complete the transfer process.
This can take up to 3-5 days.
Do I have to pay for my
existing domain name again
if I sign up with you?
No. When you transfer your
domain, we will credit you
for any remaining service
you had under your previous
registrar.
Can you host international
domain names?
Yes, we can host any foreign
extension. We will help you
register these names when
possible. Otherwise, we will
provide you with the information
that you need to register
the name yourself.
Who is OpenSRS?
OpenSRS is a cooperative SLD
(second level domain name)
registration service for the
.com, .net and .org namespace,
managed by TUCOWS.com Inc.
OpenSRS is fully accredited
by ICANN and officially recognized
by Network Solutions. It is
a completely open system that
has been designed to allow
domain name resellers that
are not ICANN or NSI affiliated
to register domain names at
wholesale rates.
I just registered a domain
name and it's still showing
as available! Is it registered?
Of course! It will take between
24-48 hours for DNS Propagation.
DNS Propagation is the process
by which the computers on
the Internet update their
records (DNS tables) to reflect
new site name(s). When this
is complete, your name can
be accessed and recognized
on the Internet.
