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Domain Name Introduction
Select from our List of FAQ topics
- What is a domain name?
- Why do I need to register a domain name?
- What is an IP address?
- What are the components of a domain name?
- How long can a domain name be and what are the restrictions?
- What is a DNS?
- What is a registry?
- What is a URL?
- How will I be able to tell if my desired domain name is already taken?
- What if the name I want to use is already taken?
- What are the valid characters of a domain name?
- How long should the registration process take?
- Once a domain is registered, who "owns" the domain name?
- What if I spelled the name wrong or want to change the domain name?
- My domain has already expired/will expire soon, but I want to transfer to ArisHost, what are my options? How long before my domain's expiration date should I initiate the transfer to ArisHost?
- I chose your Web Hosting option when I first signed up, but I want to transfer to you now. What do I have to do? Will I pay again ?
- I just registered a domain name with ArisHost, but it did not show up on the whois server of an ICANN registrar. Does that mean someone still can register my domain name through other registrars?
- Can transferring a domain to ArisHost cause any downtime?
- What factors could prevent or delay a registrar transfer?
- Once an expired domain has been renewed, how long does it take for the services to begin working again?
- I just transferred my domain and I have already uploaded my website, but I still can't get any access to my domain. Every time I go to my website, it still forwards to my old host. What will I do?
- I have registered my domain name with my current registrar for 2 years in advance; if I transfer my domain to you will my registration at my current registrar be lost?
- How does the transfer process work? What do I need to do?
- Do you support ccTLD (country code Top Level Domains)?
1. What is a domain name?
A domain name is used to identify the location of a website on the Internet.
A domain name is essentially a signpost on the Internet. Every website you've ever been
to, and every e-mail you've ever composed, has used a domain name in its address. People
register domain names in order to 'stake a claim' to a particular name -- whether for
business or personal reasons. Once a domain name is registered to a person or company,
it is that person's to use exclusively as long as they continue to pay the yearly renewal fee.
Here are some domain names you might be already familiar with:
www.ArisHost.com - ArisHost.com Web Hosting
www.yahoo.com - Yahoo!
www.cnn.com - CNN
www.microsoft.com - Microsoft
www.dallas.net - Dallas Internet
2. Why do I need to register a domain name?
Most Internet providers offer you a directory on their own domain. Most of the time,
they look like this: http://www.domain.com/~yourname. In addition to having to explain
the little squiggle mark (~ which is called a tilde) to your less net savvy customers,
this can prove cumbersome on business cards and letterhead, and it does not reflect
the unique nature of your business or homepage. 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.
3. 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 209.217.1.2.
In essence, this should already serve as the locator of websites but this kind of addressing
system is cumbersome and hard to remember. Also, when the owner of a website decides
to move servers, he has to change the IP addresses too since an IP Address is tagged with
the server and its physical location. Having a domain name will eliminate the need to
remember an IP Address. Each Domain Name is given an IP Address so that it can be
located in the world wide web. When a Domain name moves to another hosting facility,
the IP address also changes but not the Domain Name.
4. 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" (TLD). 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 nonprofit groups. Today, anyone can
register a .org domain.
.EDU Four-year, accredited colleges and universities.
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 ArisHost.com,
"ArisHost" represents a second-level domain within the top-level domain of .com.
It is also possible to have a domain name in the form of anything. ArisHost.com. In this case the
"anything" is called a "host" name or a "sub-domain". It is not necessary to register a host or
sub-domain with a registry before being able to use it.
5. How long can a domain name be and what are the restrictions?
A domain can have a maximum of 67 characters including the extensions (.com, .net, etc).
A domain name can contain numbers, letters or a dashes. A domain can not start nor end with a dash.
6. What is a DNS?
DNS stands for "Domain Name Service". It translates domain names into IP addresses that computers
understand. For example, if someone wants to access ArisHost.com's website (www.ArisHost.com), the
DNS will translate the domain into the IP address 207.240.40.4, which will allow the computer to
locate ArisHost.com's web server.
7. What is a registry?
Organizations similar to InterNIC are called Registries. They register domain names into central
computers, which are accessed by individual DNS servers. InterNIC is responsible for the domains
.com, .net, .org, .edu and .gov. ArisHost.com is also a Registrar.
8. What is a URL?
It stands for Universal 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.ArisHost.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. Don't forget to
get the .com, .net and .org names.
9. How will I be able to tell if my desired domain name is already taken?
When you begin registering a domain name, we will search the domain name database (which is known as "WHOIS")
to see if your requested domain name is available. If the domain request comes up with "no match" you will
then be able to register that domain name.
10. What if the name I want to use is already taken?
You can choose an alternative domain name, or if you feel that you have a right to that domain name you could
follow InterNIC's domain dispute policy and try to regain that domain name.
11. 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 67 characters long -- including the 4 characters used to identify the Top Level Domain (.NET, .COM, or .ORG). Do not type the www. before your domain name when registering.
12. How long does it take to register a domain name?
If the information provided is correct, it should take less than 24 hrs. Please check the WHOIS database
at http://www.ArisHost.com to see whether your domain name is registered or not.
13. Once a domain is registered, who "owns" the domain name?
The domain name is owned by the organization that is on the WHOIS database.ArisHosts.com registers domain
names with the ownership rights reserved to the customer. You will always own your domain and you can move
your domain if you choose to.
14. What if I spelled the name wrong or want to change the name?
Domain names cannot be altered or refunded once registered. If you make a spelling mistake, your name
will be registered incorrectly and your account will be billed. Your name is submitted to the registrars
at the moment you click on our submit button. The registrars have a zero refund policy. If you want to
change your name, you must resubmit a new name. Domain names cannot be altered, changed, or modified to
new names.
15. My domain has already expired/will expire soon, but I want to transfer to ArisHost, what are my options?
How long before my domain's expiration date should I initiate the transfer to ArisHost?
If your domain has not yet expired, we suggest initiating a transfer to ArisHost at least 45 days before
your domain's expiration date. This is because some registrars will restrict transfers away from them
within the last 30 days before expiration. Please note that these registrars should release the domains
immediately upon receiving a request to transfer an ACTIVE domain (even if it's in the last 30 days).
If your domain has already expired, you have two options:
1) Renew your domain (for 1 year) with your current registrar, and then transfer to us. At that point
your domain name will have 2 full years of registration, and you will have 1 year of our FREE services
to look forward to. Note that if your domain name is currently expired with another registrar, you
cannot transfer it to ArisHost.
2) Wait until your domain name is available to the general public, and then re-register it with ArisHost.
Remember that domain registration is done on a first-come, first-served basis, so if anyone else registers the domain
in the meantime, you will lose it to him/her.
16. I chose your Web Hosting option when I first signed up, but I want to transfer to you now. What do I have to do? Will I pay again?
To have your domain transferred if you have signed up for Web Hosting only, you'll need to email
support@ArisHost.com to initiate the transfer process. There is a one-time $30 fee associated with
the transfer ONLY if you signed up for our Web Hosting package when you first joined.
17. I just registered a domain name with ArisHost, but it did not show up on the whois server of an ICANN registrar. Does that mean someone still can
register my domain name through other registrars?
No, absolutely not. Whois servers are just informational reflections of the root nameservers, and
it can take several hours for them to catch up with newly-registered domain names. It's the root
nameservers that make the difference in who owns a domain, not a whois database. ArisHost,
Network Solutions, and other ICANN Registrars have the same access to the root servers that
keep track of Internet domains, their contact information, and their nameserver designations.
Some whois servers update before others. Network Solutions, for example, probably updates their
whois servers for their own registrations before other registrars'.
18. Can transferring a domain to ArisHost cause any downtime?
No. Changing the registrar entry for your domain on the root servers is immediate, and is
not much different than changing contact information or nameserver entries (except that
it can only be done by a registrar under certain circumstances). Nameserver entries are
the only thing really critical to your domain pointing where it should. When you transfer
a domain to us, the nameserver entries cannot be changed until the transfer is completed.
19. What factors could prevent or delay a registrar transfer?
- Do you own the domain, or have you made arrangements with the owner to approve the transfer?
- Is the Admin Contact Email address valid for the domain you wish to transfer?
- Has the domain been registered for longer than 60 days? (There is a mandatory waiting period
for potential domain disputes)
- Has the domain expired or is it past due at the current Registrar?
Some registrars have added their own confirmation requirements for transfers away from their system.
Please contact them directly for details and be sure that the Admin contact is aware of what they
have to do.
20. Once an expired domain has been renewed, how long does it take
for the services to begin working again?
Assuming that the domain's DNS and hosts are still in place, the domain will begin working within
48 hours of its renewal. We put the domain back into the root immediately, but the delay is caused
by propagation out from the root.
21. I just transferred my domain and I have already uploaded my website,
but I still can't get any access to my domain. Every time I go to my website, it still forwards to my old
host. What will I do?
First, please contact us at support@ArisHost.com to find out the
status of your transfer. Chances are that the transfer process is not yet complete. Remember that a
transfer can take as long as 7-10 days to be completed. If the transfer process has been completed but
you are still forwarded to your old host, chances are it's merely a propagation issue. Be aware that
changes to your domain name and DNS can take as long as 24-48 hours to propagate to the entire world.
22. I have registered my domain name with my current registrar for 2 years
in advance; if I transfer my domain to you will my registration at my current registrar be lost?
When you transfer between registrars, you do not negate your current registration status. For example,
if your current expiry date is November 2003, and you transfer your domain to ArisHost in August 2001,
your new expiry date with us (once the transfer process is complete) will be November 2004.
If you are happy with your current registrar, you can also choose to stay with them and just sign up
for our Web Hosting services. This option costs the same $30 dollars a year. If you wish to transfer
your domain to us in the future, you can do so anytime.
23. How does the transfer process work? What do I need to do?
Please familiarize yourself with the transfer process flowchart found here:
http://www.ArisHost.com/Support/TransferFlow.jpg
After you sign up with ArisHost through our join page, we will automatically send a confirmation
letter to the email address associated with the Admin contact for your domain name. Please be
certain that this email address is still valid. You will need to confirm the transfer before the
process continues. If the Admin contact's email address is no longer valid, you MUST contact your
current registrar to have the email address updated. If you signed up with ArisHost and later
changed your Admin contact email address, you will need to contact
support@ArisHost.com to re-initiate
the transfer process.
Assuming that the Admin contact has confirmed the transfer, the domain name will now undergo a
"Sanity Check". This ensures that domain names like 'aol.com' and 'microsoft.com' aren't being
transferred. This process will take 24-48 hours at the maximum, and will not take place with all
domain names.
Assuming that the domain passes the Sanity Check, the transfer request is sent to your old registrar.
At this point, some registrars have added their own confirmation requirements for transfers away from
their system, so please watch out for contact from them. If the old registrar takes no action, then the
transfer is automatically completed after a grace period of 5-9 days. The old registrar can refuse the
transfer if the domain is past due, expired, or for any of many other reasons. In the event that your
current registrar refuses the transfer process, you will have to handle that situation with them directly.
After you have squared everything with the old registrar please contact us again and we can re-initiate
the transfer for you.
At any time during the transfer process, feel free to email us at
support@ArisHost.com and ask for the current
status of your transfer. We will inform you of what step in the process you are currently in,
and what you may need to do to speed up the transfer process.
24. Do you support ccTLD (country code TOP Level Domains)?
While ArisHost cannot register or accept transfers of domains with other ccTLD's, we do allow
ccTLD's to use our WebHosting option. We will automatically set up DNS on our nameservers for
you when you sign up for our services. All you would need to do is contact your current
registrar to point to our nameservers.
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