FREQUENTLY
ASKED QUESTIONS
Here are brief explanations for some of the questions that you may have
about our Domain Registration Service.
ABOUT US
GENERAL DOMAIN INFORMATION
REGISTERING YOUR DOMAIN NAME
DOMAIN PRICING & PAYMENT
RENEWING YOUR DOMAIN
DOMAIN MANAGEMENT
DOMAIN TRANSFERS
ACTIVATING YOUR DOMAIN
WEB HOSTING
EMAIL SERVICES
TECHNICAL PROBLEMS
CONTACT US
Who is RegistryWeb?
RegistryWeb is part of an international
network of search engines and specialized sites which has been providing
web services to over 3 million customers since 1996. We provide a range of cost-effective domain, registry
and WHOIS services for individuals and businesses.
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Where are your servers
located?
Our Network Data Center is located in
Colorado, USA. in a building having multiple redundant OC-48 connections
to the Internet. Our connectivity comes from four of the largest tier-1
backbones in existence (including GTE, Sprint, and Cable &
Wireless).
The facility itself is a secure,
air-conditioned, static electricity controlled environment. All servers
are housed in secure racks behind 2 locked doors and full security
system. They are protected by surge suppression and power management
systems to ensure uninterrupted server operations.
A professional team monitors the network
24/7/365 to guarantee smooth and uninterrupted operation.
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Do you have any
testimonials?
Yes. We have received hundreds
of "thank you" emails from people who have registered domains through our service.
You can find a small sample here.
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What is a domain name?
A domain name is an Internet address (such as
registryweb.com). It is similar to a phone number or address in the offline
world. If your organization's name is FOO,
Inc., you could register the domain name FOO.COM and people could access
your site by visiting "www.foo.com" with their Web browser. A domain name also allows
you to receive e-mail at a customized e-mail address (such as yourname@foo.com).
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What is a URL?
The term URL means Uniform Resource Locator. This is the string of information that lets
people locate specific sites on the Internet. A URL is unique, meaning that no two are
exactly alike. It is a description of a computer's location on the Internet much like your
home address describes your location within a city. An example of a URL is
http://www.registryweb.com
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What is a Registry?
A Domain Registry is a company or
organization that processes domain name applications for a Top Level
Domain (TLD) such as .com or a country code Top Level Domain (ccTLD)
such as .com.au. Registries also manage and administer those domains on
a continuing basis.
Network Solutions, also known originally
as Internic, was the first and only Registry for the .com TLD for
several years, however the system has been changed to allow many
hundreds of Registries around the world to compete for registrations.
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What are the rules for creating
a Domain Name?
A .com domain name can
be up to 67 characters long, including the extension. Domain
names are not case sensitive. When entering the Domain Name you
want, do not include "www" or "http." You
should, however, put .com, .net, .org, .com.au, .net.au, .co.uk, .org.uk,
.co.nz, .net.nz etc at the end of the Domain Name.
If your first choice is not available, consider looking up the same name with a slight
variation, or a different ending.
Example: yourname.com is not available? Try yourname.net
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.
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Do I have to use .com?
No. In addition to the TLD ".com" you can also
choose from many Top Level and Country extensions such as:
".net" - originally intended for companies
involved in Internet infrastructure, anybody can register these
domains.
".org"- originally intended for not-for-profit
organizations, anybody can register these domains.
".info"- anybody can register these domains.
".biz"- any business can register these domains.
".com.au" - Australian TLD used for commercial sites.
".net.au" - Australian TLD used for network sites.
".co.uk" - UK TLD used for both commercial and personal sites.
".org.uk" - UK TLD used for both commercial and personal sites.
".co.nz" - New Zealand TLD used for both commercial and personal sites.
".net.nz" - New Zealand TLD used for both commercial and personal sites.
".md" - Moldova, to be used for commercial sites relating to the medical profession.
".ky" - The Cayman Islands, to be used for commercial and personal sites.
".cc" - Cocos Islands, to be used by all enterprises.
".sh" - St. Helena, to be used for both commercial and personal sites.
".ac" - Ascension, to be used for both commercial and personal sites.
".ch" - Switzerland, to be used for both commercial and personal sites.
".li" - Liechtenstein, to be used for both commercial and personal sites.
".tc" - Turks and Caicos Islands, to be used for both commercial and personal sites.
".vg" - British Virgin Islands, to be used for both commercial and personal sites.
".ms" - Montserrat, to be used for both commercial and personal sites.
".gs" - South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands to be use for commercial and personal sites.
".tf" - French Southern Territories, to be use for commercial and personal sites.
".to" - Tonga, to be use for commercial and personal sites.
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Can I register an .aero, .coop, .museum, or .pro address with RegistryWeb?
These domains have been approved by ICANN but are
not yet available to be registered. We'll be supporting these new domains as soon as they become available for registration and will be posting details on our Home Page when you are able to order them.
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What if the name I want to use
is already taken?
It means that someone on the Internet has already secured that name for his or her own
site, and that name is probably gone. You may try a slight variation on that name, think
up a new one, register the same name with a different domain extension or visit us again to check
for another name.
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What should I do if I am
planning to start a business in the future but I want to reserve a domain name now?
If you are planning on starting a company or business but do not have an official name established yet, simply
register the domain in your name. Once you have established your business you can change your
name and information.
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How long should it take
to register my domain?
Your domain name will be registered
immediately after your payment is approved. However please
note that it can take up to 72 hours for the
Internet to recognize new domain names.
Country domain names such as .COM.AU usually
take 2-3 working days to be approved by the various country Registries.
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How do I check the
details of my domain registration?
You can check the current information
for your domain name in our WHOIS
Search.
Please note that other third party WHOIS
systems will not show detailed information for privacy reasons and to minimize
spam.
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How do I change the hosting or nameservers on my domain?
Use our Change
Web Host form to request these changes. You will be required to
provide your Domain Password to verify your identity. If you
lose the Password, you can retrieve it here.
Your web host will provide you with
nameserver details. Nameserver requests must include a Primary and
Secondary Hostname (and IP address for some domains), and will look like this:
- PRIMARY
HOSTNAME: ns.example.com
- PRIMARY IP ADDRESS:
206.168.98.225
- SECONDARY HOSTNAME:
ns2.example.com
- SECONDARY IP ADDRESS:
206.168.98.242
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Where will my domain name be held as soon as it is registered?
Your domain name will be held at a nameserver, either ours on a temporary basis,
or your web host if you specified this information during your
application.
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Can I "park" my domain name on your servers? How
much does it cost?
You can park your domain name on nameservers for FREE.
Parking simply means your domain is reserved for you, without putting it live on
the Internet. The domain becomes yours, so nobody else can register it. Your domain
can be parked here for as long as you wish until you are ready to activate
it.
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How can I save time when registering multiple
domains?
You can use our Bulk
Order Form to register up to 40 .biz, .info, .com, .net or .org domains at one time.
Please use our Standard Order Form for
other domains.
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How do I change my domain name
if I have misspelled it or registered the wrong name?
Unfortunately, domains can't be changed or
cancelled once they are registered and registration fees are not refundable.
This is a worldwide policy with all Registrars. This is the reason
our order form says "Please check the spelling of your domain carefully. Domain
names cannot be changed or cancelled after you submit this order!".
If you subsequently decide to register the
correct domain, your credit card will be charged for another order.
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How does RegistryWeb use my data?
Your privacy is of utmost concern. We have a privacy policy that is strictly adhered to.
The data we request is necessary under ICANN
rules to register a domain and create a WHOIS record for it. This information also helps us
maintain a high level of security on your account and provide you with more
relevant news and information. No user identifiable information will be sold to any third party
under any circumstances! For more information regarding
your privacy, please see our Legal &
Privacy Notices.
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Will my name and contact information be publicly available?
Your name and email address will be visible on
our WHOIS site, however we do not show
street addresses or telephone numbers to comply with privacy laws. You can also use a free email account such as
Hotmail, instead of your ISP email address if you wish.
Please note that other third party WHOIS systems
will not show detailed information for privacy reasons and to minimize spam.
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How can you be so much cheaper than Network
Solutions?
Network Solutions used to have a monopoly on
domain name registration but now is only one of hundreds of domain Registries
worldwide. Competition and market forces are driving down prices under the new
domain registration system, however the older players in the industry have
been slow to respond to this new challenge.
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What payment methods do you accept?
We can accept payment by credit card (Visa, Mastercard, American Express), bank wire
transfer and Paypal. Please contact our
Customer Service Team if you need more information about any of these methods.
Note: If you are a RegistryWeb Reseller, or if you are
interested in registering a large number of domain names, please click
here.
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What documentation will I
receive from
RegistryWeb after registering a domain?
To help maintain our low domain pricing, all
documentation from our system is electronic. Once you complete your order, you
should print the onscreen Invoice for your records. An email Invoice will also
be sent to the Cardholder email address immediately after registering a domain.
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I have not received my email
Invoice. Can you re-send it?
Many ISP's run spam filters that incorrectly reject Notices as
spam. Unfortunately, this is a major problem in today's high-spam Internet. Please note that AOL,
Comcast, Hotmail and Yahoo are particularly aggressive at blocking System Notices.
Unfortunately, because the Invoices are auto-generated during the
order process, they cannot be re-sent. However, you can find full details about your domain
registration in our WHOIS system here. You can manage your domain
name in our Domain Management Center here. If necessary, you can
also retrieve your Domain Password here.
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Why have I been charged in
Australian dollars, not US dollars?
RegistryWeb uses a third-party billing service
located in Australia so all services will be billed in Australian dollars.
Prices stated in other currencies are intended only as a guide. If
you place an order, your credit card company will convert the registration fee
into your currency automatically.
Click here to see
our current price list.
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Do you offer bulk discounts?
Yes. Click
here for more information about our Reseller Accounts.
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How do I renew my domain
registration?
Click
here to renew your domain registration(s).
Please note that we don't automatically renew
domain registrations. Your registration will not be renewed unless you
place a renewal order.
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How many years can I renew
for?
For com, .net, .org, .biz and .info domain
names, our Renewal
System gives you the option to renew for terms ranging from 1 to 25 years.
Most country domain names give the option of fixed renewal terms of 1 or 2 years.
To renew your domain registration beyond the
terms listed in our Renewal
System, you can simply place multiple renewal orders or contact
our Customer Service Team for individual service.
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Will I be reminded when my
domain is due for renewal?
Yes, Renewal Notices will be sent to the Admin and Billing Contacts
for a domain on a weekly basis commencing 90 days before expiry.
Unfortunately, some Notices are undeliverable for reasons such as:
- The Contact email addresses for the
domain are no longer valid or current.
- Your Mailserver administrator runs spam
filters that incorrectly reject our Notices as spam. Unfortunately, this is a major problem in
today's high-spam Internet. Please note that AOL, Comcast, Hotmail and Yahoo are particularly
aggressive at blocking System Notices.
- Most email software such as Outlook and Internet Security Software
such as Norton/McAfee/etc also have spam filters which can block messages. You may need to whitelist
our domain name @registryweb.com in your email system to ensure our messages are delivered.
- Your ISP or the Internet in your area was
having a technical problem when the Notices were sent.
For these reasons, we recommend our customers
keep an eye on their domain expiration dates in case the Notices don't reach them
for some reason.
If necessary, you can update the email addresses
for your Contact Handles here.
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What happens if I don't renew
my domain name?
If you choose not to renew your domain name, it
will be deactivated on the Expiration Date and may be deleted soon after by some
registries. You risk losing your domain name if you don't renew it on or before
the Expiration Date.
For COM/NET/ORG/BIZ/INFO domain names, a 30-day "grace"
period is provided after expiry to allow for late renewals.
If the domain name is not renewed
during the 30-day "grace"
period, the Central Registry will then suspend the
domain name. After suspension, a reactivation process is available, however it
is very expensive so we don't recommend it. Please contact
us if you need more information.
If the domain name is still not reactivated
during the suspension period, it will be deleted 60-90 days after expiration and put
back into the pool of available domain names.
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How do I log in to my account and manage my
domain name?
Casual customers (who only have a few domain names) can manage
their domain names and registration settings using our Domain Management Center.
To make the change process quick and easy for casual customers, we have
removed the requirement to log in to an account. All you need is your domain password to make a wide
range of changes here.
Customers with many domain names should apply for a Reseller Account
to access discount prices and our comprehensive Reseller Center.
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How do I get a list of all domain names I have registered with RegistryWeb?
Casual customers (who only have a few domain names) can use our
Domain Management Center to search our WHOIS database and list all
domain names registered with a particular email address.
Resellers should log into our
Reseller Center and click on the "Manage Domain Names"
link to see a list of all of their domain names including the Expiration Dates and Status.
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Can I change my domain name?
Unfortunately, Central Registry rules don’t
allow us to change the spelling of domain names after they are registered. If
you want a different domain name, you will need to register it as a separate
application.
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How do I transfer my domain
name to RegistryWeb?
You can transfer BIZ, INFO, COM, NET, ORG,
COM.AU and UK domain
names from another registry to RegistryWeb using our Secure
Transfer Form.
BIZ, INFO, COM, NET and ORG domains cost
$6 and include an extra year of registration added to
your current registration term. You won't lose any time still remaining on
your domain. After your domain is transferred, you can renew for
any period you wish. The process usually takes around one week
to complete, so you need to have at least 7 days left on your registration
before it expires.
Click
here to see prices for other country domains.
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How do I transfer my domain
name away from RegistryWeb?
If you wish to transfer a domain registration to another Registry and
your domain name is eligible for transfer at the present time, there are 2 simple steps to transfer a
domain name away from RegistryWeb:
- Click here to
complete the Terminate and Unlock Process.
This process will also generate an authorization code for the domain name.
- Wait 1 business day then contact another registrar of your choice
and ask them to submit a Transfer Request for the domain name. They will then complete the transfer for
you within 7 days
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I have registered my domain. How do I
activate it?
Once you have completed the registration process,
the next step is to choose a web host or set up URL Forwarding.
If you have chosen a web host and wish to transfer your domain to an active web site,
you can use our Change Web Host Form to request these changes. You will be required to
provide your Domain Password to verify your identity. If you
lose the Password, you can retrieve it here.
Your web host will assist you in uploading your newly created pages and post your site on the Internet. Please contact your
web host directly for more information.
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Do I have to host my domain with
RegistryWeb?
No, RegistryWeb is only a domain registry, so we
can't provide web hosting ourselves. You are welcome to host your domain with any company you choose. Simply enter the details of their nameservers when you register the domain, or on
our Change Web Host Form if the domain is already registered. The
change will be processed immediately and should be recognized by the Internet
within 72 hours.
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What hosting choices do I have?
You have 4 choices for hosting your web site:
- Current Web Host. If you already
have a web host you can set your domain up with them quickly and easily.
- Free Web Host. If you don't have a
web host but you don't want to pay any web site expenses, choose a free web
host.
- Discount Web Host. If you
need a low-cost web
host.
- Commercial Web Host. If you need more advanced
features and have a larger budget, a commercial host will be your best
choice.
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How do I set up my current web
host?
If your current web host supports domain
hosting, you can set your domain up using our Change
Web Host Form.
If they don't support domain hosting, you can
point your domain at your site using URL Forwarding. There are many URL
Forwarding services on the Internet, including our sister site ForwardingWeb.
Click here
for more information.
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How do I set up free hosting?
These sites provide up to 50MB of disk space and
include many free services including FrontPage/FTPsupport, CGI scripting and
site statistics.
Click here for more
information.
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How do I set up discount hosting?
Our sister site BudgetHostingWeb offers reliable, low-cost web hosting
from 25 cents per month! Their accounts are designed to help people get online with a basic site
quickly, easily and cheaply. Their system offers instant account setup
with no ads.
Click here
for more information.
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How do I find a commercial web
host?
To find the best host to suit your needs, we recommend that you
visit HostIndex.com,
the web's largest hosting directory which includes detailed
information and comparisons of 2,000+ web hosts.
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How do I set up forwarding?
If you want to forward your
domain name to an IP address (for example 123.123.123.123), you can do this here.
If you want to forward your
domain name to another domain (for example http://www.otherdomain.com), you can
do this here.
Alternatively, if you want to
forward your domain to a specific web page (for example
http://www.otherdomain.com/page.html) we're sorry we can't provide this service,
however our sister site ForwardingWeb
will be able to help you.
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I have set up my web site. How do I create and publish my pages on the
Web at my new address?
Web pages are written in a simple code called
HTML. There are
many web design software programs available on the market that allow you to design
and publish your
pages quickly and easily.
Two of the most popular ones are Macromedia Dreamweaver and Microsoft FrontPage.
Many web hosts also offer easy pagebuilders.
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How do I set up email on my
domain?
Email is usually handled by your web host,
however if you just want email on your domain or you plan to use URL Forwarding,
our sister site ForwardingWeb also offers Email Accounts as a paid upgrade. You can choose either
Email Forwarding or a POP Mailbox. Click
here to find more information and their order form.
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I can't connect to your secure
server.
If you are using a Version 3 or earlier browser, your security certificate
has probably expired. This problem is very easy to fix. Click
here to go through a 2 minute update process. You will only need to update your
certificate once to access most secure servers on the internet.
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My domain isn't working.
There can be many reasons why a domain isn't
working, however some of the most common include:
- Your domain is only parked (reserved) and needs to be activated.
- The nameservers entered for your domain are
wrong or were rejected by the DNS system. You can check your current
nameservers here. If they are not
correct, you can change them here.
- You have set up your domain with a web host,
but they are having a technical problem. You will need to contact them for
help.
- Your domain is not parked on our nameservers
so our DNS services won't work. If you need to move your domain back
to our nameservers, you can do this here.
Please contact our
Customer Service Team if you need help.
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There are
banners on my site.
We don't put banners on any customers' domains.
However, if you choose free hosting or forwarding, these
services usually cover their costs by displaying one advertising banner
on their members'
pages. Advertising revenue covers the substantial financial costs of
providing free services such as hosting or URL Forwarding. This is
explained more fully on the signup pages for those services. Most services give
you the
option of upgrading to Ad-Free Hosting or Forwarding at any time, or you can
move your domain to another service.
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I need more information. Who do
I contact?
Our Customer Service Team will be happy to
provide you with further information or assistance. You can contact them at:
http://www.registryweb.com/contact.shtml
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