Frequently Asked Questions

• Search our FAQ section for a term, concept, or help on something.
• Use the form on the left to ask a us a question, if you're not finding what you want to know, or just don't have the time to search.

• What is a Technical Contact?
  
  
• What is a Billing Contact?
  
  
• What is a Registrant?
  
  
• What are the rules for creating a domain name?
  
  
• I just registered a domain name, but when I do another search, it appears to be available, is it really available still?
  
  
• Can I register a name that seems to be expired and not used?
  
  
• What should I do if I want to start an organization in the future but want to reserve a name now?
  
  
• Which characters are allowed in domain names?
  
  
• Do I have to use .com? Or can I use something else?
  
  
• Who owns the domain name once it is registered?
  
  

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• What is a Technical Contact?
  
  The Technical Contact is the person or organization that maintains the domain name Registrant's primary name server and resolves software, and database files. The Technical Contact keeps the name server running and interacts with technical people in other domains to solve problems that affect the domain name. An Internet Service Provider often performs this role. If the Technical or Billing Contact information is missing from the Registration Agreement, it is presumed that the domain name Registrant has authorized the Administrative Contact/Agent to act as the Technical Contact. Note: In many cases, a single person will be the registrant and sole contact for a domain name.
  
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• What is a Billing Contact?
  
  The Billing Contact is the person or organization that will be invoiced for registrations and renewals of the domain name.
  
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• What is a Registrant?
  
  The entity, organization, or individual listed as the legal holder of the domain name is known as the Registrant.
  
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• What are the rules for creating a domain name?
  
  First of all domain name must be available which can be verified with domain name verification page. Type in domain name you'd like to register not including "http://" or "www." in front of it and excluding domain name extension (read below). If wanted domain name is available, you'll be prompted to register it. The second rule is the rule of valid characters.
  
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• I just registered a domain name, but when I do another search, it appears to be available, is it really available still?
  
  No. The registration process takes 24-72 hours to complete, so just because the domain shows up as available, doesn't mean it is.
  
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• Can I register a name that seems to be expired and not used?
  
  No. If the name shows up in the Whois Database, then the name is still registered. Like any utility company, if you don't pay your bill on time, they do not simply cut your service off, they give you time to send a payment to them. That is the same thing that happens with a domain name, just because the date for the domain name to expire has past, doesn't mean that the domain name will become available the next day. You can keep checking the domain name in the whois database, and when it disappears, then the domain will be available for you to purchase or you can try out back order domain name service that will monitor the domain name day and night for you and register it as soon as it becomes available.
  
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• What should I do if I want to start an organization in the future but want to reserve a name now?
  
  We will be glad to park your domain for free until which time you are ready to activate your domain name. The registration fees are the same.
  
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• Which characters are allowed in domain names?
  
  For normal ASCII domain names, the letters a-z, the numbers 0-9, and one special character, the hypen or dash "-". Note that domains cannot start or end with a hyphen. For the new testbed IDNs (Internationalized Domain Names), the full range of Unicode characters are available. This allows nearly all of the languages on the planet to be represented within domain names, including Thai, Arabic, Lao, Hebrew, French, German etc.
  
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• Do I have to use .com? Or can I use something else?
  
  You may choose to use .com, .net, .org, .info, .biz, .edu (if you are an educational institution), or any other TLD you choose.
  
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• Who owns the domain name once it is registered?
  
  No one can "OWN" a domain name any more than one can "OWN" a telephone number. However, when you register a domain name, the domain name cannot be taken by anyone else, and you are responsible for all aspects of the domain name.
  
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