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Selecting a Domain Name
- What is a “domain name”?
- What kinds of things should I consider when choosing a domain name?
- What kind of domain name extensions can I use? Can I use international domains?
- I picked out a domain name. How can I find out if it is available?
- Someone else is already using the domain name I want. Is there anything I can do?
- I want to reserve my name, but I'm not ready to post my site yet. What are my options?
- Can I have more than one domain name? Can they both point to the same Web site?
- How do I register my domain name?
- How long will it take to register my new domain name?
- What does it cost to register my domain name?
- Whom do I contact regarding domain name billing?
- How long will it take for my domain to be active?
- I already have a registered domain name. How do I transfer it to UKFast?
- How long will it take to transfer my domain name to UKFast?
- I don’t remember who my registrar is. What can I do?
- What is propagation?
- How can I avoid downtime during the propagation period?
- My site is not showing up when I type in my domain name. What’s wrong?
What is a “domain name”?
A domain name is the label used to identify your Web site, for example ukfast.net. It usually describes some aspect of your site and is easier for your visitors to remember than your Web address, also known as your IP address.
In order for visitors to access your site on the Internet, you must select a unique domain name and register it with an accredited domain name registrar. UKFast is here to assist you with this process.
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What kinds of things should I consider when choosing a domain name?
Because your domain name will represent your business, you should make sure that the name you choose is memorable, descriptive and that it instils confidence, particularly if you plan on selling goods and services on your site.
Your domain name can be up to 67 characters long and can include any combination of letters, numbers and dashes (although it cannot start or end with a dash). A domain name must end with a domain extension, such as .net, .com, .org or .co.uk. The letters “www” at the beginning of a name are not considered part of the domain name.
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What kind of domain name extensions can I use? Can I use international domains?
You can use common domain extensions such as .com, .net and .co.uk as well as international domain extensions such as .tr, Ch, Us and Au. UKFast can provide hosting for any of these domain types.
UKFast can assist you in registering domains with .com, Net, .org, .co.uk, .info and .biz extensions. (For extensions not listed here, contact sales@ukfast.net for more information.)
UKFast cannot, however, register international domains. You will need to take special steps to register an international domain. See How do I register an international domain name for more information.
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I picked out a domain name. How can I find out if it is available?
You can quickly check to see if a domain name is available at http://www.ukfast.net/site/whois.php. Use the Domain Whois Search box (second from the top), type the domain name you are interested in, including the extension, and then click Whois Check. A seperate window will be displayed either with the domain used and its current details or no match shown. If no match is shown, good news! as then you can go ahead and buy this domain.
Remember the domain extension is part of the domain name so mydomain.co.uk is not the same as mydomain.com
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Someone else is already using the domain name I want. Is there anything I can do?
Once a domain name is registered, it belongs to the person or company that registered it. If you are really interested in having a domain name that is already registered to someone else, you can contact the owner of the domain name to find out if the name is for sale or you can wait for the registration to expire.
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I want to reserve my name, but I'm not ready to post my site yet. What are my options?
You have a number of different options. If you think you may want to get your site up and running in the near future, you can go ahead and register your name and sign up for a hosting package now. You will receive an "Under Construction" page that all your site's visitors will see until you are ready to publish your site.
If you think it may be a while before you are ready to publish your site, or if you want to reserve your name "just in case," you can simply just buy it.This means your domain is registered so that no one else can use it, but you do not have to pay for a complete hosting package. This is sometimes referred to as "parking" your domain. If you decide you want to go ahead and publish a web site later, you can do so through your client/reseller area.
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Can I have more than one domain name? Can they both point to the same Web site?
You can have as many domain names as you like. You can have each domain name point to a different site, or you can have multiple domain names point to the same Web site (but not to different pages within the same Web site). Many companies register several domain names and have them all point to the same central Web site. This is known as a “domain alias.”
Registering multiple domain names for the same site means you can attract more users to your site but it also can halt other companies from attracting potential customers. When picking multiple domain names—or aliases—for the same site, consider variations of your name such as common misspellings as well as both singular and plural versions of the name.
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How do I register my domain name?
Once you have decided on a domain name and have checked that it is available, UKFast can assist you with the process of registering your new domain name. For domain names ending with .com, Net, .org, .co.uk, Info, and Biz, we will send your domain name registration request to an accredited registrar immediately after you submit your order form. The registrar typically completes the registration process within 24 hours of receipt. The propagation process normally requires 48 to 72 hours.
Of course, you can always take care of the registration process yourself by working directly with an accredited domain name registrar and then transferring the domain name to UKFast.
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How long will it take to register my new domain name?
The relevant information from the order form you submit to us will be forwarded immediately to an accredited registrar to register your domain name. The registrar typically completes the registration process within 24 hours of receipt. The propagation process normally requires up to 48 hours.
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What does it cost to register my domain name?
The costs for registering your domain vary depending upon your pack and the domain name extension. For questions regarding UKFast pricing, you can contact UKFast’s sales department directly at sales@ukfast.net.
If you choose to work directly with an accredited domain name registrar, check with them for terms and pricing.
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Whom do I contact regarding domain name billing?
If you requested UKFast to handle the process of registering your domain name, we handle the billing for your registration charges.
If you handled the registration process for your domain name yourself, all questions and payments regarding domain name registration should be directed to your domain name registrar. Your registrar typically charges a fee to cover an initial registration period, and then charges an annual fee thereafter. If you are not sure who your registrar is, please contact our support staff and we will find out for you.
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How long will it take for my domain to be active?
There may be a brief delay between the time your domain name registration or transfer is completed and the time when your domain is active and can be accessed by everyone over the Internet. This is due to the propagation process.
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I already have a registered domain name. How do I transfer it to UKFast?
The transfer process depends on the registrar with whom you registered your domain name. Most registrars request that you log on to their systems and transfer the domain name yourself using the user name and password they assigned you. Once you log on to their site, you can change the nameserver information but you can do this with us once control has passed to us.. If you have a UK domain (.co.uk or .org.uk), you need to contact your registrar and have them change the IPS tag. The transfer process typically takes 48 to 72 hours.
Primary Nameserver nso.ukfast.net
Primary IP Address 81.201.128.133
Secondary Nameserver ns1.ukfast.net
Secondary IP Address 81.201.143.133
IPS Tag UKFAST
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How long will it take to transfer my domain name to UKFast?
Typically the transfer should be completed within about 24 to 48 hours. This is dependent on the extension (.co.uk or .com). For uk domains we can initate this for you but it is normally started by the losing registrar, with US domains when started an email is sent straight to the Administrative contact for the domain. It is always worth checking these details are uptodate and the person who receives this is aware of the transfer.
US domains can be
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I don’t remember who my registrar is. What can I do?
You can go to http://www.nsregistry.com/, enter your domain name and search for the registrar. Once you have this information, you can contact the registrar directly.
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What is propagation?
When visitors type your domain name into their Web browsers, their request is referred to a nameserver that indicates the physical location (the IP address) of your domain on the Internet. When your site location changes to a new IP address, or when you deploy a new site with a new domain name, nameservers around the world must be notified of the change. This process of notification is referred to as propagation.
Propagation typically takes 48 to 72 hours. During this time, if you are transferring your domain, some nameservers will still refer to your site’s old location while nameservers that have already been notified of the change will refer to the new location. As a result, visitors accessing your site may be directed to either the old or new location, depending upon which nameserver they connect to.If some visitors are still being directed to your old site location after 72 hours have elapsed, you should contact your previous Internet Presence Provider and request that they update their DNS and delete your domain from their servers. Once this has been done, and this change has been completely propagated, the transfer to your new location will be complete.
If your site is new, your site may not be recognised by all nameservers until the propagation period has completed. During the propagation period, you will need to use a Temporary URL to view any uploaded files and view your site. Please contact support@ukfast.net for further information.
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How can I avoid downtime during the propagation period?
While waiting for the new nameserver information to propagate throughout the Internet, we recommend maintaining your site at your current host to avoid down time for your site. During this time, you can ask for a temporary Web address (URL) to view your Web site on UKFast's servers until the transfer is complete.
If your site is new, you can use your temporary URL to begin publishing your Web site while you wait for the propagation period to complete.
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My site is not showing up when I type in my domain name. What’s wrong?
If you have recently set up your account, this probably means that your domain name has not been propagated to all of the possible domain nameservers.
Also check that you have given your home page a valid file name (such as index.htm or default.htm) and that you uploaded the files to the correct directory.
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Is it possible to have my own name servers?
Yes. SafeDNS was developed in-house to enable our customers to administer the DNS for all their domains. This can be either be branded (with your company details) or unbranded (with our company details).
To see safeDNS in action, visit here (username = test password = test).
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How can I contact you directly with any questions?
Simply ring 0800 458 4545 and our support team will answer your questions between 8 - 8 pm Monday- Friday.
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