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1. What is a domain name?
A. The Internet is a very big
place. In order to organize it and move traffic around
every machine is assigned a number. This number isn't
easy to remember so to make it simpler a host name can
be associated with that number. But now you need to organize
host names on the internet. Domains are used to organize
host names on the internet. Domains also make it easy
to remember and retrieve information.
With a domain you can establish a 'place' on the internet
for goods, services, information, or just to be cool.
Common uses for a domain name are for setting up a website
like www.yourdomain.com or email services like questions@yourdomain.com.
Want to know more? The internet has plenty of information
on how to manage and use a domain name.
2.
What characters and length can I use for my domain name?
A. Only a few rules must
be followed when registering your domain name:
1. You can have a name that is 63 characters long not
including the extension. Therefore the root of the word
can be 63 characters.
2. Use only letters, numbers, or dash ("-")
3. Cannot begin or end with a dash
4. Domain names are not case sensitive
5. Domain names cannot include spaces
3. What
credit cards do you accept?
A.
At this time we accept Visa, MasterCard, and Discover.
4.
What do .com, .net, .org stand for in an Internet address?
A. These three extensions—.com, .net and .org—are
top-level domain names in the hierarchical Domain Name
System. They are probably the most popular and most widely
recognized top-level domain names on the Internet.
Here is some information about the .ws and .tv domains.
They are owned by the countries of Western Samoa and Tuvalu.
They sold the rights to use the .ws and .tv as a top-level
domain. .ws and .tv are 100% globally accessible, and
they can be viewed by anyone accessing the internet from
anywhere in the world. Additionally, everyone, regardless
of location, has the ability to register/administer .ws
and .tv domains.
All top-level domains and the guidelines by which they
function were created 20-25 years ago. Every country was
granted one top-level domain with the exception of the
US which was also given the .com, .net, org, .edu, and
.mil top-level domains. While .com is the most popular
extension, every top-level domain has the ability to work
in exactly the same way. The true difference between .com
and other top-level domains is purely marketing and exposure.
.ws and .tv are alternatives to .com.
5. Are .com,
.net and .org my only choices when registering a domain
name?
A. Softcom.net
currently registers domain names ending in .com, .net,
.org along with the newly added .ws, .tv and .us tld's.
As other extensions become more widely used on the Internet,
we will offer those to our customers as well. We'll keep
you posted through updates on our home page. If you would
like to register Country Code Top-Level Domains (CCTLDs)
please visit the IANA CCTLD Database for more information.
6.
What is a name server?
A.
Computers read Internet addresses through a series of
numbers called Internet Protocol (IP) numbers. Because
these numbers would be difficult for people to remember,
user-friendly Internet addresses were developed using
combinations of words and numbers. A name server is a
computer that has the capability to translate, or resolve,
the domain names we see and use in our browser windows
into IP numbers.
7.
Who should register a domain name?
A.
Anyone who wants to establish a presence on the Internet
or wants to secure the name for future use or resale.
8.
What if the domain name I want isn’t available?
A. If you search for the
availability of a name on HostLane.com and it is not available,
it means that someone else has already registered that
domain name. Softcom.net can only register domain names
that are available. Each Registrar is required to keep
a searchable whois database on their site for domains
registered by their customers. To find the correct whois
search you should query for particular information related
to a registered domain.
9.
Who owns the domain name?
A.
The owner of the domain name is the registrant information
entered into our database at the time of the original
registration. To find out the registrant information for
a domain name, please visit our Whois Search.
10.
Why does my newly registered domain name show up as “available”
on registrar’s Whois?
A.
When you register with us, your request is immediately
sent to the NSI shared registry. They update their whois
database only once a day, so if your registered domain
misses the current update you will have to wait up to
another 24 hours before your domain shows up. The DNS
information update process is similar except this happens
worldwide and can take up to 72 hours for completion.
11.
What if I misspelled my domain name?
A.
Please take extra care during registration to make sure
that everything is as it should be. All registrations
are final and fees are non-refundable.
If you have made a mistake you have three choices:
1. Keep the domain you have registered and develop it.
2. Have us delete your ownership from the domain. (No
refund)
3. Register the new name and have one of them redirected
to the other.
12. What if I forget my password?
A. Please contact our Domain
Support department at 1-916-851-1533.
13. What
is “Whois”?
A.
The 'Whois' feature is a search engine connected to a
database of domains registered. When you search for a
domain name, it will return the domains registration information
if the domain was registered through Network Solutions.
The registration information that is listed includes that
for the Owner, Administrative, and Technical contacts.
Also included is the domain's name servers. To see this
in action please visit our Whois search.
14. When
is “Whois” updated?
A.
When you register with us, your request is sent to the
NSI shared registry within 24 hours. They update their
Whois database once a day, so it’s possible for
your domain to just miss the current update. If this happens
you will have to wait up to another 24 hours before your
domain shows up. Domain name searches at all registrar
sites are updated IMMEDIATELY after registration so that
no domain name can be registered more than once. Whois
lookups take between 24-48 hours to update. You still
might not find your records at some sites because each
registrar is only required to maintain Whois records for
domain names that they register. They are not required
to maintain Whois records for domain names registered
with other registrars.
15.
What is a Cgi-Bin, where is it, and how do I use it?
A. CGI stands for common
gateway interface, and is a directory on your server that
will run cgi and perl scripts. Cgi and perl programs allow
you to set up forms, guestbooks, and other interactive
features for web interfaces. To activate a cgi directory
if one is not present, just create a directory called
"cgi" in your WWW folder, and it will automatically
be capable of running cgi.
16.
If I prepaid for the year, what happens at the end of
that year?
A.
You will be sent an invoice 30 days prior to your expiration
date. You can either mail us a check or renew online with
a credit card. You can also call our billing department
from 8am to 5pm at 1-800-982-7675 and give your credit
card information over the phone.
17.
What if I am not happy with my Softcom Domain Hosting?
A. SOFTCOM offers a risk
free, money-back guarantee less Domain registration (if
applicable) on all services. (See website for details:
www.softcom.net).
18.
How do I setup additional emails on my domain?
A. Just visit our Email
Control Panel and administer your users with the click
of a button! If you prefer to speak to someone about your
options, call 1-916-851-1533.
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