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What is a domain name?
Similar to how your house address indicates where
you live in the world, a domain name indicates where your computer is
located on the Internet. Organizations that do business over the Internet
want domain names (addresses) that are easy to remember and that are closely
related to their company's trademark, so that customers can locate their
web site very easily.
The actual domain name is a simplified, easier-to-read
translation of an IP (Internet Protocol) address. The Internet is composed
of a vast number of interconnected computers. Each of these computers
is assigned a numeric value of the form 000.000.000.000. This numeric
value is called an IP address. If each computer on the Internet were identifiable
only through its IP address, people would have a lot of difficulty when
trying to locate each other and having to memorize each other's addresses.
Domain names simplify IP addresses into an easy to remember combination
of words and numbers.
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How long will it take to
setup my account?
Accounts are setup immediately. You may immediately
FTP to http://yourdomaincom.buildersplanet.com. See below for information on when www.yourdomain.com
will be available. You will receive a welcome letter when you sign up,
explaining everything you need to know.
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How long before www.mydomainname.com
is accessible?
Your domain registration request is handled automatically
by our signup system. Requests for new domain names typically take only
a few minutes to register with Network Solutions, Inc. (http://www.networksoltions.com/). After registration
it may take up to 24 hours for the domain record to migrate into the Network
Solutions, Inc. (NSI) database and become an active URL.
Modification requests are generated and sent
to Network Solutions for any domain that your transfer to us. Once NSI
receives this request, they will email the domain contacts an acknowledgement
request for approval. Two of the three contacts must reply to this acknowledgement
request in an affirmative manor. If one replies in a negative manner the
request will be rejected. It may take up to three (3) days for Network
Solutions to process. After Network Solutions/InterNIC has approved the
request, it will take between 24 and 48 hours for all of the DNS servers
in the world to update and activate your URL.
Please note, if your domain name was registered
through an agency other than Network Solutions, the modification request
we generate will not affect the transfer of your domain. You will have
to contact the agency with which your registered your domain and change
the DNS information manually.
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How do I know if the domain
name I want is available?
You may go to http://www.networksolutions.com/ to see if your
domain name is available.
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What happens behind the scenes
in order for my transfer to take place?
When a customer fills out the sign up form and
indicates a transfer domain, our system emails a DNS Change template to
Network Solutions. Upon receipt, NSI's system generates an email to each
of the three contacts of record for the domain (Technical, Billing, Admin)
requesting authorization for the DNS changes. For the change to be approved,
two contacts must reply with approval. If no one responds, or if one contact
denies the request, it will not be approved. Customers must then go to
Network Solutions and make the DNS change themselves.
If your domain is not registered with Network
Solutions, you will need to contact the agency that registered your domain
name initially and give them our DNS information.
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How do I register/transfer
an international domain name to be hosted with BuildersPlanet.com?
If you wish to register an international domain,
you will need to contact the international registrar for the country in
which you are located and register the domain name through your local
register. You will then need to give them our DNS information in order
for your domain to be hosted with us.
If your international domain is already registered
you will need to give them our DNS information
in order for the change to take place.
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What DNS servers should be associated
with my domain?
Our DNS servers are:
NS1.MYDNSSERVER.COM
12.30.178.229
NS2.MYDNSSERVER.COM
208.141.56.230
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What forms of payment are
acceptable?
BuildersPlanet.com isimplementing a new billing
system in Fall 2000. To save time (both yours and ours) all payments are
automatic. We only accept two payment methods: credit card or ACH. ACH
is an automatic withdrawal of funds from your checking account. All you
need to use this payment method is enter the name on the checking account,
routing number (as seen on the bottom of a check, is the first set of
numbers between the two colons), and the account number (which is the
second set of numbers on the bottom of the check between the quotation
marks). You can submit payment information via phone, email, fax, or at
our secure site.
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How do I cancel/suspend my
account?
To cancel your domain, please call us at 800/355-6689
or 831/335-0475. You may also e-mail us a notification.
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How do I make changes to
my registration information or transfer ownership of my domain?
If the domain name is one that you registered
through BuildersPlanet, you may e-mail any contact changes to domains@buildersplanet.com.
To transfer ownership of domains registered through
Registrars.Com, please download the Ownership Transfer Form http://webnic.registrars.com/pdfforms/owner_transfer.pdf
and fax it to (502) 568-3934. Do not fax it to the number on the form
as it must be submitted to IDR by BuildersPlanet.com.
For domains registered through Network Solutions,
you may visit the “Make Changes” area of http://www.networksolutions.com/. For all other
registrars, please contact that registrar directly.
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What is the username and
password used to access the Domain Control Panel at Registrars.com?
All domains registered through IDR by HPH are
linked to a single account—to simplify domain management and billing functions.
The Domain Control Panel only allows the ability to change the DNS information
on file. You will not need to access this while hosting with HPH. You
will be assigned a username and password when you leave our hosting service.
Please see the section of this document pertaining to account cancellation.
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Does BP pay the renewal fees
for my domain registration?
No. The Billing Contact for the domain is responsible
for paying all registration fees.
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I already have my own domain
currently hosted on another service. Is there any problem with transferring
the domain from them to you? How does that work? Will I have time to set
up my web site before the transfer takes effect to make it smooth as possible?
It is always a good idea to advise your current
host that you are transferring to another company. When you complete our
signup process and indicate that you are transferring your domain we send
a modification request to Network Solutions. Once NSI receives this request,
they will email the domain contacts an acknowledgement request for approval.
If one replies in a negative manner the request will be rejected. It may
take up to three (3) days for Network Solutions to process. After Network
Solutions/InterNIC has approved the request, it will take between 24 and
48 hours for all of the DNS servers in the world to update and activate
your URL. Advising your current host of your intent to transfer is especially
a good idea if they are listed as your technical contact—their negative
response to the acknowledgement request would halt the transfer process.
For a more detailed account of what goes on "behind the scenes" when you
request a domain transfer, click here.
Please note that if your domain name was registered
through an agency other than Network Solutions, the modification request
we generate will not affect the transfer of your domain. You will have
to contact the agency with which your registered your domain and change
the DNS information manually.
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I am having trouble getting
my domain released from my old host, or the domain transfer is taking
a long time. Who should I contact?
Many web hosts will reply “no” to the modification
acknowledgement request they receive from NSI if your account with them
is unpaid or otherwise unsettled. You must either settle with them or
contact Network Solutions to remove them as a contact (a rather lengthy
process that may be begun at the “Make Changes” area of http://www.networksolutions.com/).
If you did not receive an acknowledgement request
from NSI (InterNIC) it could be that your domain is registered through
an agency other than NSI. If that is the case, you will need to contact
that agency directly and change the DNS information to point to our service.
If you replied to the acknowledgement request
from NSI, you will need to contact them directly to investigate any delays.
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I transferred
my files but I still see under construction. What is wrong?
The most common reasons for this are:
- You did not name your first page index.htm
or another autostart name.
- You uploaded the content outside the HTML
directory.
- Make sure all files are inside the HTML directory.
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How long can a domain name
be and what characters may it contain?
Domain names may be up to 67 characters in length
(including the extension). Previously, all .com, .net, and .org
domain names were limited to 26 characters. These characters may consist
of any alphanumeric combination as well as the hyphen. Spaces, dollar
signs, ampersands (&), etc., may not be used.
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Will my name and contact
information be publicly available?
Yes. Information about who is responsible for
domain names is publicly available to allow rapid resolution of technical
problems and to permit enforcement of consumer protection, trademark,
and other laws. Our registrar will make this information available to
the public on a "Whois" site.
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What agency does HPH utilize
to register domain names?
We currently utilize Network Solutions, Inc.,
http://www.networksolutions.com/
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I've seen domain names
ending with two-letter combinations, like .uk or .co.uk—what are the rules
for registering these domains and how do I host them with BuildersPlanet.com?
Two letter domains, such as .uk, .de and
.jp (for example), are called country code top level domains (ccTLDs)
and correspond to a country, territory, or other geographic location.
The rules and policies for registering domain names in the ccTLDs vary
significantly and some are reserved for use by citizens of the corresponding
country. You should check with the registrar offering ccTLD registration
services regarding the specific terms and conditions for registration.
Many countries require domain registrants to utilize the third-level domain
as the second-level domain may be reserved to indicate the type of organization
utilizing the domain. For example, in the United Kingdom, businesses may
utilize companyname.co.uk while non-profits organizations might utilize
organization.org.uk. HPH does not register ccTLDs but will host them once
you secure the domain name through the appropriate agency.
If you wish to register an international
domain, you will need to contact the international registrar in the country
responsible for the domain name in which you are interested. During the
registration process, you will need to supply the registrar with our DNS
server information in order for us to host it.
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I would like more information
on U.S. Government's role in Internet domain name system management. Where
should I go?
Information regarding the United States Government's
efforts to privatize the management of the domain name system and increase
competition in domain name registration services is available at http://www.ntia.doc.gov/.
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How can I protect my domain
name against potential trademark disputes?
One way to avoid trademark disputes would
be to choose the right domain name - just as you choose the right company
name. For instance, if your company is named Integrated Business Management,
you would not want to register a domain name of "IBM". This would be a
sure fire way of inducing a trademark dispute!
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I would like a third
level domain set up. Who do I email?
Please send an email to our Systems Operation
Center at mailto:general@buildersplanet.com.
Be sure to include your domain name.
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