Domain Registration & DNS FAQ

End User Answers

What is a domain name?
A domain name is essentially a signpost on the Internet. Every website you've ever been to, and every email you've ever composed, has used a domain name in its address. People register domain names in order to 'stake a claim' to a particular name -- whether for business or personal reasons. Once a domain name is registered to a person or company, it is that person's to use exclusively as long as they continue to pay the yearly renewal fee. Our domain name is opensrs.org, and we also own opensrs.com and opensrs.net

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After I've chosen DomRegNow.com as my Registration Service Provider, what's involved in getting my domain name?
Simply apply for the name by clicking the link in the left panel titled Fast Domain Registry. Once you've applied for the name, we will processes the order with OpenSRS, and then the domain name is registered to you. This process can generally be completed within one business day or less.

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Once I have a domain name, how can I make changes to it?
You can make changes to your domain name by using the DomRegNow.com management interface at: http://www.domregnow.com/register/manage.cgi Bear in mind you'll need your domain's username and password to make the desired changes.

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What is the role of OpenSRS in relation to DomRegNow.com?
OpenSRS is a domain registrar that competes with other domain registrars (Network Solutions, Register.com, etc.) in the domain name market. OpenSRS is strictly a wholesaler, providing services to Registration Service Providers who in turn sell domain names to people and companies worldwide. Because we focus on 'business-to-business' relationships, we're able to avoid the costs of supporting a base of end users, and consequently, can offer our services at a significantly lower price than our competitors. This low price then get's passed on to DomRegNow.com customers.

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What's the difference between an OpenSRS registered domain name and a Network Solutions (NSI) registered domain name?
There's no difference between a name registered with OpenSRS and a name registered with Network Solutions. Network Solutions is currently better known because they ran the first domain registration business without competition for a number of years.

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Registry? Registrar? Registrant? What do these words mean?

Registrar: A "Registrar" (or "Domain Name Registrar") is an organization like OpenSRS or Network Solutions that has control over the granting of domains within certain TLDs (top level domains, like the generic .com/.org/.net or country-specific .ca/.us/.mx etc.).
Registry: The 'Registry' is the backend that registrar's have shared access to. Each registrar writes new names to a central registry database, from which the authoritative root (essentially, a table of all domain names on the Internet) is built.
Registrant: A registrant is the person or company who purchases a domain name. For example, Jessica Smith (registrant) registers the name jessicasmith.com through OpenSRS (registrar) who in turn writes the name to the central database (Registry).

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How can I get in touch with a DomRegNow.com?
You can reach us by emailing our helpful support staff (support@domregnow.com) who will make sure to expedite your request as quickly as possible.

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I forgot my login name and password.
Your login name and password (used to make modifications to your domain name record) can be obtained from us directly. Please email us at support@domregnow.com or call us during normal business hours.

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How do I resolve a payment dispute with a DomRegNow?
Please contact us via email at support@domregnow.com, write, or call us. If you feel we have not satisfied our responsibilities to you as a client, you may contact OpenSRS directly. Please visit OpenSRS for more details and contact information.

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Who does a registered name actually belong to, the end user or the Registration Service Provider?
Domain names are not truly owned -- they're leased out on a first-come, first-served basis, and remain with the initial lessee until either
a) the lessee does not renew the name, or
b) a business with a trademark of the same name demonstrates a greater claim to the name than the lessee can demonstrate.
The question is better phrased as 'who can control the domain name'.
With DomRegNow.com, the answer is the domain's Administrative Contact. Please consult the Registration Agreement for full details.

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How much control do domain owners have over their domain once they've signed up through DomRegNow.com?
Domain owners, in general, have full control over their DomRegNow.com registered domain names. This means that the domain owner has the power to:
a) Change admin/technical and billing contacts for the domain.
b) Change ownership of the domain.
c) Change the nameservers that are authoritative for the domain.
d) Create sub-users and enable them to change some/all of the options in a, b and c above.
e) Change the password that enables a, b, c, and d above.
As an end-user, it's unlikely you'll care to bother with such details. If this is the case, please contact us by email or in person for help. Please review the Registration Agreement policy pages for information on how we deal with domain authority.

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I heard the "WHOIS" at Internic is not in real time. How is this different from the WHOIS function at OpenSRS?
WHOIS is a tool that permits people to access information about a particular domain name. Internic updates their WHOIS data twice every 24 hrs. This means the data it presents isn't as up-to-date as it could be. For example, if a domain name has transferred ownership, it's possible this fact wouldn't be available to you for up to twelve hours. In contrast, with regard to names we host, OpenSRS WhoIS information is updated in real time. If you need to be certain that your domain name information is correct, we recommend you use the OpenSRS WHOIS.

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What's the difference between .com, .net, .org domain names?
Originally, the three letter extensions after the dot (or Top Level Domain/TLD) were meant to denote whether the domain name was being used for business (.com) charity/non-profit (.org) or for a technology based company (.net). However, with the explosion of the Internet (and specifically, the world wide web) as a new business medium, the lines were blurred, and companies and individuals alike started cross-registering domains (ie. Me.com, me.net, me.org) just to protect their interests. Now, .com, .net, and .org names (the generic Top Level Domains) can be used for any purpose.

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Does DomRegNow.com register in any other top level domains (.ca, .us, .co, .uk, etc.)?
Currently, DomRegNow.com doesn't register top level domains beyond the .com, .net, and .org specifications, but we're working towards offering registrations in various country code top level domains (ccTLDs) in the near future.

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This is fascinating. Where can I go for more information on the domain name space?
For a detailed account on the evolution of the domain space as a business phenomenon, please visit http://www.icann.org.

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