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?
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?
Can I have more than one domain name? Can they both point to the same Web site?
Can I reserve a domain name to use later?
I have decided on my domain name. What is the process for registering it?

How do I register my domain name?
What does it cost to register my domain name?
How long will it take to register my new domain name?

I already have a registered domain name. How do I transfer it to Way2Host?
I don’t remember who my registrar is. What can I do?
Do you have contact information for the most common registrars?
How do I transfer my domain name from Network Solutions/VeriSign?
What information do I need to give my current registrar?
How long will it take to transfer my domain name to Way2Host?
How long will it take for my domain to be active?
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 an Authorization Code?

A domain name is the label used to identify your Web site, for example Way2Host.com. It usually describes some aspect of you 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. Way2Host can assist you with this process by registering your domain name for you..

Because your domain name will represent you, your group or your business, you should make sure that the name you choose is descriptive and easy to remember.

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 .name. The letters “www” at the beginning of a name are not considered part of the domain name.

You can use the domain extensions .com, Net, .org or Name Way2Host can provide hosting for any of these domain types.

You can quickly check to see if a domain name is available at www.way2host.com. Type the domain name you are interested in into the Domain Name Search box, including the extension, and then click Go. Way2Host will search to see if that name is currently available. If the domain name is already registered, you may want to try variations of the name.

Remember, the domain extension is part of the domain name—mydomain.com is not the same as mydomain.net.

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.

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.”

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.

Yes. If you have picked out a name and would like to reserve it but are not ready to post your site quite yet, Way2Host can still register the domain name for you. You will receive an “Under Construction” page that you can use until you are ready to publish your site.

Once you have decided on a domain name and have checked that it is available, you will need to register it. Way2Host can assist you with the process of registering your new domain name. See How do I register my domain name.

Once you have decided on a domain name and have checked that it is available, Way2Host can assist you with the process of registering your new domain name. 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 Way2Host. See I already have a registered domain name. How do I transfer it to Way2Host?

We will add a charge of $13.95 to your first bill for hosting services to cover the first year of registration. For questions regarding your Way2Host account billing, you can use SiteControl to start a billing troubleticket or contact Way2Host’s billing department directly via email. You can find the email address in SiteControl's Support section.

If you choose to work directly with an accredited domain name registrar, check with them for terms and pricing.

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 48 to 72 hours.

If you have already registered your domain name elsewhere, Way2Host will try to assist you in transferring your domain to us. The transfer process depends on the registrar with whom you registered your domain name.

If you registered your domain name with Network Solutions/VeriSign, you can indicate on your Way2Host order form that you would like Way2Host to request the transfer for you. We will make the request, and Network Solutions/VeriSign will request confirmation from you by sending a message to the email address they have on file for you. Once they receive an email response from you confirming the transfer, they will go ahead and transfer the domain name to our network, usually within 48 to 72 hours.

Other registrars such as Register.com and Namesecure 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 have logged on to their site, you will need to change your current nameserver information to Way2Host’s information. You can find your nameservers by logging into SiteControl and selecting Domain Name. Click the Nameservers item to display your primary and secondary nameserver information.

You can go to www.nsregistry.com, enter your domain name and search for the registrar. Once you have this information, you can either contact Way2Host to assist with the process (if you are registered with Network Solutions/VeriSign) or you can contact the registrar directly.

Here are some links to domain manager interfaces for some registrars:

Namesecure:	http://www.namesecure.com/customercare/index_updatecenter.cfm
Register.com:	http://mydomain.register.com
MelbourneIT:	https://direct.internetnamesww.com
DomainBank:	https://www1.domainbank.net/domainmanager/
Tucows/OpenSRS:	https://manage.opensrs.net

If you registered your domain name with Network Solutions/VeriSign, you can indicate on your Way2Host order form that you would like Way2Host to request the transfer for you.

We will make the request, and Network Solutions/VeriSign will request confirmation from you by sending a message to the email address they have on file for you. Once they receive an email response from you confirming the transfer, they will go ahead and transfer the domain name to our network, usually within 48 to 72 hours.

In order to transfer your domain, you will need to provide your current registrar with Way2Host’s nameserver information. You can find your nameservers by logging into SiteControl and selecting Domain Name. Click the Nameservers item to display your primary and secondary nameserver information.

If you registered your domain name with Network Solutions/VeriSign and requested that Way2Host transfer the name for you, the transfer should be completed within about 48 to 72 hours. If you registered with another registrar such as Register.com or Namesecure, check with them to see how long it should take to complete the transfer.

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.

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, it may not be recognized by all nameservers until the propagation period has completed.

During the propagation period, you will need to use your Temporary URL to upload files and view your site. You can find your temporary URL by logging in to SiteControl.

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 use the temporary Web address (URL) that we gave you to mirror your Web site on Way2Host's servers until the transfer is complete.

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.

Test your domain by typing your temporary Web address in a Web browser. If you can access your site using the temporary Web address (URL), wait a day or two for the propagation period to complete. If after 72 hours the domain name still does not resolve correctly, contact Way2Host support.

You should 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. For more information on these types of problems, see the Publishing Your Web Site FAQ.

A domain name Authorization Code is a 6 to 16 character code assigned to domain names as an added security measure, to prevent unauthorized transfers. The authorization code is unique to each domain name and is assigned by the Registrar when the domain name is registered. Authorization codes must be provided during the transfer authorization process at the gaining Registrar. The Authorization Code is needed to transfer .com, .net, .org, .biz, .us, .info and .name domain names. The Authorization Code is also known as an "Auth Code," "Auth Info Code," or "EPP Password."