How to Register a Domain Name

Suggestion: read this page before registering

1. The first thing you will need to register a domain is, of course, the name. The Rules for choosing a name are: 

• There can be only one of any given name, with each network (.com, .net, etc.).
• You can use names ending with .com .net  .org or any "country code".
• You can use only letters, numbers, or dashes.
• Your name cannot begin or end with a dash.
• The underline character is not allowed 
• Names are NOT case sensitive.
• A name cannot have more than 63 characters total (new expanded length!).

2. Once you have chosen a name, you need to verify that it is still available. Most bonafide domain registration companies provide a free service where you can check a name to see if it is still available or not. There is a link at the top of this page for our "Free Domain Name Search".

3. After you have verified that your name is available, you can now proceed to actually register it. During the registration process, you will be asked for certain information. You should be prepared to answer all of the following questions:

• How many years do you want to register for? 1, 2, 5, or 10 years are common.
• Who is the official Owner of this domain? Name, Co., address, phone, email. (The owner has the final say regarding the domain in general.) 
• Who is the Administrative Contact for this domain? Name, Co., address, phone, email. (The Admin Contact is the person that is responsible for any correspondance regarding a domain and its status on the Internet.)
• Who is the Technical Contact for this domain? Name, Co., address, phone, email.(The Tech Contact is the person who handles everything technical regarding the operation of the domain.)
• Who is the Billing Contact for this domain? Name, Co., address, phone, email. (The Billing Contact is the person responsible for renewing the domain before it expires.)
• Who will host your domain? This will determine the "nameserver" your domain will use. The nameserver is the computer where your domain will "live" and be accessed by anyone on the Internet. The nameserver is further defined here. Your Host will need to provide you with their nameserver name, a name that typically looks like NS.name.com and there are two; a primary and a secondary name. For example, ours looks like this:

primary nameserver: ns.profitgate.net
secondary nameserver: ns2.profitgate.net

• Lastly, you will be asked for your credit card information. Use the Name, exactly as it appears on the card. You'll also need the type of card (VISA, MC, etc.), the card number, and the expiration date. Use the same address your credit card statement is mailed to.

4. After you have registered your domain, you will receive a confirmation email with details of your purchase. It will then take anywhere from 3 hours to 36 hours for your domain to become active on the Internet. This is because Network Solutions, and other network machines, take some time to update their indexes to show your new domain on their records. 

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To register your own domain for only $12.95
click here > Register

To check your official record at Network Solutions
click here > Whois

If you have any other questions about buying a domain - 
give us a call - we're here to help.