Internet Domain Registration - Top 10 Most Frequently Asked
Questions on Domain Name Registration
Here are the top ten most frequently asked questions regarding
on Internet domain name registration:
Q1. Which characters are allowed in Internet domain names?
A: For normal ASCII domain names, the letters a-z, the numbers
0-9, and one special character, the hyphen or dash "-". Note
that domains cannot start or end with a hyphen. For the new
tested IDNs (Internationalized Domain Names), the full range of
Unicode characters are available. This allows nearly all of the
languages on the planet to be represented within domain names,
including Thai, Arabic, Lao, Hebrew, French, German etc.
Q2. How many characters can a Internet domain name have?
A: Generic domains (gTLDs) can have 63 characters in the second
level, plus the top level domain, .com, .net etc.
Q3. How long can I register a Internet domain name for?
A: In most cases, you are allowed to register a Internet domain
name for period of one to ten years. Longer periods are not
currently allowed by the registry.
Q4. How long do Internet domain registrations take to make &
process?
A: Typically ten minutes or so. Once you have chosen the name
and paid the fee, most registration systems will register your
name in near real-time.
Q5. Do I "own" a domain name I register?
A: Not really, it is more like a rental agreement. But
importantly, you have the exclusive right to renew the agreement
with the registry at the end of the initial registration period,
so effectively you can keep the name as long as you want.
Q6. Why does my Internet domain name still show as unregistered
in a WHOIS tool?
A: WHOIS tools are meant to show the nameserver / contact
information for domain names held by a particular ICANN
registrar. They are typical not updated in real-time and thus
are not good indicators of current domain registration status.
Q7. How will I know if a Internet domain registration
attempt has been successful?
A: WHOIS tool takes anything up to 48 hrs to be updated so can't
be relied on. A better indicator is whether you receive a
confirmation e-mail from the domain registrar. You could also
try registering the name again. By doing so, the registrar will
do a "live" availability check on the name, which will indicate
to you whether the name has been registered or not. This is not
the same as a WHOIS look-up.
Q8. How long do domain names take to be active after
registration?
A: Approximately 24 - 48 hrs, though because nameservers work as
a distributed network, it can take up to 72 hrs or more before
your domain name is accessible to all Internet users worldwide.
Q9. Can I register a Internet domain for later use?
A: There is no problem in registering domain names first, and
using them later on. In fact, it is estimated that among 80% to
90% of all domain names are "idle".
Q10. Can I get a refund if I make a mistake & register the wrong
name?
A: Nearly all domain registrars operate a strict no refund
policy. This is because they are charged a non-refundable fee by
the registry to perform the registration.