Domain Help

FAQ on Domain Name Registrations

What is a domain name?
Domain names are the familiar, easy to remember names for computers on the Internet (such as internic.net). They correspond to a series of numbers (called Internet Protocol numbers) that serve as routing addresses on the Internet. Domain names are used generally as a convenient way of locating information and reaching others on the Internet.

What does it mean to "register" a domain name?
The Internet domain name system (DNS) consists of a directory, organized hierarchically, of all the domain names and their corresponding computers registered to particular companies and persons using the Internet. When you register a domain name, it will be associated with the computer on the Internet you designate during the period the registration is in effect.

How can I get a domain name in .com, .net or .org?
Domain names ending with .com, .net or .org can be registered through many different companies (known as "registrars") that compete with one another.

What is involved in registering a domain name in .com, .net or .org?
To register a domain name, you will be asked to provide the registrar you select with the various contact and technical information that makes up the registration. The registrar will then keep records of the contact information and submit the technical information to a central directory known as the "registry." This registry provides other computers on the Internet the information necessary to send you e-mail or to find your web site. You will also be required to enter a registration contract with the registrar, which sets forth the terms under which your registration is accepted and will be maintained.

What is the process for submitting the required registration information?
Different registrars offer different means of submitting the information. Most registrars offer web-based registration services. Some offer registrations by telephone or mail. Many will work with your ISP to obtain the required information. You should go to the individual registrar's web site or otherwise contact it to determine the process it follows.

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. The registrar will make this information available to the public on a "Whois" site.

How long does a registration last? Can it be renewed?
Each registrar has the flexibility to offer initial and renewal registrations in one-year increments, with a total registration period limit of ten years.

How much does a domain-name registration name cost?
Each registrar sets the price it charges for registering names, and prices vary significantly among different registrars. In addition, some registrars offer discounted or free registration services in connection with other offerings, such as web hosting. To see what offering best meets your needs, you should go to the web sites of several of the registrars listed in the Registrar Directory found here.

When do I have to pay for my domain name?
Before your domain name becomes active, you must provide a credit card number or other reasonable assurance of payment. This requirement enhances the availability of domain names by preventing them from being tied up by persons not intending to pay for registration.

Can I change registrars after registering a domain name?
Yes, you may change the registrar sponsoring your domain name at any time more than sixty days after initial registration. For details on the transfer process, contact the registrar you would like to assume sponsorship of the registration.

What is ICANN?
ICANN is the new non-profit corporation that is assuming responsibility from the U.S. Government for coordinating certain Internet technical functions, including the management of Internet domain name system. More information about ICANN can be found at http://www.icann.org.

Someone else has registered by company's name as a .com domain name. What is the process for resolving my complaint?
All ICANN-accredited registrars follow a uniform dispute resolution policy. Under that policy, disputes over entitlement to a domain-name registration are ordinarily resolved by court litigation between the parties claiming rights to the registration. Once the court rules who is entitled to the registration, the registrar will implement that ruling. In disputes arising from registrations allegedly made abusively (such as "cybersquatting" and cyberpiracy"), the uniform policy provides an expedited administrative procedure to allow the dispute to be resolved without the cost and delays often encountered in court litigation. In these cases, you can invoke the administrative procedure by filing a complaint with one of the dispute-resolution service providers listed at http://www.icann.org/udrp/approved-providers.htm. For more details on the uniform dispute resolution policy, see http://www.icann.org/udrp/udrp.htm.

If I have customer service questions or problems related to my domain name registration, who should I contact?
You should contact the particular registrar that registered your domain name.

What are the rules for registration of .net and .org names?
They are the same as for .com. Traditionally, however, names in .net have been used by organizations involved in Internet infrastructure activities and .org is frequently used by not-for-profit organizations.

Are .com, .net, and .org domain names available for registration on a global basis?
Yes. The .com, .net, and .org domains are available for registration by Internet users across the globe. ICANN-accredited domain name registrars are also located in various countries around the world. To view a list of domain name registrars by country, click here.

I've seen domain names ending with two-letter combinations, like .ca. What are the rules for registering in these domains?
Two letter domains, such as .ca, .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.

Transferring Your Domain to NETalberta

If your domain is currently at another hosting company or if it is still setup to point to your registrars servers you will need to perform a domain transfer in order to 'point' your domain to the NETalberta’s network.

A domain pointer update is normally done by visiting the web site of your domain name registrar and editing the technical information for your domain. You need to change the settings for the DNS host servers that manage the domain so that they point to the NETalberta DNS servers. We will normally be managing the individual DNS records for the web, mail and other services at the domain so the host records at the registrar need to be pointed to our name servers.

In general, you need to:

  • Login to your registrars web site
  • Locate the forms used to manage the domain host pointers
  • Replace the current DNS host settings with the NETalberta DNS host information (below).
  • Specifically, you need to change the host Domain Name Server (DNS) section of the name record and update the record so that the DNS host information matches the information shown below. Most registrars only require the host names, but some may require the IP addresses as well.

NETalberta’s Domain Name Server information:
Primary:       ns1.netalberta.net (64.42.212.5)
Secondary:  ns2.netalberta.net (64.42.213.252)
Tertiary:       ns3.netalberta.net (64.42.212.6)

There should be no other entries in your domains host pointer settings other than the servers shown above. If you have additional servers listed your domain will likely not work correctly due to conflicts among the DNS servers.

Secondary Domain Aliases

A Secondary Domain Alias (a.k.a. A Domain Name Pointer or Domain Alias) is another domain name you can use to access the services at your main domain. In other words, you can use one domain name to point to the services of another domain.

For example, if you had the domain name "pickleface.com" and also had the domain "picklehead.com", you could set up a website on the primary domain, then use both www.pickleface.com and www.picklehead.com to get to the same single website.

Setting up an Alias
To set up a domain alias, you first need to have the domain names registered and update your DNS pointers to use our DNS servers. You also need to inform us of all domain names you are using and indicate which is to be the primary. This can be done via the Support Form on our web site.

When your primary site is set up (the "primary" site), we can then add one or more domain aliases to it. After the primary and all aliases are set up, you can begin using any of the domain names to access your site.

A common use of aliases is to have your primary site setup as a ".com" site, then register identical aliases in the ".net" and ".org" domains. You can also use aliases with country specific domains such as the ".co.uk" domain. Using the ".com" as your primary is not a requirement - you can set any domain as the primary.

Note: Once we set up the primary site, it is difficult to change its name, as there are a number of dependencies on the primary built in to our aliasing system. If you must change your primary name in the future, please be aware that there may be some delays and downtime, and support charges may be incurred.

Email Aliasing
Any email addressed to a user at a secondary alias domain will be delivered to the primary domain, and the account name will be matched for final delivery against all accounts in the primary domain. For example, mail addressed to "user@my-alias-domain" would be delivered to the account "user@my-real-domain".

In the event that mail addressed to a secondary domain does not have a matching user account in the primary domain, the mail will be forwarded to the "catch-all" account set on the primary domain, or cause a bounce if there is no catch-all account set. This is exactly the same behavior as you would find for the handling of unknown users at the primary domain.

Other email objects such as responders and mailing lists that you may have configured in the primary are also available to the aliased domains.

IP Address Allocations

As a web hosting company, we have been given authority over a significant number of IP addresses. However, we do not have infinite IP space available to us. As a responsible ISP, it is incumbent on us to use our allocations wisely and efficiently. Therefore, we do not unnecessarily allocate IP addresses, nor do we engage in the practice of IP stockpiling. As our IP needs grow, we apply for additional space through the proper channels and if we abandon a block of addresses.

In general, we assign a single IP on each server to be shared by all web sites on that server. Due to the requirements of the HTTPS protocol, if you have your own SSL certificate, we will assign an IP to the certificate. This still does not mean your site has a unique IP, rather it means that secure connections will use a unique IP for SSL transfers only.

If you are in the process of transferring your site from another provider, we have a small number of IP addresses available you can use on a temporary basis to facilitate a seamless transfer. When needed, we can assign you a unique IP address for up to two weeks. You can use this IP to transfer your content, test your site and allow for any overlap while the transfer takes place.

By necessity, dedicated servers are assigned a unique IP. Under certain circumstances we may provide more than one IP to a dedicated server, but we need you to provide us with a documentation showing a demonstrated need for the additional addresses. This documentation is required because we ourselves must provide documentation justifying all IP usage to the respective Internet governing bodies when we apply for additional space.