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Domain Registration
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What is a domain name? |
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A domain name is a sequence of letters and numbers which determine the address of your site. This site's domain name is "site2host.com." You need to register a domain name before your web site becomes accessible at this address. |
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How do I register a domain name? |
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Domain names ending with .biz, .com, .info, .name, .net, .org can be registered through many different companies (known as "registrars") that compete with one another.
The registrar you choose will ask you to provide 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. |
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A registrant is the organization that has purchased a domain registration. |
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A registrar is an organization that sells domain registrations. Usually registrars have a contract with a registry, and often are certified by an organization. Some Registrars use resellers (like OpenSRS), so it may be hard to know who the registrar is. Some registrys sell direct, so the registrar and the registry may be the same organization. |
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What is a domain registry? |
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A registry is the single organization that co-ordinates the domain registrations for a given top level domain (e.g. .com, .ca, or .info). |
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What is a WHOIS record? |
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For most domains, much of the contact information provided during the registration process is put into a public whois record.
(The .com domains are one extreme, with full info for the registrant, plus admin, technical, and billing contacts. At the other extreme is .co.uk which provides registrant name, the name of the registrar and the DNS servers.)
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What are the domain contacts? |
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They are the people you contact if you have questions about the domain or trouble accessing it.
Just as importantly, the admin contact is the authority allowed to make changes to the domain, and the billing contact (if there is one) is where the domain expiration messages go to.
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What are DNS servers? |
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DNS servers are what actually makes a domain name work. By work I mean that they convert a text label to the information like IP addresses that the Internet is based on. (See 'What is a domain name'.)
This is not to say that they handle e-mail, or serve web pages. Instead they direct web surfers and e-mail messages to the correct computers. |
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How do I change the DNS servers, the admin contact etc? |
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Generally, you go to the website of the registrar you registered the domain with.
For names registered through site2host, use the 'Manage Domain' link on the 'Domains Registration' menu. |
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How long does a registration last? Can it be renewed? |
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Each registrar has the flexibility to offer initial and renewal registrations in one-year increments, with a total registration period limit of ten years. |
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Can I change registrars after registering a domain name? |
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Yes, you may change the registrar sponsoring your domain name (60 days after intial registration.) For details on the transfer process, contact us. |
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What are the rules for registration of .biz, .com, .info, .name, .net and .org names? |
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The .com, .info, .name, .net, and .org TLDs are open and unrestricted. Traditionally, however, names in .net have been used by organizations involved in Internet infrastructure activities and .org is frequently used by noncommercial organizations. .biz is reserved for use by businesses. |
Web Hosting
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What is Web Hosting? |
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Web hosting refers to the process of publishing a web site so that it is available to the world on the Web. |
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What exactly is space and bandwidth/data transfer? |
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Diskspace is the size your website can be. Every single letter on your website has to be stored somewhere on your web host's server. Each letter is one byte, and a megabyte is roughly one million bytes. HTML pages are usually very small, but it is the extra images, scripts, and even databases that can take up large amounts of disk space.
Bandwidth/Transfer is the amount of data the server will allow your site to send in a month. Transfer is usually measured in gigabytes - billions of bytes. Once you go over your monthly limit, a host may either shut your site down for the remainder of the month or it can charge you 'overage.' |
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How do I upload my site online? |
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Uploading your site can be done in many ways, but the most popular is FTP.
When your hosting account was created, you should have been provided with an FTP account. Using software such as CuteFTP or WS_FTP, you can log into your host. Then, using the program like a normal windows program, you can drag and drop files onto your web host. These files become live online instantaneously.
There are other ways to upload your site such as using SSH or uploading files through your browser
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What is the difference between Linux hosting and Windows hosting? |
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Depending on which operating system to go with depends on your needs.
If you need to support Microsoft products such as ASP, MS Access, or VBScript, then Windows hosting would be better. Furthermore, if you are comfortable with IIS and do not have the time to understand how Linux works, Windows hosting would again be a better choice.
There are some things to remember.
First of all, just because you use Windows at home does not mean you should use Windows hosting. The two are completely different, and having a Windows system at home will not affect your ability to communicate with a Linux server.
Secondly, Linux is much more common with web hosts due to its superior stability and because it is free. Since it is free, Linux hosting is usually cheaper than Windows. Just because it’s free does not mean it’s not as good - Linux is an excellent product too. |
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What are PHP, ASP, perl, etc? |
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These are all programming languages which are referred to by their acronyms.
PHP - PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor
ASP - Active Server Pages
Perl - not an acronym
Each programming language has its own benefits and uses. It is best that you research on your own to find one that best fits your needs. |
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What is MySQL, MS SQL, etc? |
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MySQL and MS SQL are database systems. Depending on what your host provides, you can use a database to organize your data. |
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I am using too much bandwidth! Is there anyway for me to make it less? |
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In most cases, yes.
You should first try to optimize the graphics on your website. Many GIFs look just as good with fewer colors, and many JPEGs look just as good with a higher compression level.
You should also analyze the HTML of your site. Make sure you use relative paths, so that images are not downloaded more than one time. Remove any extra spacing and when linking to other pages, use relative paths and not absolute links.
Best of all, optimizing your page like this makes the user experience better as your site will load faster for them! |
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Payment
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How can I pay for web hosting? |
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This depends on which host you decide to go with. Most web hosts will accept credit cards, and some will accept PayPal and/or a Money Order / Cheque. |
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What is PayPal? |
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Simply put, PayPal lets anyone with an email address send money to anyone else with an email address.
Each user signs up with PayPal and then enters their necessary banking and credit card information. Once registration is completed, your email address is all you need to send and receive money. |
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