FAQ

1. Why do I need a domain name?

1. Domain names are your Internet address. Most domains are registered by business as a way of providing information and a means of communication to their customers. Many business register their domains in multiple countries in order to brand protect. Owning your own domain also allows you to have a personalized email address and website if purchased with hosting. Rather then using generic emails like hotmail and gmail you have setup, e.g. joe@joesbuilding.com.
   
   
2. Domain names are portable. With your own domain name, you are no longer tied to your ISP to access email or host your website. No more changing email addresses when you change ISPs!
   
   
3. Domain names improve search engine rankings. Search engines rank websites with their own domain names higher than those using an ISP address.
   
   
4. Domain names show professionalism. Why advertise a website address like: http://www.yourisp.com/user123/ when you could have www.yourdomain.com. Your customers will be more confident dealing with your company if you have your own identity on the internet for your website and email.
   
   
5. Domain names are memorable. A long website or email address at your ISP can be difficult to remember. A short, relevant domain name is memorable and will increase traffic to your site.

2. How do I register a domain name?

There are a variety of ways in which you can submit a domain application to us. By following any of the procedures below you should not have any problems:

1. On the front page search panel, under the "Domain Registration" tab enter the domain name you wish to register in the text box, choose which countries you would like the domain registered in via the check boxes and then click "Search".If the domain is available, click "Continue to Register". You will be required to log into the website, if you don't have an account you can sign up for a new account at this time. After logging in, simply follow the registration prompts and you should have no problems submitting the domain to us.
   
   
2. Under the "DOMAIN NAMES" on the top menu, there are bulk domain search text areas in the "Registration" and "Bulk Registration" sections. Enter the exact domain name(s) you want in the text area and click the "Bulk Search" button. Once the availability check has determined if the domain is available, click "Continue to Register" and follow the prompts.
   
   
3. Simply log into your account, click "Create Domain" under the "Domain Management" section, you can perform both bulk registrations and standard registrations from this page. Enter the domain name(s) you wish to register and follow the prompts.

3. What are the restrictions to apply a domain?

Most domain names have a minimum of 3 and a maximum 63 characters. A domain name may contain numbers (0-9), letters (a-z) or dashes (-). However, it may not:

* Begin or end with a dash (-).

* Contain special characters, such as ! @# $ % & ? ~ : _ ( )

* Have a dash (-) in the third and/or fourth positions.

Some countries may request the domain applicant to provide an identification number or documents to complete the registration. For specific requirements, please refer to our website on the Domain Names section or you will be notified by our support email if the applied domain is restricted.

4. What do I need to register a domain?

Many ccTLD have requirements to protect the integrity of their name space. Most however are free to use for anyone in the world. It is best to check the local requirements for specific domains during registration.

In same cases Instra Domain Directors can act as an agent on your behalf to secure the domain for you.

5. How long does it take to register a domain name?

The gTLDs (e.g. .com, .net, .org) will be registered around 24 hours after the payment is made successfully. For international domain names, it depends on the restrictions and the policy in each country. If the provided information and documents are sufficient, we will process your domain application within 48 hours. Some registries will double check the documents before the domain is approved. That will delay the processing time.

The domain applicant will receive the confirmation e-mail once the registration is completed.

6. What is Reserved Name?

7.Can I reserve a domain?

8. I have placed an order for a domain, why is it not registered yet?

While we do our best to process all applications as fast as possible many times there is a delay with the registry. Some registries still work on old systems where manual faxing of documents is required. Generally most domains are registered within 48 hours of submission, however in some cases there may be a delay of up to 30 days.

You can contact us at any time to check the status of you application.

9. What payment options do you accept?

10. What is DNS?

Domain name servers, or DNS, are an incredibly important but completely hidden part of the Internet. The DNS system forms one of the largest databases on the planet.

Human-readable names like "instra.com" are easy for people to remember, but they don't do machines any good. All of the machines use names called IP addresses to refer to one another. For example, the machine that humans refer to as "www.instra.com" has the IP address 203.36.226.4. Every time you use a domain name, you use the Internet's domain name servers (DNS) to translate the human-readable domain name into the machine-readable IP address.

11. What is DNS forwarding?

DNS forwarding is a way to direct your domain to an IP via DNS. Basically you tell our DNS which IP to point your domain to. If you do not already know that IP of your server your web host should be able to provide you with it.

12. How do I edit my zone file? (DNS Forwarding) MX, A-Records & CNAME

To perform DNS forwarding, this involves changing your zone file,(MX, A-Records & CNAME) use the following steps

• Login to your account
• Go to your list of registered domains
• Click on the domain you want to modify
• In the Domain Name Server Details section, click 'Set up DNs Record'
• Enter your Web IP address and the Mail Record IP address
• To ADD records or edit the zone file, click 'Advanced Option' to bring up the entire zone file.
• Enter the 'Host' choose Type from the drop down menu, enter the Content/Data then click 'Add'
• Once you have finished editing the zone file, click 'Proceed to Next Step'

13. Can I point my domain to another website?

If you do not have hosting, or you website is not set up yet you can point your domain to another URL using web redirection. You can use our redirection server free of charge to point your domain to an existing site.

14. What is a Delegation?

A delegation is the correct term for changing the DNS your domain uses. For example you may register your domain using our free parking service. As a result the domain will use our DNS to point to the parking page. If you then buy hosting you will need to delegate your domain to your web hosts DNS. That DNS will then point to your hosting server.

15. How do I delegate my domain to new name servers?

To change the name servers for a domain, also known as a DNS delegation, please follow these steps below

• Login to your account
• Go to your list of registered domains
• Place a tick in the box to the left of the domain you wish to delegate
• Click the Delegate button
• Click the radio button 'Delegate to your Name servers'
• The DNS data box wil open
• Insert your name servers in the Host Name. You must have at least 2 name servers
• (click 'Add' if you need to insert more than 2 name servers)
• Once all name servers are entered click 'Confirm'
• Your delegation request will be sent to our systems for immediate processing.

PLEASE ALLOW 24-48HRS FOR GLOBAL PROPAGATION BEFORE MAKING ANY FURTHER MODIFICATIONS N.B. some ccTLD modification will attract a Registry Modification Charge.

16. Why is my delegation taking so long?

Some ccTLD's require a manual operation and can be delayed. Your name servers may not be correctly configured for your domain. i.e. there is no zone file present. A common error is your name servers may be required to be on different subnets. See your DNS administrator to make the changes

PLEASE ALLOW 24-48HRS FOR GLOBAL PROPAGATION BEFORE MAKING ANY FURTHER MODIFICATIONS

17. Why is my delegation not working?

Several ccTLD have rules about how the name servers that the domains in there name space are configured. The 5 major ccTLD that do this are; DE, FR, IT, DK and NL. Most of these sites have tools you can use to see if the requested DNS passes the rules of the registry.

1. DE - http://zonecheck.denic.de/zonecheck/en
2. FR - http://www.afnic.fr/outils/zonecheck/form_en
3. IT - http://www.nic.it/cgi-bin/DNSCheck/index.cgi
4. NO - http://www.norid.no/domenenavnbaser/zonecheck/form_advanced.php
5. HU - http://www.domain.hu/domain/English/regcheck/
6. NL - http://www.sidn.nl/ace.php/c,728,778,,,,Nameserver_check.html

18. What ccTLD can you register?

Instra prides itself on being able to register almost any ccTLD in the world. Please take a look at our domains page for more information. If you require a domain not listed please contact one of our sales staff so we can try and work something out for you.

19. Can you act as an agent if I do not meet the requirements?

In a lot of cases we can provide an agency service if you do not meet the requirements. In a few cases there is a small additional cost for legal fees required to set up the agency.

Back to Top

20. Who owns the domain if you act as my agent?

The official owner of a domain is the registrant. In some agency cases this will still be you, in others cases our agent will be the owner. In either case you retain full control over the domain and are free to use it in any way. If at a later date you are able to meet the requiements you can change the registrant to yourself.

21. Are there any restrictions on domains registered with an agent?

While you are free to use the domain as you wish you will not be able to transfer the domain while using our agent. If you meet the requirements we can then put it in your name so it can be transferred.

22. When does my domain expire?

As a general rule your domain will expire one year after you submitted your application. The expiry date for each domain is listed in your customer area. Some domains have a min term of 2 years. You can also check the expiry date on some domains by using the WHOIS tool.

23. What is the difference between a Domain and Hosting?

When you purchase a domain you are buying the rights to use the name. Hosting is what makes the domain usable. Until you get hosting you will be unable to have a website or use your email address. Unless you plan on hosting the website yourself most people purchase both a domain and hosting.

24.Can someone steal my domain?

It is not possible to steal a domain name. In rare cases two parties both have a legitimate claim to a domain. In this case a dispute is registered with the registry and the matter is resolved through the legal system.

If you forget to renew your domain people can purchase your domain legally.

25. How do I renew my domain name?

You can renew your domain via your control panel.

26.How do I know when to renew my domain?

Instra will send you reminder emails as the expiry date approaches. You can also view the expiry date via your control panel. You can renew your domain up to 60 days before the expiry date.

27. What happens if I don't renew before the expiry date?

In most cases the registry actually places the domain in a holding period for several weeks after the expiry date. It is possible to renew the domain during this period however addition fees may apply. After the holding period is over the domain is released back for public sales. Some registries release the domain immediately after the expiry date. It is best to renew your domains 30 days prior to expiry to account for any delays in the renewal process.

28. What does the domain hierarchy look like?

The general order for domain services is:

29. Can I transfer my domain to you?

Yes, absolutely. Most domains can be transferred quickly and easily via your control panel. Some domains do require an Auth Code, or Domain Password which you can obtain at your current registrar.

30. How does the transfer system work?

Generally once you have submitted the transfer request we will initiate it at the corresponding registry. Depending on the domain you may need to provide us with a Domain Password before we can do this.

Once this transfer has been initiated and email will be sent normally to the current admin contact by the registry. This is the contact specified during the initial domain registration and Instra has no control over this. The email is sent as a form of validation. Most delays are caused by this email going unanswered.

The email which contains a link of domain-transfer confirmation. Once you have confirmed it the domain will be transferred to our registrar account, and your domain will become active in your account.

31. How do I transfer a domain to my account with Instra Corporation?

• Login to your account
• In the Domain Management section look for 'Transfer Your Domain to Instra'
• Insert your domain name into the bulk transfer data field. If you have multiple domains a new line must be used for each domain. You must include the extension. E.g. domain.com or domain.co.uk
• Click 'Transfer Domains'
• You will be given a screen that displays the domains you are transferring and you may be required to insert the domain Auth Code
• Assign the correct Registrant, Admin, Technical and Billing contact.
• Click 'Proceed to Next Step'
• Indicate your preferred DNS option.
• Further eligibility criteria may be required.(you may be given the option to use Instra as your Agency)*
• Click 'Proceed to Next Step'
• Review the total cost and agree to the 'Terms and Conditions'
• Click 'Proceed to Next Step'
• The transfer request will be submitted to our systems.

* Instra Corporation's Domain Trustee Services: - Different ccTLD registries have different eligibility requirements. Some registries require a local incorporated company with documentary proof, while others require a verified local (postal) address.

http://www.instra.com/en/domain-names/domain-trustee-services

.CO.UK Transfers

To continue the transfer of your .co.uk domain, you will need to contact your current registrar and ask them to change the current IPS-TAG to "RAREDOMAINS-AU". Once you can confirm that this information has been changed, please contact us and we will finish the transfer and put the domain into your account.

32. What is the difference between a trade and a transfer?

A trade is the process of changing both the owner of a domain and the registrar. A transfer only changes the registrar of the domain. Most registries support trades.

33. Why do I need web hosting?

• Your website and email need a 'home' on the internet, where your website is stored and email is processed.
• Domain Directors has a wide range of hosting plans suitable for personal web sites right through to database driven commercial websites and email.

34. How do I get my business online?

1. The first step to getting your business online is registering your domain name. This is your 'web address' on the internet.
2. The second step is to build your website. You can do this yourself, or have a professional web developer do it for you.
3. Finally you need hosting for your website and email. Domain Directors has a large range of hosting plans, sure to fit your requirements and your budget. Most of our plans also include a website development wizard, to make developing your website even easier!

35. How do I change contact profiles for my domain?

Contact Change

• Login to your account
• Go to your list of registered domains
• Click on the domain you want to modify
• Scroll down to the bottom to Contact Information
• Next to each contact type is a drop down menu that will show your list of existing contacts
• Choose the preferred contact and proceed to next step
• Update domain info
• You can create a new contact in the Contact Management section prior to making the change if required

Change of Registrant

• Login to your account
• Go to your list of registered domains
• Click on the domain you want to modify
• Scroll down to the bottom to Contact Information
• Below Registrant Contact is (change registrant), click this to go to the next step
• You can choose from your existing list of contacts or you can create a new contact.
• Click 'Next Step'.

36. How do I set up my email address on my computer?

To set up your email address in your email client, please use the link below. This will give you step by step set up instructions for the most common email clients including: Microsoft Windows Applications, Apple Macintosh Applications, and Thunderbird for Firefox. http://24hourwebhostingsupport.com/email/