InterNIC / Domain Name Questions Registering and transferring domain names, fees etc.  Can I change my domain name? In order to change your domain name, you need to submit an order for a new domain name. This can be done by contacting your current sales representative at 1-800-668-1406. Since this is a new domain name, the InterNic fees still apply.  How do I choose a domain name for my Web site? You want to select a name that will be easy for your customers or potential customers to remember. The obvious choice would be to use your business name, such as www.theabc-company.com. But if your company is named The ABC Company, you might want to try abbreviating the domain name for simplicity - such as www.abc.com. If the name you would like has already been registered by another company, you will want to be creative and decide on a name that is associated with your company. For instance, if The ABC Company sells letters, then you may want to try letters.com.  How do I redirect one domain to another? It is Total-Host.net's policy to issue each domain name its own IP address. Therefore you must use the following script in the default startup page of the domain name you want to point to any other domain name or specific page or directory within another domain name. <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="0;url=http://WWW.DOMAIN_NAME.COM/INDEX.HTM(L)">  How long does it take for a new Domain Name to register or move? Registering a domain name can take anywhere from 3 days to 2 weeks, depending on the work load at InterNIC. Transferring a domain is a little more complicated, but takes about the same amount of time. Let us know the domain name which is being modified, also have all information ready before contacting your old service provider to better this process. Then we graciously ask to have the domain transferred and hope they'll proceed in a timely manner. If you have a good relationship with your old provider, it might help speed things up.  How long does it take for the world to see a new domain name? Once approved and registered with InterNIC, it can take upwards of 2 weeks to update around the globe. So while you may be able to see it with your Web browser, your next door neighbors might not because of the domain name server the system uses. Most domain name servers are programmed to get domain name updates only once a day at a predetermined time.  How many domain names may I have? You can have as many as you want. You will still be billed the $70 dollars per domain name from InterNIC which covers the first two years.  How much does it cost to own a domain name? InterNIC will charge you $70 which will cover the first two years of use of your domain name. InterNIC will charge you $35 per year each year thereafter.  What about Trademarks? You may have a trademarked name in your domain name and interNIC will register it for you. But, you might want to check if there is a company with that name trademarked (™). Also, if a company does have that name trademarked you could be taken to court and could loose that name.  What characters may I use in my domain name? Your domain name can be as long as 22 characters. The domain must consist only of letters, numbers and dashes(-). The www is not part of the actual domain name and is just a standard web prefix.  What do I have to do to register my domain name? InterNIC requires you to have an existing email account through a local Internet Service Provider. Also, you need to have a server in which to put your domain name. Always make sure that your domain name is available before trying to register that name.  What extension can I have on the end of my Domain Name? InterNIC is the organization that handles the registration and administration of "generic," non-geographic domain names. Here is what's available now for top level domain names: COM - is for commercial, for-profit organizations EDU - is for 4-year, degree granting institutions only NET - is for network infrastructure machines and organizations ORG - is for miscellaneous usually non-profit organizations INT - is for organizations established by international treaties, or international databases GOV - is for United States federal government agencies MIL - is used by the US Military There are restrictions regarding these domains which can be found at InterNIC's home page and read more about domain registration.  What if the domain name I want is already taken? If the name you would like has already been registered by another company, you will want to be creative and decide on a name that is associated with your company. For instance, if The ABC Company sells letters, then you may want to try letters.com.    What is InterNIC? InterNIC is the agency which governs the registration of domain names ending with .com, .net, .org, .edu, .mil, and .gov.  What is a NIC handle? Every entity registered with InterNIC has a NIC handle. You can use the same NIC handle as contacts for several domains. This way, if you make a change to the NIC handle (i.e., the e-mail address), all domains using that NIC handle will be updated as well.  What is a domain name? A domain name is really just an alias for your IP number address. When you sign up to put a Web site on the Internet, you are given an Internet Protocol Number, or address. All the computers on the Internet can retrieve your site by pulling up this IP number. A domain name will allow you to have a World Wide Web address like www.yourname.com instead of having only a number .  What is the procedure for registering a new domain name? When an account is activated with a new domain name, we will automatically send the registration template to InterNIC. The information sent on the template is pulled directly from the order form. InterNIC typically completes the registration within 24 hours, and propagation typically takes about 72 hours. Non-U.S. domain names must be registered by the end-user. Let us know if you do not receive notification that a domain name has been either registered or transferred within two weeks. In the meantime, refer all concerns to Registration Services. You can reach them by calling (703) 742-4777 and selecting option number 2 or you may write them at hostmaster@rs.internic.net. Be sure to reference your NIC ticket number when contacting either Total-Host.net or the InterNIC  Who owns the Domain Name I register? You become the owner of the domain name after we register it with InterNIC. YOU are the Administrative Technical and Billing Contact. If anyone tries to move the domain or change any information on the form, they will contact you first. We are listed as the Technical Contact on the domain.  Whom shall I contact regarding InterNIC billing? Questions regarding InterNIC Invoicing and Payment Procedures should be referred to Registration Services. You can reach them by calling (703)742-4777 and selecting option number 1 or you may email them at hostmaster@rs.internic.net. Customers wishing to make payment by credit card may call either (888)771-3000 or (402)496-9788 (outside the U.S.). The InterNIC now accepts First Virtual as a payment option for the registration of domain names. To make FV payment: http://rs.internic.net/cgi-bin/fv/payment First Virtual info: http://rs.internic.net/fv With the tracking number and domain name, a payment can be made with or without a VirtualPIN. If you do not have a VirtualPIN, the process will create one for you.