Domain Name Guide
From Site5Wiki
The relationship between domain names and web hosting can be confusing at times. Considering the sheer number of registrars and hosts, it's no surprise that we get so many questions about domains. This page will hopefully provide answers to many of the questions you may have. If you have a question not answered below, please don't hesitate to contact 
.
Site5's Nameservers
Many topics on this page make reference to our nameservers or DNS servers. Don't worry if you don't know what these mean yet--they are explained in detail by many topics in this guide.
The addresses for Site5's nameservers are as follows:
- Primary nameserver: DNS.SITE5.COM (IP address: 72.52.179.223)
- Secondary nameserver: DNS2.SITE5.COM (IP address: 64.21.152.8)
Note: In the unlikely event that your domain name registrar requires you to use IP addresses as nameservers, the IP addresses for our nameservers are shown above. It is advised, however, that you use the hostnames (dns.site5.com and dns2.site5.com) if at all possible!
Domain Name Basics
What's the difference between a domain name registrar and a web host?
If you have little or no experience working with domain names, the whole process can seem a bit overwhelming. This is due to the fact that many people are unclear on the difference between a domain name registrar and a web host. Here's a straightforward explanation:
- Domain Name Registrar
- A domain name registrar is a company that is authorized by a central Internet authority to add new domain name records into the Internet's central "domain name database". In order to be recognized as a valid domain name, a domain must be registered with an accredited registrar (or a company reselling domains through an accredited registrar).
- Web Host
- A web host is a provider that manages a server or fleet of servers that "host" all of your site's files (often they will also provide email and other related services). When you get a hosting account, the host will configure its nameservers to respond to DNS queries on behalf of your domain name. Once the host has configured their systems properly, you can go to your domain name registrar and update your domain name to use your web host's nameservers (ours are given above). How do you know if our nameservers are ready to respond to requests for your name? If you have received your hosting account welcome email, our nameservers are already configured to handle DNS for your domain name--that's part of the account setup process on our end.
NOTE: It's very easy to confuse your web host and your domain name registrar because most domain name registrars nowadays also offer web hosting, and most web hosting companies also offer domain names (Site5 included). This does not, however, mean that they must be the same company; more often than not they aren't. A domain name registrar will almost never require you to use their hosting. They may try to sell you their hosting when you're purchasing your domain name, but it's important to understand that you can use any web hosting company you like with your domain name.
Do I have to register my domain name with Site5?
Definitely not.
Although we sell domain names through the "Domains" tab in our account management interface, Backstage, you do not need to purchase a domain name from Site5 in order to use it with our hosting services. In fact, the majority of our customers use domain names purchased from other registrars. We didn't even start selling domain names until April of 2006--almost 7 years after our inception!
In order to use a domain name registered elsewhere on your Site5 hosting account, you simply need to modify your domain name's configuration to use Site5's nameservers (more details on this process are available in the next section).
What are "nameservers" or "DNS servers"?
Nameservers, "name servers", or "DNS servers" are special servers that are configured to answer requests to translate a domain name into an IP address.
The public domain name database allows computers to determine the nameservers for any given domain name. Nameservers are necessary for all domain names, since traffic on the Internet is actually routed to its destination by IP address, not domain name. Before any computer can connect to your site via domain name, it needs to look up the IP address.
A domain name will generally specify a primary nameserver (the one that should be tried first) and at least one secondary nameserver to be used if the primary is unreachable. Your web host will generally provide addresses of nameservers to be used when hosting a domain name on their servers.
How do I point a domain name at my Site5 hosting account? (updating a domain's nameservers)
When you buy a domain name--either through Site5's "Domains" tab (a process which is described later in this article) or through any other registrar--that registrar will almost always provide you with access to a control panel that can be used to update the information associated with your domain name. Somewhere in this control panel should be the option to change the domain name's nameservers (defined above).
In order to properly use a domain name with your hosting account, your domain name's nameservers should be set to the addresses provided at the top of this article.
Unfortunately, because there are so many domain name registrars (click here for a complete list), there is no single set of instructions that we can provide for changing your domain's nameservers; the process varies significantly based on your registrar's policies and domain management interface. On the bright side, updating nameservers is such a common operation that most registrars make the process painless and straightforward.
What if I don't know where I registered my domain name?
Because a domain name doesn't require constant attention, it's very common for site owners to forget where they registered their domain name. In other cases, they are moving from another host who handled the registration on their behalf and aren't sure who to contact regarding a change of nameservers.
Whatever the reason, there's no need to worry--it's devilishly easy to track down. All domain names are registered in a central Internet database. A simple search of that database will show the domain name's registrar. Use this page to perform a query on your domain name. Check the "Domain" search type and enter your domain name (no "www"). In the resulting record, you will see a line containing a Referral URL. This is the URL of the domain name's registrar. You can then contact the registrar directly if you need further assistance accessing and updating your domain name record.
When will nameserver changes take effect?
Because servers across the Internet cache DNS information, your domain name will not appear to point to your site immediately after you update your nameservers. Even after the changes are submitted to the central Internet domain name servers, it generally takes anywhere from 24 to 72 hours for all service providers to clear their DNS caches and get the updated records. The delayed processing and distribution of updates made to domain name records is known as DNS propagation.
Also note that propagation of the changes to your domain name won't happen for all visitors at once. Some visitors' ISPs may pick up changes more quickly than others, meaning that during the 24 to 72 hour propagation period, some people will be directed to your site's old IP address while others will be taken to your new one.
Domains and Your Site5 Account
I see a "Domains" tab in Backstage. Is this where I go to point my domain to my Site5 hosting account?
The "Domains" tab in Backstage allows you to manage domain names which have been registered through Site5. Signing up for a new hosting account does not register your domain name with Site5--you need to do that separately. You can use this tab to purchase domain names directly from Site5, as well as to transfer domains registered externally to our registrar services, but doing so is not at all necessary for using Site5's hosting services.
When viewing the "Domains" tab in Backstage, if you see a "Transfer to Site5 now!" link next to a domain name in the listing, that refers to changing the domain name's registrar, not updating the nameservers to point to your Site5 hosting account. If you're just signing up for a Site5 hosting account, you probably don't want to transfer your domain names to Site5. Instead, you want to change your domain's nameservers to point to your account (by setting them to the addresses shown near the top of this page). This must be done through the control panel provided by your domain name registrar (usually a separate company--not Site5).
Do I have to buy a domain name before I signup for a new web hosting account?
No, but you do need to have one picked out, and you need to be sure that it's available for you to purchase.
To clarify, when placing a new order, make sure that:
- You know the domain name you are going to use for your hosting account at the time you submit your order (it's a required field on the order form anyway)
- The domain name chosen is available for you to purchase when you are ready.
NOTE: In some cases, a registrar will require that a domain name be setup in our nameservers before they will allow you to use our nameservers for that domain. If you are attempting to register your domain name before your hosting account is setup (or before we have processed a request to change the domain name on your account), you will either need to use the registrar's default nameservers (provided by most registrars), or wait until your account is properly setup to complete the purchase.
More information on how to purchase a new domain for use with a Site5 hosting account is provided several questions below.
How do I change the domain name of my account if I've already placed my order?
When we setup an account, it is configured specifically for the domain name you entered on the order form. If you change your mind or realize that the domain name you originally entered is not available for purchase after your new hosting account is already setup, you will need to email customer service and ask us to change your account's primary domain name.
Because changing an account's domain name is a manual process on our end, we ask that you try to figure out the domain name you plan to use prior to submitting your order. Please be aware that this process could take up to 24 hours for us to complete and an additional 72 hours for the domain to repropogate throughout the internet.
Can I use my account before I purchase my domain or transfer it to Site5?
Yes, by using your account's IP address.
Immediately after your account is activated, you can access your website, FTP and other services by using the IP address given in your account welcome email. You can substitute your account's IP address in most places where you would use the domain name (web browser URL, FTP client server name, etc.).
Eventually, however, you will want to point your domain name at your Site5 account. If you already own the domain name, you will need to change the domain's nameservers as described above. If you haven't yet purchased the domain, you can purchase it either through Site5 or through a third-party registrar (described below).
How do I purchase a new domain name for use with my Site5 hosting account?
If you don't yet own the domain name for your hosting account, you can purchase it either from Site5 or from a third-party registrar.
- From Site5
- Use the instructions in the question below.
- From any other registrar
- Use the instructions two questions down. Be sure to specify our nameservers during the signup process to ensure that there is no delay in the domain name activation process.
How do I buy a new domain name from Site5?
Domains can be purchased from Site5 by going to the "Domains" tab in Backstage.
If your hosting account order has not been approved and provisioned yet, the "Domains" tab will not appear in Backstage. This is to prevent people from placing fraudulent domain name orders before their hosting account is approved.
Once you have access to Backstage and the Domains tab, you can search for and register new domains. By default, domains purchased through Site5 will point to our name servers, so there is no need to perform the name server setup process separately. As with all new domain name purchased, it may take up to 48 hours for your domain name to be accessible to all users on the Internet.
Please be aware that domain registrations can only be purchased using the credit card number provided with your domain registration order. You cannot use service credits to pay for your domain registration.
How to I buy a new domain name from a third party registrar (any company other than Site5)?
This will vary depending on the registrar you choose--there are literally thousands to choose from.
As a general rule, if you plan to host a domain name with Site5, you should do the following during the registration process:
- Do not purchase any web hosting services from the registrar. Most registrars will also offer you the ability to host your domain with them. You're already getting hosting through Site5, so you don't need this service.
- Do not make use of any domain name "parking" services offered by the registrar. Your domain has a fully-featured hosting account waiting for it at Site5!
- Do indicate that you wish to use the Site5 nameservers (aka "DNS servers") for your new domain. This should be an option at some point during the signup process. If for some reason this option is not given, it can be done immediately after you complete the registration through the management interface provided by the registrar. Using our nameservers right from the start will ensure that your domain name begins working with your Site5 hosting account as quickly as possible.
- Do make sure that the domain name exactly matches the domain name you specified for your new Site5 hosting account (Hint: domain names are not case sensitive). If the domain name you originally used on your hosting order is not available for registration, you will need to find a different domain name and request that customer service change the primary domain name on your account (more info provided above). This request can be made either before or after you complete your domain name purchase.
Can Site5 host international domains?
Absolutely! We can--and will, happily--host domains from all over the world for you. As long as the top-level domain (TLD) is legitimate, there's no problem! Please note that we cannot register most international domains; however, we can indeed host them.
I just moved my site to Site5 and I can access domain.com but not www.domain.com.
The www. prefix on domain names is already added to every newly added domain in the DNS system and web server configurations when an account is set up, so the settings exist and should work without any need to change anything on your end nor our end.
If you are having trouble accessing the domain with the www. prefix, and can access it without (or vice versa), it would be due to the fact that you had the www.domain.com (or domain.com) address cache the old routing address from previous access attempts (prior to the domain propagation completing).
To remedy this problem, you should restart any domain services or domain resolution/resolver settings/service, if you know how on your system. For most users, it's easiest to simply reboot their system to clear the routing cache.
Some ISP's only clear their cache every 72 hours, so even though your friend across the street on another ISP can see your new site, you may not be able to if your ISP has not cleared their cache.
Why doesn't my domain show up to transfer in my domain Panel?
Unless a domain is a primary domain or a MultiSites domain it will not show in the domain panel and unfortunately cannot be transferred.
Do you offer Anonymous Domain Registration?
Unfortunately we do not offer Anonymous Domain Registration at this time.
I am a reseller and would like to purchase domains through Site5 for my clients, can I do that?
Unfortunately we cannot offer this option to our resellers at this time and can only offer domain registration for the primary domain on the account.
Changing Your Domain Name's Registrar to Site5
What's the difference between pointing my domain name to Site5 and changing my domain name's registrar to Site5?
A lot!
If you change your registrar, transferring your domain to our registrar services, we now help you manage it, and are its registrar of record. This is optional. You may leave your domain names with their current registrars and still host with Site5.
You must, however, change your domain name's nameservers to point to Site5 in order to use it with a Site5 hosting account. To do so, you log in to your current registrar's account, and change the domain name's DNS pointers to ours:
DNS.site5.com
DNS2.site5.com
Now the domain in question is still registered with your current registrar, but correctly pointing to us, your new webhost.
A domain's registrar is the company through which you purchased your domain name. If you change your domain's nameservers, the domain's registrar does not change, and you still pay the same company to renew your domain name every year. If you change your domain's registrar, you stop doing business with the old registrar entirely. All future renewals will go through the new registrar, whether that's us, or another registrar entirely.
Hint: When viewing the "Domains" tab in Backstage, if you see a "Transfer to Site5 now!" link next to a domain name in the listing, that refers to changing the domain name's registrar, not updating the nameservers to point to your Site5 hosting account.
So, in simplest definitiion:
- "transfer your domain to Site5" means that you change your current domain registrar to Site5's. This costs 8.88 dollars per year.
- "change your nameservers" or "transfer your nameservers" means that, at your current registrar, you alter your domain's DNS pointers to ours, so that your domain points correctly to our servers. We do not issue a charge for this change, and neither should, in all likelihood, your current registrar.
Should I change the registrar on my existing domain names to Site5?
It's up to you.
Remember that you can use pretty much any combination of domain name registrar and web hosting company. While we do sell domain names, there is no requirement or real functional advantage to having a domain name registered through Site5 as opposed to any other company. That's certainly not a very strong sales pitch, but it's the truth.
Perhaps the main benefit in consolidating your domain name registrations under Site5 is that you have a single point of contact for all services. Your existing billing information will be used for all domains registered under your account, and you can easily view and manage your registrations through Backstage--the same interface you use to manage your hosting account itself.
How much does Site5 charge for domain names registrations?
Regardless of whether you're registering a new domain or moving an existing registration to Site5, we charge $8.88/year for domain names. We can 'host' any domain, but we currently register com/biz/net/info/org TLD's. Domains with other extentions must be registered elsewhere and pointed to Site5.
Does my domain name pricing change when I change my domain's registrar?
Yes!
Domain name prices vary from one registrar to the next--anywhere from $50 all the way down to $0 (domains are sometimes given away free as promotions or part of another service package). Site5 charges a flat fee of $8.88/year, however that's almost certainly not exactly what you're being charged at your current registrar--it's possible that you're paying less, and it's just as possible that you're paying more. Regardless of your current pricing, remember...
Once you transfer your domain name to Site5, you will begin paying our prices, not the old registrar's!
If this is a concern to you, you should make sure you figure out what you're being charged by your current registrar! This information can likely be found through the account management interface provided by your current domain name registrar.
If I purchased a multi-year contract, will it carry over to Site5?
Yes, if you paid for your domain name for multiple years in advance (as is very common), you will not lose that credit when you transfer it to Site5.
However, regardless of your domain name's existing contract length or renewal date, we will automatically charge you for a year's registration ($8.88) when we become the new registrar. This year will be added on to the existing renewal date. So if your domain name is currently set to expire on April 4th, 2011, when you transfer it to Site5, we will charge you a year's registration fee and extend the expiration date to April 4th, 2012.
Can any domain name be transferred to Site5?
No, but many can. We support the five major TLDs including: .com, .net, .org, .biz, .info
If our system can support your domain name, you will see a "Transfer to Site5 now!" link next to that domain name on the list which appears under the Domains tab in Backstage. If, for any reason, your domain name is not supported by our system, you will see a "Not transferrable" link instead.
How do I change a domain's registrar to Site5?
To transfer a domain name to our system, assuming we support that type of domain name (see question above), you first need to make sure that the domain's status is not set to "locked" with your current registrar. You can most likely view and modify this setting through your current registrar's domain name control panel.
Once you are sure your domain name is not in "locked" status, simply click the "Transfer to Site5 now!" link next to the domain name in your domain name listing. This listing appears under the "Domains" tab in Backstage.
Clicking the "Transfer to Site5 now!" link will take you to a second step which provides information about the transfer. For some domain name types (including .com, .net and .org), you will see a text field for an authorization key. If you see this text field, your transfer requires an authorization key (described in the question below). Enter your authorization key and click the "Transfer" button. You must obtain this authorization key from your current host. Site5 does not know what this is.
At this point, your request will be sent to our queue for processing--our system will soon attempt to contact your current registrar and initiate a domain transfer. While the transfer is in progress, the domain name will appear as "pending" in your domain name listing. The transfer process can take up to five days to complete.
I see an "authorization key" field when requesting a transfer. What is this and where do I get it?
Some domain name extensions, including .com, .net and .org, require you to provide an authorization or "EPP" key as part of the registrar transfer process. This is an extra security measure to protect against unauthorized domain registrar transfers.
If, when you click the "Transfer to Site5 now!" link, an authorization key field appears, do not proceed further. You must obtain an authorization key from your current registrar before you request the transfer! Proceeding to submit the form without the correct authorization key will result in a failed transfer.
Once you obtain the authorization key from your current registrar (probably through their domain management control panel), you can proceed to request the transfer through the Domains tab in Backstage as described above.
What if my transfer fails?
If for some reason a registrar transfer fails (for instance, if you provide an invalid or empty transfer key code when one is required), a "Transfer failed!" message will appear next to that domain in the domain listing.
If you would like to try the transfer again, you will need to contact customer service and request that the previous request be cleared from the system. The "Transfer to Site5 now!" link should once again appear after this has been completed.
If your transfer continuously fails, you may not be able to transfer that domain name to Site5. Some domain names, for one reason or another, are not compatible with our systems.
What if I want to transfer a domain name not in my domain name listing?
Currently any primary account domain names and MultiSite subaccount domain names will appear in your domain names listing. Domains added as parked domains, domain pointers or add-on domains on a hosting account will not appear in this list. At the present time, you can only request registrar transfers for domains appearing in this list.
A future version of Backstage will include the ability to request registrar transfer for domains currently setup as add-ons or parked domains on any of your hosting accounts.
I changed my mind and no longer wish to register my domain with Site5 (or transfer my domain to Site5). What can I do?
Domain registrations/renewals and transfers are non-refundable. Please be certain you wish to proceed before submitting your renewal/transfer request!
