Navigating the Path to Your Own Domain
by Kimmie
February 17, 2001
I Want My Own Web Address!
Being the little cybergeek that I am, I have already experienced the joy of digging through
piles of information in an effort to achieve the coveted status of domain name owner. For those
of you that are new to this concept, the domain name, in the simplest terms, is the part of the
URL or address, that identifies a website. It is a name that you choose, which identifies your
webspace and enables other computers to find your website. For instance, this website's domain
name is scorerocks. Imagine your domain name is just like your home address. You give your home
address out to friends so they may visit or send you a letter. It is the same idea with a
domain name.
Host This!
I'll be the first to admit that I was more than a little bit overwhelmed with all the
technical jargon and fees involved. My first bit of research revealed that it would cost me $75.00 just to register
my name. Once I started getting used to the idea and began working on some creative financing
to come up with the money, I was jolted back to reality with the news that I would also need a
"host" for my site. But that it were as simple as getting one of those little crackers that
they give out during communion, nope, that isn't what they meant. I was in need of what is
known in the industry as an Internet Presence Provider (IPP). What did that mean to me? Well
at first the only thing it meant was that this was going to cost a lot more than I had
initially planned.
However, being that I'm of the more stubborn lot, I put my nose back into the research,
started pillaging the net and grilling my techie friends for help. Pretty soon I had
a stack of even more information. Isn't there someone that could explain this to me in plain
English, two pages or less? Well, that is what I'm here to do for you.
Don't Get Lost In The P's
First let me start with the terms ISP and IPP. If you break it down logically you'll see that
each service has its own use and it will start to make sense. ISP, or Internet Service Provider,
is the company that is enabling you to read this commentary (provided of course you are reading
this on-line). In exchange for a monthly fee, they bestow upon you the privilege, of surfing
the net and receiving e-mail. IPP, or Internet Presence Provider, on the other hand, is strictly
a service used to host your website when using your own domain name. (Incidentally, there are
quite a few companies offering these services for free, however they are not without their
limitations, such as; advertising banners, slow connections, limited bandwidth -- the amount of
traffic you are permitted on your website, etc.) Not to confuse you further, but your ISP and
IPP can be the same company; however, I've found that the major ISP's seem to charge an arm and
a leg for IPP services that can be found at a much more appealing price if you shop around.
Just remember, you can't have one or the other. You have to have both ISP and IPP services.
Unfortunately, there is no way to get around this, unless of course you are going to build your
own server and network (but that's another commentary all together).
Have I lost you yet?
Naming Your "Baby"
How do I acquire a domain name? The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers
(ICANN) is a government run entity that keeps track of domain names (registered and unregistered).
This system is what prevents two people from having the exact same domain name and causing major
confusion on the net (which would be like having the same residential address or telephone number
as someone in your neighborhood). Obviously, aside from the esthetic aspects, having your own
domain name is a marketing must. Not only is it easier to remember due to its succinctness, but
the fact that you can choose a name that matches that of your band or company makes it more
identifiable.
The first step in getting your own domain name, obviously, is to think up a unique name for your
website. I'm sure you probably already have an idea of what you would like to use, so I will
spare you the details of what makes a good domain name. (Again, that is fuel for another
commentary). Once you have an idea what you would like to use for a domain name, you need to
see if it is available (this is where ICANN comes in). Chances are, it will not be. However,
you might be one of the lucky ones that has an exceptional name that is not already spoken for.
To see if your chosen domain name is available, visit: www.domainsearch.com.
This is a service that searches ICANN's domain name database to see if a name is taken. Most
domain name registrar's have a similar search engine right on their website.
Is This Registering?
When looking for a company to register your domain name, make sure they are an official
ICANN-accredited registrar. There is a complete list of registrars at www.internic.net.
I personally have found a registrar that charged a mere $15.00 for domain name registration.
I've seen as low as $10.00. And let me be the first to tell you that the service is no
different than the much more pricey $75.00 registrars. The secret behind this? It's simple.
The industry is very competitive. The companies that are selling the registrations for cheaper
are normally companies that also offer IPP services. In essence, they entice you with their
low registration costs in hopes that you will also use their IPP services (which is where they
make their money). Now, let me caution you: Be sure when choosing one of these companies that
the "deal" they are offering you is not contingent upon your using their IPP services. You
should not be obligated to purchase anything from them, other than the registration of the
domain name.
House and Home
Where will I live? Your IPP will be your new home. Once again, since this is a competitive
field, you should have no problem at finding an IPP that will house your website (with all the
bells and whistles --detailed below) for as low as $60.00 a year. Yes, I said $60.00 a year!
The best thing is to have a word of mouth referral, but if you don't know anyone that is using
one of these low cost IPP's, feel free to start grilling the companies. Ask important questions
such as:
"How much disk space do I receive?"
Depending on your website plans, 50 megs is a decent amount. Obviously if you want to be the
next Napster you will need quite a bit more space (due to the size of MP3s music files).
Be sure to consider the future of your website in determining how much webspace you will need.
Most IPPs offer to sell you more space if you out grow the original amount.
"How much does it cost for extra webspace?"
"Do I get my own cgi-bin?"
Unless you are into web design or you are a techie, this is probably greek to you. I'll spare
you the technical stuff and cut to the chase. The cgi-bin is space available for you to upload
cgi scripts that you or your web designer has created. Cgi scripts add functionality to your
website. They include such features as forms, shopping carts, message boards, polls, search
engines... the list is endless.
"How many email boxes will I be allowed?"
"What type of servers and equipment do you use?"
You'll have to do some of your own research here. Compare the types of systems available to those
of other IPPs and don't be afraid to ask detailed questions.
"What is your downtime percentage for the past year?"
In other words, how often was the system unavailable, causing the shut down of user's websites?
"Do you have an 'up-time' policy?"
If the server goes down for any specific amount of time do they give a discount or a refund?
"What amount of bandwith do you offer?"
As I started to explain earlier, this goes hand in hand with the amount of visitors you will have
on your website. As a gauge, I host a website that recieves an excess of 300 visitors per month.
I have 6 Gigs transfer, which has been plenty for my purposes. If you do not have a lot of
traffic on your site it might not be an issue, however I cannot stress enough that you plan for
the future. Just because you don't have any visitors today, doesn't mean you wont have any tomorrow.
"What type of technical support do you offer?"
Is there going to be someone around to answer your questions when you need them? Do they have an
800 number or do you have to pay long distance charges. Is there a time limit on "free" techincal support?
If you are not impressed with something you see, move on to the next company.
Saving Your Pennies
What will all this cost me you ask? I can tell you right off the bat that IPP and domain name
registrars are clamoring for your business and are offering some very hard to believe "deals of
the century." It is not inconceivable that you could get a year of IPP service and your domain
name registered for one year for a grand total of under $75.00. Just be sure you do not jump at
the first IPP and domain name registrar you find. Do your research and remember, you have
options. It's a free market.
Building Your Dream House
After I have my domain name and IPP, what do I do with them? If you are not familiar with
creating websites and you do not know how to upload files to your IPP, then you are going to
have a very difficult time getting your website started. Though it is not impossible that you
could do it yourself it will take a lot of research and a lot of learning on your part to get
it done. If it is just a matter of learning how to upload to your IPP, you might be able to
get assistance from your IPP in doing that. However, if you do not know the first thing about
creating a website, I would suggest that you don't even consider purchasing an IPP or a domain
name until you have consulted with a web designer.
Finding A Builder
Which brings me to the next point. There are quite a few web designers out there. Some of them
are talented artists and some of them are hack's trying to make a buck off of their limited HTML
knowledge. Be very careful when searching for a web designer. Make sure you look not only at
prices, but also at designs they have already created. If a web designer doesn't have anything
to show you, you have no idea what type of design they will provide you. My suggestion is
that you check out the designers of various sites that appeal to you. Most professionally
created websites will give you the name and/or web address of the designer. For example, If
you are partial to this website, you can find more information about the designer on our staff
page.
Moving In
We've gone over the issues involved in acquiring your domain name and getting your own
little space on the world wide web. You most likely already have an ISP, now you just need to
think of a domain name, make sure it isn't taken, register it, find yourself an IPP
to host your website, and build the site or find a web designer to build it for you. Hopefully
I've armed you with some information to help point you in the right direction.
So, let me be the first to say, however premature, "Welcome to your new home!".
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