 Registration |
What do I need to do before I can have a Website at Hosting 4 Less?
First, decide on and register your domain name through Hosting 4 Less. Hosting 4 Less handles all the technical issues of registering your domain name and initially setting up your server space. Otherwise, all you need is Internet access from either a local provider or a national online service (such as AOL, CompuServe, etc.). All of these services provide you with access to the Internet, which includes World Wide Web access (to see your pages) and FTP, or File Transfer Protocol, to upload your information to your Website disk space at Hosting 4 Less. |
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What does the IP# in my Welcome Email Mean?
If you have already transferred your Website pages via FTP to your site, you may view your new Hosting 4 Less site in your Internet browser by using the IP# included in your Welcome Email. Hosting 4 Less gives you this address so that you can view your site while registration of your new or transferred domain name is being completed, and propagation of the new domain has been updated across all Internet Domain Name Servers. To view your site while this registration and propagation is taking place, simply type the following into your browser http://IP#. |
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What is a domain name?
A domain name is your address on the Internet. It is linked to a numerical address called an IP address (e.g. 209.235.31.171). A domain name server is used to translate a domain name into an IP address. Domain names consist of two parts: the actual name, and the hierarchy to which it belongs. The hierarchies available for public use are .com, .net, and .org. |
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How do I get my own domain name?
When you sign up for an account at Hosting 4 Less, you first decide on the domain name you want, and check its availability. If the chosen name is available, you will need to complete a simple online registration form and submit it to us. If you are parking a domain name you can use our domain parking wizard to register and park your domain name. Visit http://www.hosting4less.com/domainparking.html. |
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Can I register for .org, .net, .ca, & .us domain extensions as well? What are the restrictions?
Yes, we will process your request for .org and .net in the same manner as .com domain names. However, there are certain restrictions regarding other domain extensions, such as country code Top Level Domains (ccTLD) like .ca, .us, etc. Country code domains are country-specific. Today there are 192 countries that accept registrations--each with very different registration requirements. Some country-specific domains are restricted where applicants must meet strict local presence, tax, or trademark guidelines in order to register. Other country-specifc domains are unrestricted and allow anyone from anywhere to register in their domain on a first come, first serve basis. |
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Can I get a domain such as: anything.domain.com?
This is called a sub-domain. Yes, you can get a sub-domain for your domain name. If you want the sub domain to point to the same site as your main domain, see the KB below regarding domain aliases. |
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I own other domain names that I want to point toward my Hosting 4 Less domain. Can I do this?
Absolutely. If you wish to use a domain name simply to point to your main domain name hosted by Hosting 4 Less, you may do so for a nominal fee by contacting Hosting 4 Less Support at (888) 818-0444. However, if you require any services for the domain name other than simply pointing to another domain name, you must establish a new account for the domain name. |
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What is the policy on trademarks?
Network Solutions has taken a hands-off approach to handling prior and pending trademark names when registering new domain names. Keep in mind that Network Solutions does not do any research, so it may register a trademarked name to you. But it will be up to the courts to decide if your domain name could belong to another company or user.
In most trademark cases, an infringement can take place with names that sound alike, words that are spelled in a slightly different way, etc. Do your own research and use common sense when picking a name for your site. Clearly, you don't want to lose your domain name after you have promoted it.
Any alleged or actual intellectual property infringement may lead to your site being suspended or terminated; see the Acceptable Use and Service Guidelines for more detail. |
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Who owns the domain name that I register with Hosting 4 Less?
You do. When you register the domain name through Hosting 4 Less, you will be designated as the administrative and billing contact. If anyone tries to move the domain or change any information on the form, you will be contacted first by the registrar. Hosting 4 Less will be listed as the technical and zone contacts on the domain. |
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How long will it take to activate my domain name?
Once confirmation that your domain name registration has been approved, it takes approximately one to three business days before it is active. All Internet providers must update their records (DNS tables) to reflect new site locations. This is called propagation. Total turnaround on a new domain name is typically 3 -5 days. |
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How long does it take to move a domain name to Hosting 4 Less from a different ISP?
Domain Registrars consider a change in hosting services a modification. Domain modifications usually take longer than registering a new domain, due to the fact that the current administrative or technical contact for the domain must acknowledge the modification request. Delays can also occur when your current provider does not approve the transfer request.
We will perform the setup functions here at Hosting 4 Less, enter the domain in our name servers, and have everything ready to go. At that point, we will contact your former service provider and politely request to have the domain transferred. In most cases, the provider will respond in a timely manner. A good relationship with your former provider should also help speed up the process.
If you move your domain to Hosting 4 Less from another provider, we recommend taking the opportunity to register yourself as the administrative and billing contact if you are not already. Hosting 4 Less will be listed as the technical and zone contacts on the domain. While some providers prefer to control all of the domain information, Hosting 4 Less TM recommends that you have control over information related to your domain. |
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What if you are transferring a domain which has already been registered from another Web hosting provider?
- Hosting 4 Less will submit a domain name modification request to Network Solutions for you at no cost, requesting to transfer your existing domain from your current provider to Hosting 4 Less.
- Network Solutions will then notify the administrative and technical contacts listed in the domain name record by email of the request to transfer to Hosting 4 Less.
- In order for the domain to be transferred successfully to Hosting 4 Less, either the administrative or technical contact must reply (from the email address listed in your current domain name record) with a "YES" in section "0-a" of the modification request form. Usually, the technical contact is your current Web hosting provider.
Once you reply from the correct email address, it will take approximately 24 to 72 hours for the transfer to take effect. If your domain has not been transferred within the time frame stated above, you can contact our technical support to look further into the matter for you at 888-818-0444. |
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Billing |
How much will I be charged for processing and maintaining domain names?
Hosting 4 Less offers domain name registration depending upon the term as low as $15 per year but the average is $25 per year for one or two year domain registrations. Volume discounts due apply! |
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What does this fee cover?
The registration fee covers the cost of processing the initial registration and maintaining the domain name record for one year. After the initial one-year period, the domain name is subject to renewal (re-registration) and the renewal (re-registration) fees will be due on an annual basis if the registrant wishes to renew the domain name's registration. |
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How will I be billed for the Domain Name?
Hosting 4 Less will bill the person listed for the domain as Billing Contact by Email (and/or regular mail), unless otherwise specified. |
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Who can I contact for billing questions?
Questions regarding invoicing and payment procedures should be referred to Hosting 4 Less Support. You can reach them by calling 1-888-818-0444. |
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Domain Name Problems |
I've registered my site, but I can't reach my site using the domain name.
If you have followed the steps for domain name registration, but your new site does not appear to be hosted, you are probably encountering a propagation lag. The World Wide Web is set up with many thousands of name servers. Most are configured to receive updates only at a certain time each day. It can take from 24 hours to two weeks for your domain name to propagate across all of the possible domain name servers. You can test this yourself by typing in your IP address and trying to bring up your web page. If you can bring it up by IP address but not by domain name, it is probably a propagation issue. Give it a few days to resolve. |
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Why can't I bring up my domain name in my browser?
Double-check to make sure you are typing the domain name in correctly and that all of your client software is installed properly. Also confirm that your domain name has been properly registered. Assuming all of those areas are in line, try typing your IP address into your browser. That should bring up your site even if you are having domain registration problems. If you cannot bring up your Website by your IP address, call Hosting 4 Less Technical Support at 888-818-0444 for assistance. |
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I think my site might be down. How can I fix it?
If you have tried to bring up your domain by name and IP address, and neither works, there may be a network problem. Try a ping and a traceroute. There are also some Web trouble-shooting questions in these Knowledge Base pages. Review the relevant questions and answers, and if you still cannot get to your site, call Hosting 4 Less Technical Support at 888-818-0444. |
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My parked domain is not functioning properly. What can I do?
If your parked domain is not resolving at all, please see the question: Why can't I bring up my domain name in my browser? |
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How can I transfer domain names other than global/generic domains (.com, .net, .org) to Hosting 4 Less?
In order to have your domain name changed/transferred to the Hosting 4 Less name servers, please contact your registrar of your need to modify your domain name. You should be able to log into your registrar's website and make changes to your Name Server and Technical Contact fields.
The fields you will be changing are:
- Primary server hostname and netaddress
- Secondary server hostname and netaddress
- Technical contact handle
The necessary information for these fields will be provided to you in your Hosting 4 Less welcome email. |
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Domain Aliases |
What is a domain alias?
A domain alias is an additional domain name that points to your Hosting 4 Less hosting account. This means that, for example, www.mydomain.com, www.mydomain.org and www.mydomain.net can all point to the same Web location. |
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How much does a domain alias cost?
For new domain names, you are responsible for the domain registration fee for one year and $5 per domain per month for the domain alias. If you already have a domain registered the only charge is the $5 monthly fee. Volume Discounts are avaliable for people with multiple aliases. |
How can I get a domain alias set up?
The domain needs to be registered using the Hosting 4 Less name servers. You can sign up the domain at http://www.Hosting4Less.com/domainparking.html to register your new domain.
If you are transferring the domain from another hosting company, we can help facilitate the transfer for you. Contact technical support at 1-888-818-0444 to request a transfer of your domain from your old provider to Hosting 4 Less.
Once the domain is pointing to our name servers, contact Hosting 4 Less to have the alias activated. |
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How long does it take to have the alias set up?
We will fulfill the request for the pointer within 24 hours of your request. It will take 24-48 hours from the time that it is set up for the new domain to propagate throughout the Internet. |
Can the domain alias point to a subdirectory of my account?
No, the pointer domain will point to the same location as your primary domain, bringing up the same web page. |
Can I get email with my domain alias?
Yes, email is included in the service. The pointer alias works the same as the main domain you can use them interchangeably. |
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