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1 |
What is a domain name?
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What's involved in getting my
domain name?
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Look up or register a new domain
name
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Register my Domain Name for longer
period |
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How do I transfer my domain name to PCBS? |
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Can I transfer domains already registered with another
registrar (i.e. Network Solutions) to PCBS ? |
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Once I have a domain name, how can I
make changes to it?
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How do I change ownership of my domain
name? (ie. I want to sell it or give it to someone else)
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How much control do domain owners have
over their domain once they've signed up through an PCBS-Tucows
RSP?
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I forgot my login name and password.
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What's the difference between .com,
.net, .org domain names?
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What's the difference between a ccTLD
and a gTLD?
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Who does a registered name actually
belong to, the end user or the Registration Service
Provider?
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I heard the "WHOIS" at Internic
is not in real time. How is this different from the WHOIS
function at PCBS?
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This is fascinating. Where can I go
for more information on the domain name space?
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What's the difference between an
Tucows registered domain name and a Network Solutions (NSI)
registered
domain name?
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17 |
Registry? Registrar? Registrant? What do
these words mean?
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Answers
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1 |
What is a domain name?
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A domain name is essentially a signpost on the Internet.
Every website you've ever been to, and every email you've
ever composed, has used a domain name in its address. People
register domain names in order to 'stake a claim' to a
particular name -- whether for business or personal reasons.
Once a domain name is registered to a person or company, it
is that person's to use exclusively as long as they continue
to pay the yearly renewal fee. Our domain name is pcbsl.com, and we also own
pcbsl.net ,
pcbsl.org and pcbs.com.hk.
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| Domain Name Rules for Top Level Domain Names
:
Domain names have a variety of basic rules. For example, with a .com, .net, .org domain name:
Note: .com, .net and .org domain names exceeding a total of 26 characters are supported by most web browsers. However, certain web browsers, email programs and other Internet related applications may not support domain names over 26
characters.
- Use only letters, numbers, or dash ("-")
- Cannot begin or end with a dash
- Cannot have more than 67 characters (including .com, .net, and .org)
- Country code domain names cannot exceed 26 characters total
- Domain names are not case sensitive
- Domain names cannot include spaces
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2 |
What's involved in getting my domain name?
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Once you've applied for the name, PCBS accepts payment, processes the order with
Tucows, and then the domain name is registered to you.
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The 6 Steps
to Success:
- Check for domain name
availability
- Confirm reserve to
register
- Fill
in user manage profile information
- Fill in order form information
- Verify the information for
accuracy
- Confirm order & process online payment.
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3
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Look up or register a new domain
name |
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4
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Register your domain name for longer period
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Tired of renewing your domain
name every year? You may now register your domain name for any period
up to 10 years, 1 year minimum for new registrations.
Click
Here To Register
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5
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How do I transfer my domain name to
PCBS? |
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To transfer your domain to us, just click
the following and we will do all the things for you. |
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If
you decided to transfer your domain to us
CLICK
HERE |
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6 |
Can I transfer domains already registered with another registrar
(i.e. Network Solutions) to PCBS ? |
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Yes.
However, there are some conditions. We cannot do registrar transfers
for domains that are On Hold or Past Due with the current registrar. To
be on the safe side, you should start the registrar transfer process at
least two weeks before the expiry of the domain.
The Admin Contact Email address for the domain must be valid.
Once the transfer order is submitted to us, an Email will be sent to the
Admin Contact Email address of the domain to be transferred.
Before you attempt to transfer a domain, make sure
that the Admin Contact Email for the domain to be transferred is valid.
If the Admin Contact Email address listed in the current whois info is
no longer valid, you must contact the original registrar to request it
be changed. We can't assist you in transferring the domain until we can
verify who is accepting the transfer.
Note that all transfers are sanity-checked to
prevent high-profile domains like "aol.com" from being
transferred fraudulently.
Registrar transfers are sent to the Registry where it awaits approval.
Unless the losing Registrar explicitly denies the transfer (for
instance, if the domain is past it's expiry date), it will usually go
through this step within 9 days. It can go through sooner if the losing
registrar explicitly approves the transfer. This will vary from
registrar to registrar.
Please note that some Registrars have added confirmations of their own
for transfers away from their system. Please contact them directly for
details.
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7 |
Once I have a domain name, how can I make changes to
it?
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You can make changes to your domain name by using the PCBS management interface at:
http://www.pcbs.com.hk/manage.htm.
Bear in mind you'll need your domain's username and password
to make the desired changes. If you don't have a username
and password or have forgotten them, please contact us at
support@pcbs.com.hk.
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How do I change ownership of my domain name?
(ie. I
want to sell it or give it to someone else)
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You can simply give your username and password to the new
owner, and allow them to change the contact information
using the Manage Domain interface. They should also change
the domain's profile to a new one with a unique username and
password.
To change the contact information:
In the Manage Domain interface (http://www.pcbs.com.hk/manage.htm),
click on Organization link and update the information
To change the domain's profile:
Log into the Manage Domain interface at: http://www.pcbs.com.hk/manage.htm
Click on "Manage Profile" and then select
"Change Ownership of Domain". Fill out the
username/password of the profile you want to add this domain
to, or create a new profile and provide a username and
password. If you are moving the domain to an existing
profile, click on "Move to existing profile" and
type the name of a domain that is already in the profile
into the "Previously registered domain" field.
Click on "Change Owner" and the domain will be in
the new profile.
* It is important to remember that anyone with the profile
login information can change all info for all domains in the
profile, including ownership.
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9 |
How much control do domain owners
have over their domain once they've signed up through PCBS - Tucows RSP?
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Domain owners, in general, have full control
over their Tucows registered domain names. This means that the domain
owner has the power to:
a) Change admin/technical and billing contacts for the domain.
b) Change ownership of the domain.
c) Change the nameservers that are authoritative for the domain.
d) Create sub-users and enable them to change some/all of the options in
a, b and c above.
e) Change the password that enables a, b, c, and d above.
As an end-user, it's unlikely you'll care to bother with such details.
If this is the case, PCBS options to offer registration maintenance
service. Please review individual policy pages for information on how to
deal with PCBS.
Details Domain Manage Profile - Click
Here
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10 |
I forgot my login name and
password.
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Your login name and password (used to make
modifications to your domain name record) can be obtained from PCBS
support - support@pcbs.com.hk.
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11 |
What's the difference between .com,
.net, .org domain names?
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Originally, the three letter extensions
after the dot (or Top Level Domain/TLD) were meant to denote whether the
domain name was being used for business (.com) charity/non-profit (.org)
or for a technology based company (.net). However, with the explosion of
the Internet (and specifically, the world wide web) as a new business
medium, the lines were blurred, and companies and individuals alike
started cross-registering domains (ie. Me.com, me.net, me.org) just to
protect their interests. Now, .com, .net, and .org names (the generic
Top Level Domains) can be used for any purpose.
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12 |
What's the difference between a ccTLD and a
gTLD?
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A gTLD is a generic Top Level Domain. These are top level
domains that are NOT affiliated with any country and can be
registered by anyone for a fee. Currently, these are .com,
.net, and .org. ccTLDs are Country Code Top Level
Domains.These are the two character top level domain names
affiliated with various countries around the world. Many
ccTLDs are closed or restricted, requiring proof of
residency in the country in question. Others are not
restricted, and can be purchased much like gTLDs.
Currently, PCBS offers registrations in the .com, .net,
.org gTLDs, and the .com.hk, .net.hk and .org.hk
ccTLDs.
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13 |
Who does a registered name actually belong to, the end
user or the Registration Service Provider?
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Domain names are not truly owned -- they're leased out on a
first-come, first-served basis, and remain with the initial
lessee until either a) the lessee does not renew the name,
or b) a business with a trademark of the same name
demonstrates a greater claim to the name than the lessee can
demonstrate.
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14 |
I heard the "WHOIS" at Internic is not in
real time. How is this different from the WHOIS function at
PCBS?
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WHOIS is a tool that permits people to access information
about a particular domain name. Internic updates their WHOIS
data twice every 24 hrs. This means the data it presents
isn't as up-to-date as it could be. For example, if a domain
name has transferred ownership, it's possible this fact
wouldn't be available to you for up to twelve hours. In
contrast, with regard to names we host, PCBS WhoIS
information is updated in real time. If you need to be
certain that your domain name information is correct, we
recommend you use the PCBS WHOIS.
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15 |
This is fascinating. Where can I go for more
information on the domain name space?
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For a detailed account on the evolution of the domain space
as a business phenomenon, please visit http://www.icann.org.
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16 |
What's the difference between an Tucows registered
domain name and a Network Solutions (NSI) registered domain
name?
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There's no difference between a name registered with Tucows
and a name registered with Network Solutions. Network
Solutions is currently better known because they ran the
first domain registration business without competition for a
number of years.
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17 |
Registry? Registrar? Registrant? What do these words
mean?
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Registrar: A "Registrar" (or "Domain
Name Registrar") is an organization like Tucows or
Network Solutions that has control over the granting of
domains within certain TLDs (top level domains, like the
generic .com/.org/.net or country-specific .ca/.us/.mx
etc.).
Registry: The 'Registry' is the backend that
registrar's have shared access to. Each registrar writes new
names to a central registry database, from which the
authoritative root (essentially, a table of all domain names
on the Internet) is built.
Registrant: A registrant is the person or company who
purchases a domain name. For example, Jessica Smith
(registrant) registers the name jessicasmith.com through
Tucows (registrar) who in turn writes the name to the
central database (Registry).
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DNS
(Domain Name System)
The Internet was built on the notion that any computer on a global network
can be identified by its numeric Internet Protocol (IP) address. But since
people, and not machines, are the primary users of the Internet, a more
people-friendly naming system called the Domain Name System (DNS) was
invented. DNS maps a host name like www.pcbsl.com to the IP address of
the machine that hosts the PCBSL web site. For example, DNS actually maps
the host name www.pcbsl.com to the IP address 203.186.56.3
DNS is built upon the notion that some server's are 'authoritative'
(meaning, knows all there is to know) for certain domains. A distributed
name server hierarchy, beginning with the A Root Server and ending at the
thousands of nameservers active on the Internet, ensures that the naming
and directing system works the same from anywhere.
Back to Top
Domain Name
A domain name is essentially a signpost on the Internet. Almost every
website you've ever been to, and every email you've ever composed, has
used a domain name in its address.
People register domain names in order to 'stake a claim' to a particular
name -- whether for business or personal reasons. Once a domain name is
registered to a person or company, it is that person's to use exclusively
as long as they continue to pay the yearly renewal fee and abide by the
terms of use.
Top Level Domain (TLD)
The portion of a traditional domain name that comes after the dot. So,
in pcbsl.org, the top level domain is .org. The generic top level
domains (gTLDs) are .com, .net and .org; there are also country code top
level domains (ccTLDs) such as .ca, or .uk.
Second Level Domain (SLD)
The portion of a traditional domain name that comes before the dot. So,
in pcbsl.net, the second level domain is pcbsl.
Generic Top Level Domain (gTLD)
gTLDs are top level domains that are not associated with any country.
Currently, the only gTLDs in existence are .com, .net and .org.
Originally, the top level domain designation was meant to denote whether
the domain name was being used for business (.com), charity/non-profit
(.org), or for a network (.net). However, with the explosion of the
Internet (and specifically, the world wide web) as a new business
medium, the lines were blurred, and companies and individuals alike
started cross-registering domains (ie. me.com, me.net, me.org) just to
protect their interests. Now, .com, .net, and .org names (the generic
Top Level Domains) can be used for any purpose.
Country Code Top Level Domain (ccTLD)
Every country (and a few territories) in the world has a reserved, two
letter country code domain that is theirs to use as they see fit. Some
countries run their own ccTLD registry, others outsource it to a private
company, and still others sell rights to their ccTLD to third parties to
run as they see fit.
Examples of ccTLDs are .ca (Canada), .us (United States), and .to
(Tonga). In general, these are registered by businesses with a
coincidental link to the TLD in question.
For example: .to is used more by Torontonians than Tongans and .tv has
more American television content than native Tuvalu culture.
See also, DNS.
Back to Top
Domain
Registrar
A "Registrar" (or "Domain Name Registrar") is an
organization like Tocuws or Network Solutions that has control over the
granting of domains within certain TLDs (top level domains, like the
generic .com/.org/.net or country-specific .ca/.us/.mx etc.).
Back to Top
Domain Registry
The 'Registry' is the system backend that is maintained by the operators
of the TLD. Registrar's write new names to a central registry database,
from which the authoritative root (essentially, a table of all domain
names) is built. In the case of .com, .net and .org, the InterNIC runs the
registry, and qualified registrars have shared access to it. In the case
of many ccTLDs, the registry and registrar functions are combined within
one entity.
Back to Top
Domain Registrant
A registrant is the person or company who registers a domain name. For
example, Jessica Smith (registrant) registers the name jessicasmith.com
through PCBSL (registrar) who in turn writes the name to the central
database (Registry).
Back to Top
Domain Renewal
gTLDs:
Domains are leased on an annual basis, and need to be renewed once the
current payment for the lease expires. If a domain is registered on April
15, 2000 and prepaid for one year, it will be due for renewal on April 15,
2001, at which point the registrant either pays for additional years, or
lets the name expire. Domains can also be pre-paid for multiple years, up
to a maximum of 10 years.
ccTLDs:
The *.uk registry, Nominet, has set registration and renewal periods for
all .uk names at two years.
Back to Top
Domain Transfer
The term 'transfer' has been used to describe various kinds of domain name
transfers. Traditionally, simply changing the nameservers providing name
service for a domain was considered a transfer. Nowadays, such a
modification is more rightly called a modification, and the term
'transfer' describes the transfer of a domain from one registrar to
another.
Back to Top
ICANN
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is the
non-profit corporation that was formed to assume responsibility for the IP
address space allocation, protocol parameter assignment, domain name
system management, and root server system management functions previously
performed under U.S. Government contract by IANA and other entities.
For more information about ICANN, please visit: http://www.icann.org
Back to Top
InterNIC
The InterNIC maintains the root domain registry, containing nameserver and
registrar information for all .com, .net and .org domains. When an end
user registers a domain name through an Tocuws RSP, Tocuws updates it's
own database with the full WHOIS information, and passes select domain
information up to the root registry.
Back to Top
Name Servers
Nameservers (or Domain Name Servers) are the machines that perform the DNS
function, containing zone files listing all the hosts on their network,
and their corresponding IP addresses. If a nameserver is unable to
determine which IP address a given hostname (i.e. www.pcbsl.org) should
map to, it will at least be able to point to another nameserver, which
will either contain the information, or pass the request on until the
correct nameserver is found.
Back to Top
Nominet
The Nominet is the registry for all .uk domain names, serving a simlar
function as the NSI registry does for the gTLDs. Tucows is an authorized
Nominet agent.
Back to Top
Registration Service Provider (RSP)
Under the Tocuws model, the Registration Service Provider resells domain
names through Tocuws and sells them to individuals or businesses. RSPs are
generally Internet based service providers, either running a domain
registration business as a 'value add' to their core business, or in some
cases, as their core business. RSPs also provide all technical support to
domain registrants.
Back to Top
UDRP
The Uniform Dispute Resolution policy is a document which governs how
domain name disputes will be resolved within the gTLD namespace. It
defines the conditions under which a genuine dispute may arise, and
provides guidelines for administrative proceedings to settle the issue,
outside of a court where possible. All registrants registering domains
through PCBSL (or any other registrar) are bound by the UDRP. The UDRP
can be found at: http://www.pcbs.com.hk/service/udrp.htm
Back to Top
Web Hosting
One service often closely associated with domain names is web site
hosting. The World Wide Web is a massive collection of web sites, all
hosted on computers (called web servers) all over the world. Because of
the web's uniquely global nature, a web site should be accessible 24 hours
a day, seven days a week. Rather than pay to have a 24/7 dedicated
Internet connection to an in-house webserver, many people opt to host
their sites with a web hosting provider. Web hosting clients simply upload
their web sites to a shared (or dedicated) webserver, which the ISP
maintains to ensure a constant, fast connection to the Internet.
Back to Top
WHOIS
WHOIS databases contain nameserver, registrar, and in some cases, full
contact information about a domain name. Each registrar must maintain a
WHOIS database containing all contact information for the domains they
'host'. A central registry WHOIS database is maintained by the InterNIC.
This database contains only registrar and nameserver information for all
.com, .net and .org domains.
Back to Top
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