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Frequently
Asked Questions -
Domains:
Frequently Asked Questions
- Hosting
Matters
How do
I register a domain name and sign
up for hosting at the same
time?
I
already own a domain name, how do
I get started with
hosting?
How do
I transfer my domain name so it
points to your
servers?
How
long after I sign up will my
domain name be
usable?
What is
domain propagation?
Do you
support third level domains
(myname.yourdomain.com)?
Why
shouldn't I host my Web site with
a company that offers free domain
registration?
I
changed my mind about the domain
name that I registered. Is it too
late to change it?
Where
do I go to check the availability
of a domain name?
How do
I change DNS & other
information on my domain
name?
What
extension should I use for my
domain name?
What
about trademarked
names?
Should
I register my domain name now or
later?
Should
I register more than one domain
name?
What
characters can I use in my domain
name?
How
should I go about choosing a
domain name?
How do
I transfer my domain to your
servers?
What
are your name server names and
IPs?
How
much should I have to pay to
register a domain
name?
What is
a Sub Domain Account?
Are
you responsible for managing my
domain name?
How do I register a domain
name and sign up for hosting at
the same time?
If you would like to register
your domain name and sign up for
hosting at the same time, simply
choose a
hosting package. Then on the
order page just enter the domain
you wish to order. You will be
given an opportunity to purchase
a new domain in the ordering
process. Once finished, your
hosting account will be set-up
and your domain name will be
registered right away. You will
receive a welcome email from us
with all the information you need
to get started within 1-12 hours
of signing up. Your domain name
will take about 24 hours to
'propagate' throughout the
Internet and be usable. In the
meantime you can publish your
site using the information that
you receive in the welcome
email.
I already own a domain name,
how do I get started with
hosting?
All you have to do is go to our
order
online page and choose
the type of hosting you wish to
order.
How do I transfer my domain
name so it points to your
servers?
If you registered your domain
name with another registrar, then
you will need to update your
domain name records to point to
our name servers. This
information is included with your
welcome pack, but you can also
request that we do this for
you.
How long after I sign up will
my domain name be usable?
It usually takes between 1-24
hours for a domain name to
'propagate' or be usable
throughout the Internet
worldwide. This applies to new
domain registrations and to
domain transfers.
What is domain
propagation?
When a visitor types your domain
name into their Web browser,
their request is referred to a
nameserver that indicates the
physical location (the IP
address) of your domain on the
Internet. When your site location
changes to a new IP address, or
when a new domain name is added,
nameservers around the world must
be notified of the change. This
process is referred to as
propagation.
Propagation normally requires 24
hours. During this period, if you
are transferring your domain,
some nameservers will refer to
the old location of your site and
some to the new location.
Therefore, a visitor accessing
your site may be directed to
either the old or new location.
That's why it is best to cancel
your old provider only after the
Internet has propagated and all
requests to view your site are
being routed to our servers.
Do you support third level
domains
(myname.yourdomain.com)?
Yes. Simply create two entries
for our nameservers to your
domain zone and assign your
subdomain to these. You can also
point your subdomain to our IP,
however, this is not recommended
as we sometimes ammend these. You
can also create separate ftp and
email accounts for sub domains
created directly from cPanel.
Why shouldn't I host my Web
site with a company that offers
free domain registration?
Some hosting companies offer FREE
domains while you host your web
site with their company. Then, if
you decide to move your web site
to another host, you cannot take
your domain name with you because
the hosting company is the real
owner of the domain name.
Although we may bundle a 'free'
domain with some hosting
accounts, or part of a promotion,
this is actually registered in
your name and becomes your
property because we want our
customers to always have the
option to move to another hosting
company and to take their domain
name with them.
I changed my mind about the
domain name that I registered. Is
it too late to change it?
Once you register a domain name,
you cannot "un-register" it. If
you find that the domain name you
chose no longer suits your
business or personal needs, you
should register another domain
name. The domain name you
originally registered will
continue to be registered to you
until the end of the registration
period. Registration and Domain
Registration renewal fees are
non-refundable.
Where do I go to check the
availability of a domain
name?
Domain name availably can be
checked through a "WHOIS" server.
There are a variety of these
services available at different
websites. We offer this facility
here.
It's usually best to check with
the "authoritative" registry for
the domain you're searching for.
Nominet
handles UK domains, Joker.com
handles most other domains.
How do I change DNS &
other information on my domain
name?
If you registered your domain
with us when you signed up for
hosting, you can make these
changes by contacting support.
Otherwise you will need to modify
your information at your current
registrar.
What extension should I use
for my domain name?
There are many different
extensions available right now.
If you are a US or UK business
catering either for the US or
global market, we recommend a
.com suffix. It is the first
extension that most people try
when searching for a site. Also,
since it is one of the oldest
extensions, .com shows that your
business has been around for a
while and has a well established
presence on the web. If you are a
UK business catering only for the
UK market we strongly recommend
you use a .co.uk suffix as most
search engines give UK site
visitors the option to search
only for UK sites and web sites
with the .com suffix will be
excluded from search results.
What about trademarked
names?
Avoid trademarked names. There
are two really good reasons for
this. First, it's not very nice.
We have all heard the stories
about the zany guy who thought
ahead and bought
"some-huge-multi-million-pound-company.com"
and sold it to the company for
enough money to retire on. But,
remember that those companies
have spent lots of time and money
creating their brand, and you
probably wouldn't be happy if the
tables were turned. The second
reason to avoid trademarked names
is that companies are no longer
reaching for their chequebooks to
get their names back. They are
calling their lawyers.
Should I register my domain
name now or later?
Domain names are being snatched
up faster than candy at the St.
Patrick's Day parade. You must
register soon unless you want to
get stuck with
"the-domain-name-that-no-one-wanted.net".
You do not have to have a web
master or an e-commerce
department or a web design
consultant or... Heck, you don't
even need a web page. Just go to
our domain
registration page and
register your domain name before
you loose the opportunity to get
the name you really want.
Should I register more than
one domain name?
Sometimes, it isn't a bad idea to
register several similar domain
names. If you have
"yourname.com", register
"yourname.net" so no one else
takes it. You can register your
full company and a shorter,
easier to remember version. Some
people even register common
misspellings of their company's
name. It's a good idea to get
these misspelled domain names
before your competitor does!
What characters can I use in
my domain name?
Just a reminder. Domain names can
only use letters, numbers, and
hyphens ("-"). Spaces and other
symbols are not allowed. Cannot
begin or end with a hyphen.
Domain names are not case
sensitive. Domain names cannot
exceed 63 characters total. Other
domain names cannot exceed 22
characters, not including the
extension.
How should I go about choosing
a domain name?
When you have settled on several
available name choices, see what
your friends and clients have to
say. A name that may make perfect
sense to you may be too hard for
other people to remember. Is your
domain easy to say? Is it hard to
spell? Do you have to explain why
you chose the name? Does it take
ages to type as part of an email
address?
How do I transfer my domain to
you?
When you transfer your domain you
are just pointing it to our
servers. This means when someone
types your domain name in their
browser it will go to your Web
site on our servers. In order to
transfer your domain you must go
to the registrar where you
purchased your domain name and
have them update your nameserver
records. We will gladly help you
handle your domain transfer.
What are your nameserver names
and IPs?
Primary Server Hostname:
ns1.cobrahost.co.uk
Primary Server Netaddress:
87.117.238.18
Secondary Server Hostname:
ns2.cobrahost.co.uk
Secondary Server Netaddress:
87.117.238.19
How much should I have to pay
to register a domain
name?
At one time, companies were able
to get away with charging high
reservation fees plus a
"mandatory" registration fee.
Some years ago, it was decided
that other companies should be
able to compete to sell domain
names. This has lowered prices
dramatically. Some hosts bundle
the domain free with their
hosting packages. More at the
domain
names page.
What is a Sub Domain
Account?
A sub-domain account is an
account that can be set-up to be
redirected to a subdirectory
under your main account. For
example info.yourdomain.com is
considered a sub domain. The only
requirement is that your main
domain name (yourdomain.com) be
hosted on our servers.
You can create sub domains from
cPanel.
Are you responsible for
managing my domain name?
When your domain is about to
expire, you will receive emails
from your Domain Registrar
explaining the expiration date
and the process to renew your
domain. We will also email you a
renewal request. This often
coinsides with your hosting
renewal. However, we accept no
liability or loss when a domain
has not been renewed. It remains
your responsibility to renew your
domain in time.
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