3TEC.COM - Technical Support and FAQ - Domain Name Services Questions

Can I change my domain name?
Unfortunately no. You can not change your domain name once it is registered. You need to submit an order for a new domain name. Since this is a new domain name, the domain name registration fees still apply.

How do I choose a domain name for my Web site?
You want to select a name that will be easy for your customers or potential customers to remember. The obvious choice would be to use your business name, such as www.your-company.com. But if your company is named The ABC Company, you might want to try abbreviating the domain name for simplicity - such as www.abc.com.

If the name you would like has already been registered by another company, you will want to be creative and decide on a name that is associated with your company. For instance, if the ABC Company sells letters, then you may want to try abcletters.com.

How do I read the WHOIS record?
When you look at your WHOIS record, like this sample:


Registrant:
Tritech Automation Corporation (3TEC-DOM)
   1962 Kempton Park Drive
   Mississauga, ON L5M 2Z7
   CA


   Domain Name: 3TEC.COM


   Administrative Contact:
      Domain Administrator  (DA9885-ORG)  domainadmin@3TEC.COM
      Tritech Automation Corporation
      1962 Kempton Park Drive
      Mississauga
      ON
      L5M 2Z7
      CA
      905-608-2622 (FAX) 905-608-9064
   Technical Contact:
      Domain Administrator  (DA9885-ORG)  domainadmin@3TEC.COM
      Tritech Automation Corporation
      1962 Kempton Park Drive
      Mississauga, ON L5M 2Z7
      CA
      +1 905-608-2622 Fax- +1 905-608-9064
   Billing Contact:
      Billing Department  (BD1827-ORG)  billing@3TEC.COM
      Tritech Automation Corporation
      1962 Kempton Park Drive
      Mississauga, ON L5M 2Z7
      CANADA
      +1 905-608-2622 Fax- +1 905-608-9064


   Record last updated on 22-May-2000.
   Record expires on 31-Aug-2009.
   Record created on 31-Aug-1998.
   Database last updated on 5-Dec-2000 07:40:17 EST.


   Domain servers in listed order:


   NS1.3TEC.COM                 64.26.147.2
   NS2.3TEC.COM                 209.216.96.197

The three character strings, 3TEC-COM, DA9885-ORG, and BD1827-ORG are called NIC handles. They are basically key words used by NIC's whois database search software for locating information related to them quickly. As for the two terms, Administrative Contact and Technical Contact/Zone Contact, we will borrow NIC's own definitions The administrative contact is the person who can speak on behalf of the organization listed in Section 3. This person should be able to answer non-technical questions about the organization's plans for the name, and procedures for establishing sub-domains, and should be able to represent the organization regarding use of the name. The technical contact is the person who tends to the technical aspects of maintaining the domain's name server, resolver software, and database files. This person keeps the name server running, and interacts with technical people in other domains to solve problems that affect the domain. The Internet Service Provider often performs this role. Nowadays, newer whois records always have a billing contact too, which in most cases is the same as the administrative contact, and is the one who is responsible to pay Tritech for the annual domain name maintenance fee.

How do I redirect one domain to another?
It is Tritech's policy to issue each domain name its own IP address. Therefore you can use the following sample as default startup page of the domain name you want to point to any other domain name or specific page or directory within another domain name:


<html>

<head><meta http-equiv=refresh content="0; url=http://www.other-domain.com/">

</head>

</html>

How long does it take for a new Domain Name to register or move?
Registering a domain name usually takes about 2 days to 4 days.

Transferring a domain is a little more complicated, but takes about the same amount of time. Let us know the domain name which is being modified, and we will initiate the transfer request.

How long does it take for the world to see a new domain name?
Once approved and registered with Tritech, it can take upwards of 2 weeks to update around the globe. So while you may be able to see it with your Web browser, your next door neighbors might not because of the domain name server the system uses. Most domain name servers are programmed to get domain name updates only once a day at a predetermined time.

How many domain names may I have?
You can have as many as you want. You will still be billed the CDN$25.00 dollars per each .com .net .org or .edu domain name from Tritech.

How much does it cost to own a domain name?
Tritech will charge you CDN$25.00 annually for .com .net .org and .edu domain name, and CDN$40.00 annually for .ca domain name.

I wish to register a new domain with Network Solutions, can I enter Tritech's name servers information?
Yes. However, you will need to subscribe to our DNS service in order for www.your-domain.com to be resolved to an IP address on the Internet. The name servers you should use are NS1.3TEC.COM (IP address is 64.26.147.2) and NS2.3TEC.COM (IP address 209.216.96.197).

What about Trademarks?
You may have a trademarked name in your domain name and Tritech will register it for you. But, you might want to check if there is a company with that name trademarked. Also, if a company does have that name trademarked you could be taken to court and could lose that name.

What characters may I use in my domain name?
Your domain name can be as long as 64 characters. The domain must consist only of letters, numbers and dashes(-). The www is not part of the actual domain name and is just a standard web prefix.

What do I have to do to register my domain name?
Tritech requires you to have an existing email account through a local Internet Service Provider. In most cases, Tritech will serve as your Technical Contact and provide name servers for your domain name. If you operate your own name servers (minimum two name servers are required), you need to provide us the server hostnames and IP addresses in the order form. Always make sure that your domain name is available before trying to register that name.

What extension can I have on the end of my Domain Name?
Tritech currently provides registration of the following top level domain names:

COM - is for commercial, for-profit organizations
EDU - is for 4-year, degree granting institutions only
NET - is for network infrastructure machines and organizations
ORG - is for miscellaneous usually non-profit organizations
CA - is for Canadian businesses, citizens and residents
ON.CA - is for Canadian businesses, citizens and residents at provincial level. "ON" denotes "Ontario", other provinces such as Quebec (QC.CA) can also be registered

Tritech can also register domain names based on other top level domains. However, there are restrictions regarding these domains and sometimes additional registration documents may be required.

What if the domain name I want is already taken?
If the name you would like has already been registered by another company, you will want to be creative and decide on a name that is associated with your company. For instance, if the ABC Company sells letters, then you may want to try abcletters.com.

What is a domain name and why do I need one?
A domain name is your unique Internet address. Most Internet sites register with the InterNIC which issues domains under the .com (commercial), .org (non profit), .net (network infrastructure), and .gov (US federal government) top level domains. There are also top level domains for every country, such as .ca (Canada), .us (United States), and .uk (United Kingdom). Domain names tend to be memorable so that people can find and return to your site. For example, if your organization was Webguru, Inc you would probably choose webguru.com.

What is a NIC handle?
Every entity registered with InterNIC has a NIC handle. You can use the same NIC handle as contacts for several domains. This way, if you make a change to the NIC handle (i.e., the e-mail address), all domains using that NIC handle will be updated as well. Note that NIC handle is only useful if you register your domain name at Network Solutions.

What is InterNIC?
InterNIC is a registered service mark of the U.S. Department of Commerce. InterNIC was the agency which governed the registration of domain names ending with .com, .net, .org, .edu, .mil, and .gov. In 1998, United States Government privatize the management of the domain name system and increase competition in domain name registration service. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) now assumes 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.

What is the procedure for registering a new domain name?
When an account is activated with a new domain name, we will automatically send the registration request to Tucows/OpenSRS. The information sent is pulled directly from the order form. Tucows/OpenSRS typically completes the registration within 24 hours, and propagation typically takes about 72 hours.

Let us know if you do not receive notification that a domain name has been either registered or transferred within 5 days. In the meantime, refer all concerns to Tritech Domain Administrator at domainadmin@3tec.com. Be sure to reference your domain name when contacting us.

Who owns the domain name I register?
You become the owner of the domain name after we register it with Tucows/OpenSRS. YOU are the Administrative and Billing Contact. If anyone tries to move the domain or change any information on the form, they will contact you first. We are listed as the Technical Contact on the domain.

Whom shall I contact regarding domain name billing?
Questions regarding domain name billing should be referred to Tritech Domain Administrator at domainadmin@3tec.com. Customers wishing to make payment by credit card may call either 1-877-608-8488 or 905-608-2622 (outside the U.S. and Canada).

Who is Tucows/OpenSRS and what is Tritech's relation with them?
Tucows/OpenSRS is an ICANN accredited registrar. Tritech is a Tucows/OpenSRS partner and approved Registration Service Provider.

What are name servers (DNS) and why do I need them for my domain name?
Name servers (DNS servers) handles mapping between hostnames, which humans understand, and Internet addresses (IP), which computers deal with. DNS is used by virtually all Internet applications including e-mail, remote terminal access, file transfer, and web browsers such as Netscape Communicator and Microsoft Internet Explorer. Without DNS, your customers will not be able to find you unless they memorize the 32-bit IP address of your web site. And it is just impractical to register so many number combinations in our brains.

Will I be able to access my domain name with or without the "www" prefix?
Yes. You can access your web site by either the URL "http://www.my-domain.com" or "http://my-domain.com". The former is much more common.

Can multiple domain names point to the same web site?
Yes. There is a CDN$50.00 one-time setup fee per additional domain name. The additional domain name will be configured to point to the same public_html directory as your specified Web Hosting account.

To have this service installed, please send an e-mail to Domain Administrator. Be sure to include your User ID, the additional domain name, and the domain name of the account to point the domain to. Also acknowledge that you authorize Tritech to bill your credit card or that you will send another form of payment for the CDN$50.00 one-time setup fee.

What is the difference between IP and URL Forwarding (Redirection)?
IP Forwarding will redirect all requests for your domain, that are sent to our name servers, to the external IP address that you have requested. For example, if you have @Home Internet service with an IP address "24.10.10.10", and wish to redirect all requests for "myhome.my-domain.com" to "24.10.10.10", then you will need to order IP Forwarding service. Please note that IP Forwarding redirects all the "myhome.my-domain.com" IP services (such as FTP, Telnet, Finger, SMTP, POP, HTTP etc.) to your address.

URL Forwarding will redirect all requests for your domain, that are sent to our name server, to the external URL that you have requested. For example, if you have an existing web site at "http://www.my-isp.com/~myhome/homepage/default.html" and wish to redirect all requests for "myhome.my-domain.com" to that URL, then you will need to order URL Forwarding service. Please note that URL Forwarding redirects ONLY "HTTP" service to your URL.

To order the IP or URL Forwarding service, please send an e-mail to Domain Administrator. Be sure to include your User ID, the additional domain name, and the URL to point the domain to. Also acknowledge that you authorize Tritech to bill your credit card or that you will send another form of payment for the CDN$60.00 one-time setup fee.

Can I ever have my domain name taken away?
Yes. Please read the Domain Name Registration Terms and Conditions document for more information.

Can I change my domain name profile and contact information?
Yes. When you register or transfer your domain to Tritech, you will have access to our web-based Domain Management Tool. You can use this tool to update or modify your domain name profile and contact information.

To access the Domain Management Tool, simply point your web browser to "http://manage.3tec.com/". Enter your domain name, user ID and password to logon. Note that the the fields are case sensitive.

Where can I find information on .info domain names?
Please visit our ".info Frequently Asked Questions" page.

Where can I find information on .biz domain names?
Please visit our ".biz Frequently Asked Questions" page.