Shark

Various ISP problems lead me to this question -

Where can I get a domain name registered for life, thats ISP independent?

Don't want my pants pulled down on price. Just want a permanent e-mail address for me and my girlfriend, accessible from any net connection. A www. address for a web site would be a bonus.

David

sasim

You could try http://www.freeparking.co.uk/ never used them myself but I have seen very favourable comments about them. Also just found out about http://www.123-reg.co.uk/ and http://oneandone.co.uk/

Just make sure you check the prices and services carefully !!

Stuart

Shark

Cheers Stuart

I'm off for a look

David

dsmith

There is (as far as I know) no such thing as for life. the organisations that look after the top level domains will only keep it registered for one or two years. Some ISPs may offer a service where they look after the registrations and updares and pay the following years rentals but I expect it will cost. (Stand to be corrected)

Deao

mutant_matt

Dave,

I would also recommend Lee @ Titan. I thought that once you had bought a domain name, it was yours for good!!!

Matt

P.S. When do you get your new ADSL sorted?

kryten

You don't 'own' the domain as such its more like leasing it for a fixed period of time.

Before the expiry (usually one or two years) you get the option to renew it.

Hence you'll end up paying each year for the domain. You really shouldn't end up paying more that £10/year for any domain, but as has been said, those that offer it 'free' have to make their money somewhere...

The question is, where are you going to HOST it? When you register, you need someone's DNS server to manage the record (so the internet knows where your domain lives). This applies both for a website and for email you wish to receive. Also you need them to host the email accounts and the web pages (or you could redirect them to some 'free' space your have with your ISP).

I'm sure Lee could offer these services, so can I plus 000s of others!!

ChristianR

iTrader: (1)

www.easily.co.uk

good company - i use them a lot.

Velcrogirl

I was recommended to www.cedant.com for domain names & hosting. I've found them very good. You will have to re-register the domain after 1 or 2 years though as someone said *points up*.

McMiata Man

Yep, I also use Easily.co.uk, very good company.

You get twenty email re-directs so even if you change your connection server (NTL, BT, Atlantic etc) all you do is point your domain name address to the new mail server.

You also get masking for your website to hide where the site is being hosted.

Oh, and you can pay up front for up to ten years I think. it's about 10 squid for a .co.uk for two years and 35 for a .com

Dave.

Shark

Cheers all.

David

Lee

Domains can be registered for upto 10 years in some cases.

To keep your domain "independant" of an ISP you need to ensure that you are listed as the admin contact. It is usual for the ISP to be the billing and technical contacts but they don't have to be. However, if you are the billing contact you will have to pay the registrar their prices (£80 for nominet iirc) whereas ISP's get discounts so you pay less.

Registering a domain on its on is worthless, which is why we and countless others provide DNS and web/email forwarding or pop3 boxes inclusive of the domain fee. You can then go on to buy a hosting package or webmail etc.

** THINGS TO WATCH OUT FOR **

For gods sake check the small print or prices of "added services". Some charge extra to host DNS or point a domain at a 3rd party. And some charge crazy domain release fees. We get tonnes of people with "cheap" domains from UK2.net and others - they end up paying about £19 to do anything useful with their domain.

Go with an ISP which does free transfer in AND OUTS.

Shark

Cheers Lee

David

mutant_matt

See Dave, I told you to use Lee

Matt

RVeiga

Once you have your Domain Name, you can get http://www.zonedit.com to do the DNS for you.

If it is low usage - it's free.

The domain name does not need to be reg with them for you to use the service.

..R

P1Fanatic

Ok I paid £25 for 2 years on a .co.uk - now I have just received a bill for the next two years from Nominet (.uk TLD holders) at £94 - that is taking the **** and there is no way Im paying it. Is this the norm as I dont think that the avg joe would pay this for a personal domain (as opposed to business use where it becomes very reasonable). I know I could not pay then buy it back elsewhere but you always run the risk of not being able to get i again.

Lee

What has happened is that the company who registered the domain should have put in "th" (tagholder) for future billing but have not - hence the owner gets billed. And as the owner (you) aint a nominet member you get charged the full £80+VAT.

If you like - explain the situation to nominet, change the tag to TITAN, we'll renew the domain for you for a tenner and then you can have it back for whatever you want. Done this a few times

ChrisB

Be very careful of the places offering a really cheap domain name registration. If you get hacked off with the service, they will try to sting you some daft amount to release it (£50 or more for some).

http://www.titanhosts.net/ is who I use and is run by Lee (SIDC IT guy). £10 to reg a .co.uk or .org.uk in your own name. Highly recommended - I've just renewed for another years hosting.

Chris.

[Edited by ChrisB - 1/9/2002 10:15:09 PM]