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  #1  
05-12-2014, 11:35 PM
linux-user linux-user is offline
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Hello fellow webcrafters;

I've recently discovered that finding a decent domain registrar and web host is a royal nightmare, especially if you need something reliable for a home business. It's literally like these megacorporations want to screw all the small business owners and the competition they get from them by doing everything they can to ruin their website plans...

I just need a place to sell audio downloads and present informative essay's without having to worry about the whole slue of dirty little tricks that these crazy registrar's and host's like to play on you.

Can anyone unveil some great links that throw a lot of light on the process of finding a registrar and hosting company? Also; links for the specific items you need to look for when filling out all the forms for them, and on top of that, how to actually fill them all out??

All comments, info, and links are greatly appreciated!
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  #2  
05-13-2014, 01:58 AM
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What companies have you tried so far?

- For domain registration, Namecheap is easily the best.
- For hosting, it really depends on what you need. Tell me a little more about your site.

Just generally speaking, newer or more inexperienced site owners are a really good fit for Site5, Stablehost, Veerotech, and WebhostingBuzz. The customer service at those hosts is excellent -- nothing like the mega-corporations.

Sadly, there's more unethical registrars/hosts that good ones. I've been victim of bad hosts/registrars as well.

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  #3  
05-13-2014, 03:14 AM
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I've read about many of the web hosts that come up when you google "best web host" or "top 10", etc. and they all have horrible reviews/ spam blogs.

I'm making a site (my first one) where people can download guitar albums and read papers that I write. I need a host that is not "unlimited" and actually tells you what you're buying. Is GlowHost any good?

The big item I'm very concerned about is insuring that I myself actually own my domain name and have a private WHOIS record, but not the one where you pay a privacy service to put their information into the whois, thus owning it because their name is on it.

Will Namecheap give me full ownership of my domain name?

Can you recommend any great articles I can read about picking out a registrar and how to set up the account?
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  #4  
05-13-2014, 03:30 AM
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kpmedia kpmedia is offline
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Yes, the world is full of sploggers (spam bloggers) trying to help themselves to host $$, not you. Congrats on discovering that sham before getting abused by a bad host.

Namecheap

Yes, you own the domain at Namecheap. That's how any registrar works. Only shady "hosts" (kids and amateurs, mostly, not legit businesses) will register your domain in the name. Namecheap is an accredited ICANN registrar, and their is no middleman when buying domains with them.

"Private" whois is when the registrar puts their "dummy" information as the owner. Their contact info is legit, but they pass the emails and mail to you. The registrar acts as middleman, and that;s why private whois costs about $5 at most registrars. You can't have it both ways. Honestly, unless there's a really good reason for it, "private" whois does more harm than good. One of those downsides is the domain is not in your name.

I can probably do one -- I can ask the VP of Namecheap if he has a minute to calm your fears. He's a really good guy, and I'm actually in the middle of writing an open "thank you" letter to him on the site. (That's not done yet, will be a week or so until I can finish it.) Just let me know if you want me to ask him, and I will.

As far as a walkthrough, any guides that exist are probably outdated. Just a month or so ago, Namecheap re-did their whole site. It's really easy to use. But if you have troubles, just ask here again. Several members here use it, and I just renewed some domains last week.

Glowhost

Yes, they're really good. I like them a lot -- especially lately. Their tech response times have risen, and offhand I can only think of five other hosts like that (EuroVPS, LiquidWeb, Stablehost, Big Scoots, Futurehosting).

For the kind of site you looking at -- artwork and articles -- Glowhost is fine. And my general advice from earlier does apply -- WebhostingBuzz, Stablehost, Veerotech, etc are all good choices as well.

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  #5  
06-08-2014, 02:13 AM
Leah Leah is offline
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Regarding: Private Domain Registration

Hi KPmedia, you mentioned: “Honestly, unless there's a really good reason for it, "private" whois does more harm than good. One of those downsides is the domain is not in your name.“

Just to clarify, do you mean that ownership of the domain is transferred from you to the company? How would you get the domain back?

I read somewhere to avoid domain privacy service because, “if you use a service like this, they own the domain, not you, notwithstanding whatever contract or Terms of Service you enter into with them to "own" this name on your behalf. If it lands in a dispute proceeding it will be an open and shut case: they own the name."

Open and shut case - is this true? Is this related to what you were saying?
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  #6  
06-08-2014, 03:56 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Leah View Post
Open and shut case - is this true? Is this related to what you were saying?
Yes, it's true ... but not open and shut.

Domains registration is essentially contract law.

And it also means the law of the country that owns the TLD, in conjunction with the laws of the country in which the registrar (aka a company) is in.

Confused yet? We're just starting...

When you register a domain, you agree to
1. policies of ICANN (which governs ALL domains),
2. the laws of the country/entity that controls the TLD extension (example: .uk falls under the auspices of the UK, and .co.uk in controlled by the private entity Nominet),
3. the polices on the registrar (example: eNom registers the .co.uk),
4. and the policies of the end host/registrar that may act as reseller (example: Namecheap.com sometimes use eNom)

So no less than 4 parties, plus yourself (making it 5), are involved.

Note that sometimes 3=4, and the registrar "is" the company that you buy it from...

... however, it's often not the case. Even GoDaddy is NOT a registrar, as GoDaddy-owned Wild West Domains oversees the registration. So by use GoDaddy, it's still a middleman registrar. And one of the WORST registrars around, I might add. Wild West is used by several companies, not just parent GoDaddy.

Sometimes 2=3, or 2=3=4, and the controlling entity of the TLD is also the registrar!

You're in the land of corporate structures, intended to protect the company (from consumers!) and purposely confuse consumers.

When you register something "privately", you add another layer. The final leg of this journey, either using the direct registrar or the reseller, must enter their information as the owner. So yes, that company "owns" the domain not you. (Although technically, it's leased, and that company does not own it either. Rather, instead of your name being on the lease, theirs is, and you therefore sublet.)

This means that there is yet another contract in place.

The registrar/reseller cannot just willynilly steal your domain. Granted, it's easier to steal it, which is why its very important to choose your registrar/reseller carefully. You want an actual company -- not a kiddie "host", or even an untrustworthy ones like the EIG brands, Godaddy, 1&1, etc. The contract will differ.

Hint: Use Namecheap and only Namecheap! I cannot stress this enough! (When possible, that is. Not all TLDs are available.)

A contract exists between you and the entity now named on the domain roll. So ICANN sees "company A" named, which may route through company B (the real registrar behind the curtain, a la Wizard of Oz), and "company A" must abide by their sublet contract with you. Note that company B actually controls that domain roll, however! Not company A. This is important!

When there is abuse of power, or some other negligence afoot, company B may suspend company A's resell rights, as well as adjust the roll to reflect the true owner. eNom has always been good about this. But not all registrars are so consumer-friendly. So again, it's very important to choose who you register domains with wisely!

Sometimes the domain's controlling entity must step in. (example: Nominet is good about this.)

Understand?

In short, unless absolutely necessary, do NOT register a domain with "whois protection". No, you do not 100% own it. You do not 100% lease it either, unlike when using non-"private" (hidden!) whois. You're the sublet with privacy, and subject to a second unnecessary contract.

If you've ever rented anything, you'll understand how unreliable a sublet situation can be.

I'm going to turn this into a longer editorial this week. Excellent, excellent question.


_______

Note the digitalFAQ.com currently uses privacy protection, and we had good reason to do so. However, we may let is lapse this year when it comes up for renewal. The reason for privacy has since passed. We use Directnic for private domains.

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  #7  
06-10-2014, 09:58 PM
Leah Leah is offline
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Hi KPmedia and everyone, please chime in on the below

RE: Domain & Hosting all-in-one

Is it true that you should not get BOTH domain and hosting from the SAME company because companies can hold your domain “hostage” if you want to switch to another host? Or simply best not to have ‘all eggs in one basket’? If you get hosting with Namecheap, would you register for a domain elsewhere?


RE: Privacy

Wow, looks like I will avoid privacy registration! Don’t know if I am being too paranoid with privacy. After I ordered an ‘As Seen on TV’ item, I got tons of telemarketer calls. I’m afraid of my info showing up on WHOIS, and receiving telemarketers, spam mail and emails, stalkers. In order to protect privacy on the internet, I’ve read to register as an Entity, get a PO Box, and get a pre-paid credit card -- Am I missing anything?

These costs add up especially since this is my first website, are there cheaper alternatives?

What do you personally do to stay anonymous?
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  #8  
07-20-2014, 06:11 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Leah View Post
RE: Domain & Hosting all-in-one
Is it true that you should not get BOTH domain and hosting from the SAME company because companies can hold your domain “hostage” if you want to switch to another host?
Yes.

Quote:
Or simply best not to have ‘all eggs in one basket’? If you get hosting with Namecheap, would you register for a domain elsewhere?
The "eggs in one basket" cliche is sort of silly. Spreading things around just gives you more to manage, and drives up costs. Instead, just look for a really reliable company.

Quote:
RE: Privacy
Wow, looks like I will avoid privacy registration! Don’t know if I am being too paranoid with privacy. After I ordered an ‘As Seen on TV’ item, I got tons of telemarketer calls. I’m afraid of my info showing up on WHOIS, and receiving telemarketers, spam mail and emails, stalkers. In order to protect privacy on the internet, I’ve read to register as an Entity, get a PO Box, and get a pre-paid credit card -- Am I missing anything?
Then get a P.O. Box or UPS Store box, and use that info. These are not overly expensive, at anywhere from $50 to $125 per year. FYI: The smaller the town, the cheaper the USPS boxed.

Quote:
These costs add up especially since this is my first website, are there cheaper alternatives?
The cheaper you are, the worse it gets. How cheap is "cheap" to you?

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  #9  
08-02-2014, 08:04 PM
Leah Leah is offline
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Hi KPmedia, I am rereading forum posts and I am really appreciating the guidance and honesty here. I hope to return the favor somehow in the future. Anyhow, I just now noticed that you mentioned this in a reply above

Quote:
Originally Posted by kpmedia View Post
Note the digitalFAQ.com currently uses privacy protection, and we had good reason to do so. However, we may let is lapse this year when it comes up for renewal. The reason for privacy has since passed. We use Directnic for private domains.
I'm wondering, does the drawbacks of privacy protection apply to Directnic as well?
What did you like about Directnic versus whoisguard at Namecheap?


Also, for domain registration, how would you rank Directnic compared to Namecheap?


I'm still a bit confused about the drawbacks of privacy protection. Am I interpreting this correctly...

For content such as your own music/essays, then YES you should avoid "privacy protection".

However, if your site regurgitates funny photos found on the internet, is it safe to use "privacy protection" since you don't care about ownership of the content? Or should you still avoid "privacy protection" because you still want ownership to your logo and name?
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  #10  
08-04-2014, 12:08 AM
Leah Leah is offline
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Update:

KPmedia, I found your comments regarding Directnic vs. Namecheap here:
http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/web-...#ixzz340H8M5j5

You state that it is best to use Namecheap for domains, not DNS (due to DDoS attacks). Initially, I thought that all I needed was a Registrar and Hosting, so is it correct that I will need to sign up for 3 services? 1. Registrar 2. DNS 3. Web Hosting

Can you recommend a company for DNS?

Thanks!
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  #11  
08-04-2014, 12:44 AM
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You can get by with just (1) a registrar, and (2) hosting.

I would not worry about paid DNS unless your site is popular -- several thousand visitors per day. Almost all hosts give free DNS with hosting, as do many registrars. The hosting DNS is mostly automatic, while the registrar DNS is mostly manual.

We use DNSMadeEasy for a paid DNS, and it's fully manual as well.

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  #12  
08-04-2014, 11:56 AM
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I don't know if this has recently changed, but Namecheap was still using Enom to handle domains transferred into them. This was (is?) happening well after they were ICANN accredited. My domains with them still list Enom as the registrar, not Namecheap, so they aren't moving them to their own system.
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  #13  
08-12-2014, 11:38 PM
Leah Leah is offline
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Going to beat this topic to death as I am a bit unclear on domain privacy services, specifically by Namecheap. I read Namecheap's Whoisguard Agreement, and here it states:

YOUR RIGHTS
3.1 You will retain the right to sell, transfer, or assign each Protected Domain.
3.2 You will retain the right to control and set the DNS settings for the Protected Domain(s).

https://www.namecheap.com/legal/whoi...agreement.aspx

But I read things like this:

Quote:
A mistake many individuals make is registering their domains under a WHOIS privacy service. Your contact details are hidden. Instead, the fields are filled in with the name of your provider. Why is this dangerous? Because according to ICANN policies, is the name in the WHOIS details that owns the domain. This means that if your website gets hacked, you have little chance of proving the domain was actually yours. If their name is in the records, it is actually them owning the domain you paid for.

You are no longer the “owner” or your domain name. The domain authorities, like ICANN, define who owns the domain by what is published in WHOIS. They discount any contracts between you and the registrar. Whoever is listed in WHOIS is the domain owner.
My questions are...

Is Namecheap an exception since they explicitly state in their agreement that you are indeed owner and retain rights to your domain? Or is their a loophole that I don't know about?

Losing your domain due to WHOis protection service - how big of a threat is this with Namecheap?

Spam email and junk mail to your PO Box or home due to a public WHOis - how likely is this to happen?
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  #14  
08-13-2014, 01:33 AM
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Analogy: You're not the renter, you're the sublet. So:
- If the renter in scum, and quits paying his mortgage, you're screwed.
- If the renter is trustworthy, no issues.
- If you were screwed, the actual owners MAY or MAY NOT let you resolve it. So that party must also be trustworthy!

Renter = a host, registrar, whoever you get the name through (Namecheap, in this case)
Owner = actual registrar (eNom or Namecheap -- depends on TLD)

Namecheap is trustworthy.

They buy the domain in their name, then you contract with them to own it. The way it usually worked is you buy it from a registrar, and your name/info is registered the the TLD registry. You use a middleman. How trustworthy is your middleman? Their terms are there contract with you.

Namecheap, Directnic = excellent
Godaddy, hosts, etc = horrible = may lose domains (it happens a LOT with Hostgator!)

We may get one piece of junk per month at most. And I don't even think it had anything to do with the domains. We've had this box for a year now. Spam can be an issue, but not really.

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  #15  
08-13-2014, 11:01 PM
Leah Leah is offline
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Thanks kpmedia! Really helpful analogy! You give such clear answers =D
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