How to Get an Internet Domain Name
Tired of changing e-mail addresses when you change Internet service providers? Want to put up a Web site but don't want an address that's a yard long and full of slashes and squiggles? Then claim a piece of Internet real estate by registering your own domain name.
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Instructions
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Go to InterNIC.net and click "Whois."
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Enter the name you want to register (don't forget the part after the dot) and click on Submit.
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Read the search results on the screen. If the name you want is available, it'll read "No match for domain."
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If the name you want is taken, try variations, such as adding a middle initial, a city name, or trying ".net" instead of ".com."
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When you find a name you like, return to InterNIC.net and click on the link to the Accredited Registrar Directory. You'll see a list of more than 150 registrars, or companies that can register your domain name for you.
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Survey these companies for services. Most people want e-mail forwarding (automatically sending e-mail from john@yourownname. com to jsmith2424@yourISP.com) and Web site forwarding (sending people who go to www.yourownname.com directly to www.members.yourISP.com/~jsmith2424/index.html).
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Shop for price among the registrars who provide the services you want. Most registrars offer reduced rates for registering multiple domains or for registering domain names for several years.
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The company that registers your name doesn't have to host your Web site. If your monthly ISP fee includes Web hosting, you can save money by using Web site forwarding. Most ISPs can register a domain name for you, but they don't always offer the best prices or service.
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Provide your chosen registrar with contact and credit card information. Now you need a Web site: For the lowdown, see How to Hire Someone to Design and Build Your Web Site.
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Tips & Warnings
There's no single, objective, authoritative place to check the reputation of a registrar. But typing the registrar's name and complaint into a search engine might give you some clues about how happy its customers are.
"Cybersquatting," or registering a domain name trademarked by another company, is illegal.
