Frequently Asked Questions
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Domain FAQ Section:

1. What is a domain name?
2. What characters and length can I use for my domain name?
3. What credit cards do you accept?
4. What do .com, .net, .org stand for in an Internet address?
5. Are .com, .net and .org my only choices when registering a domain name?
6. What is a name server?
7. Who should register a domain name?
8. What if the domain name I want isn’t available?
9. Who owns the domain name?
10. Why does my newly registered domain name show up at “available” on registrars’ Whois?
11. What if I misspelled my domain name?
12. What if I forget my password?
13. What is ‘Whois?’
14. When is ‘Whois’ updated?
15. What is a Cgi-Bin, where is it, and how do I use it?
16. If I prepaid for the year, what happens at the end of that year?
17. What if I am not happy with my SOFTCOM Domain hosting?
18. How do I setup additional emails on my domain?


1. What is a domain name?

A. The Internet is a very big place. In order to organize it and move traffic around every machine is assigned a number. This number isn't easy to remember so to make it simpler a host name can be associated with that number. But now you need to organize host names on the internet. Domains are used to organize host names on the internet. Domains also make it easy to remember and retrieve information.

With a domain you can establish a 'place' on the internet for goods, services, information, or just to be cool. Common uses for a domain name are for setting up a website like www.yourdomain.com or email services like questions@yourdomain.com.

Want to know more? The internet has plenty of information on how to manage and use a domain name.


2. What characters and length can I use for my domain name?

A. Only a few rules must be followed when registering your domain name:
1. You can have a name that is 63 characters long not including the extension. Therefore the root of the word can be 63 characters.
2. Use only letters, numbers, or dash ("-")
3. Cannot begin or end with a dash
4. Domain names are not case sensitive
5. Domain names cannot include spaces


3. What credit cards do you accept?

A. At this time we accept Visa, MasterCard, and Discover.


4. What do .com, .net, .org stand for in an Internet address?

A. These three extensions—.com, .net and .org—are top-level domain names in the hierarchical Domain Name System. They are probably the most popular and most widely recognized top-level domain names on the Internet.

Here is some information about the .ws and .tv domains. They are owned by the countries of Western Samoa and Tuvalu. They sold the rights to use the .ws and .tv as a top-level domain. .ws and .tv are 100% globally accessible, and they can be viewed by anyone accessing the internet from anywhere in the world. Additionally, everyone, regardless of location, has the ability to register/administer .ws and .tv domains.

All top-level domains and the guidelines by which they function were created 20-25 years ago. Every country was granted one top-level domain with the exception of the US which was also given the .com, .net, org, .edu, and .mil top-level domains. While .com is the most popular extension, every top-level domain has the ability to work in exactly the same way. The true difference between .com and other top-level domains is purely marketing and exposure. .ws and .tv are alternatives to .com.



5. Are .com, .net and .org my only choices when registering a domain name?

A. Softcom.net currently registers domain names ending in .com, .net, .org along with the newly added .ws, .tv and .us tld's. As other extensions become more widely used on the Internet, we will offer those to our customers as well. We'll keep you posted through updates on our home page. If you would like to register Country Code Top-Level Domains (CCTLDs) please visit the IANA CCTLD Database for more information.


6. What is a name server?

A. Computers read Internet addresses through a series of numbers called Internet Protocol (IP) numbers. Because these numbers would be difficult for people to remember, user-friendly Internet addresses were developed using combinations of words and numbers. A name server is a computer that has the capability to translate, or resolve, the domain names we see and use in our browser windows into IP numbers.

7. Who should register a domain name?

A. Anyone who wants to establish a presence on the Internet or wants to secure the name for future use or resale.


8. What if the domain name I want isn’t available?

A. If you search for the availability of a name on HostLane.com and it is not available, it means that someone else has already registered that domain name. Softcom.net can only register domain names that are available. Each Registrar is required to keep a searchable whois database on their site for domains registered by their customers. To find the correct whois search you should query for particular information related to a registered domain.


9. Who owns the domain name?

A. The owner of the domain name is the registrant information entered into our database at the time of the original registration. To find out the registrant information for a domain name, please visit our Whois Search.


10. Why does my newly registered domain name show up as “available” on registrar’s Whois?

A. When you register with us, your request is immediately sent to the NSI shared registry. They update their whois database only once a day, so if your registered domain misses the current update you will have to wait up to another 24 hours before your domain shows up. The DNS information update process is similar except this happens worldwide and can take up to 72 hours for completion.


11. What if I misspelled my domain name?

A. Please take extra care during registration to make sure that everything is as it should be. All registrations are final and fees are non-refundable.
If you have made a mistake you have three choices:
1. Keep the domain you have registered and develop it.
2. Have us delete your ownership from the domain. (No refund)
3. Register the new name and have one of them redirected to the other.


12. What if I forget my password?

A. Please contact our Domain Support department at 1-800-982-7675.


13. What is “Whois”?

A. The 'Whois' feature is a search engine connected to a database of domains registered. When you search for a domain name, it will return the domains registration information if the domain was registered through Network Solutions. The registration information that is listed includes that for the Owner, Administrative, and Technical contacts. Also included is the domain's name servers. To see this in action please visit our Whois search.


14. When is “Whois” updated?

A. When you register with us, your request is sent to the NSI shared registry within 24 hours. They update their Whois database once a day, so it’s possible for your domain to just miss the current update. If this happens you will have to wait up to another 24 hours before your domain shows up. Domain name searches at all registrar sites are updated IMMEDIATELY after registration so that no domain name can be registered more than once. Whois lookups take between 24-48 hours to update. You still might not find your records at some sites because each registrar is only required to maintain Whois records for domain names that they register. They are not required to maintain Whois records for domain names registered with other registrars.


15. What is a Cgi-Bin, where is it, and how do I use it?

A. CGI stands for common gateway interface, and is a directory on your server that will run cgi and perl scripts. Cgi and perl programs allow you to set up forms, guestbooks, and other interactive features for web interfaces. To activate a cgi directory if one is not present, just create a directory called "cgi" in your WWW folder, and it will automatically be capable of running cgi.


16. If I prepaid for the year, what happens at the end of that year?

A. You will be sent an invoice 30 days prior to your expiration date. You can either mail us a check or renew online with a credit card. You can also call our billing department from 8am to 5pm at 1-800-982-7675 and give your credit card information over the phone.

17. What if I am not happy with my Softcom Domain Hosting?

A. SOFTCOM offers a risk free, money-back guarantee less Domain registration (if applicable) on all services. (See website for details: www.softcom.net).


18. How do I setup additional emails on my domain?

A. Just visit our Email Control Panel and administer your users with the click of a button! If you prefer to speak to someone about your options, call 1-800-982-7675.

 
 
 

 


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