Domain Names

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• Why does my email bounce with '550 relay not permitted'?


Why does my email bounce with '550 relay not permitted'?

This usually happens because the nameservers on the affected domain have been changed to make the domain work with our servers, but the domain itself has not been transferred in. There is a brief period when some remote mail servers direct mail according to the new MX records, but the local mailserver is still seeing the old MX records. This causes the mail server to reject mail until the old records expire. That usually happens within 24 hours. Domains which are fully transferred by-pass the MX record lookup and so are not affected by this problem. This error could also be because you have not selected "My Outgoing Server Requires Authentication", or some variation on that depending on the email client software being used, in your settings. You can select it to use the same settings as the incoming mail server. If you continue to receive this error after 24 hours (allowing for nameserver updates and DNS propagation), please contact Support.

• Why does my domain show up in WHOIS as "Renewal in progress"?


Why does my domain show up in WHOIS as "Renewal in progress"?

There is nothing to be alarmed about if your domain is in this state - it simply means the renewal request has been put through and is being processed by Nominet, the top level registrar for UK domains. This will happen automatically but may take a few days; you won't lose access to your site in this time.

• Can I have a sub domain?


Can I have a sub domain?

Sub domains allow you to have a new web address for separate areas of your website. Setting up a sub domain with your account is easy with the HOSTERWARE Back Office - Manage Website & Domains App. Simply log into your App and select 'Web Tools' from the next menu select 'Sub Domains'. To add a sub domain you need to enter what you want the sub domain to be called and which directory it will point to. For example you might want the sub directory: support.yourdomain.com Where the files for the sub domain are held in: www.yourdomain.com/support To delete a sub domain or change the directory that it points to you simply need to edit the details listed in the 'Edit Sub Domains' section. You can also set up subdomains as A-records in the DNS Management section. Using this your subdomain can point to a specific IP address.

• Why does my new domain name not work?


Why does my new domain name not work?

Domain registrations are queued, and there is often a short delay before registration completes. In addition, Domain registry databases can take between 24-48 hours to be updated. It is quite possible for your registration to have been successful, and have still have your domain appear on WHOIS or "domain checkers" as being available. If your domain is still not working after 48 hours, please contact support.

• How long will it take to transfer my domain?


How long will it take to transfer my domain?

Typically, the following timescales apply:- .uk Domains - once the IPS TAG change request has been processed by your existing registrar, your domain can be transferred into your account immediately. gTLD (.com, .net, etc) Domains - The authorisation email will be sent within a few hours of submitting the transfer request. Once this has been responded to, your transfer should complete within 5-7 days. Other Domains - Transfers typically take up to 7 days to be processed. Please note that if you are switching to HOSTERWARE nameservers, DNS propagation times will apply - this is usually 3-6 hours, but can potentially be up to 48 for all users.

• What are the IP addresses of our nameservers?


What are the IP addresses of our nameservers?

ns = 79.170.40.2 and ns2 = 79.170.43.3 for ns1.mainnamserver.com and ns2.mainnameserver.com respectively

• Why do DNS changes take 24-48 hours to propagate?


Why do DNS changes take 24-48 hours to propagate?

Every domain has at least two nameservers assigned to it and those nameservers hold records for the domain. However, when another server somewhere else in the world, queries the nameservers for DNS records, it will usually keep a local copy of the DNS record so that next time it needs to know what IP address the domain resolves to, it already has the answer. This is called "caching" and for example ISP's use this to speed up their network response times. Once changes are made to the actual DNS records on the two nameservers that are assigned to your domain, these changes will gradually filter through to the other servers in the world so that everything is up to date, and it is this process that normally takes 24-48 hours.

• What does the MX record do?


What does the MX record do?

An MX record sets the mail server for a given domain name, directing all email to the correct location and mail server. If you have the domain myname.com, setting an MX record for myname.com will determine where mail for anyaddress@myname.com is sent. The mail server must be configured to accept mail for the domain name. By default your domains with HOSTERWARE will have an MX record pointing to mail.(your domain). You can change this if you wish to use a different mail server. To do this you need to log into your Domain App (Login and select manage domain names to open DCP App)and select Manage DNS if that is available to you.

• How can I extend the registration period for a domain?


How can I extend the registration period for a domain?

UK domains (.co.uk, .org.uk, and so on) are always registered for two years at a time and can only be extended when they come up for renewal after two years. Generic domains (.com, .org and so on) can be registered for periods from one to ten years; they can only be extended when their renewals are due but the renewal can be for any period in this range.

• How can I change the registrant name on my .uk (Nominet) domain?


How can I change the registrant name on my .uk (Nominet) domain?

Unfortunately we are unable to change the registrant name on Nominet domains, as this is effectively transferring the ownership of a domain. This can only be done by contacting Nominet directly. Nominet's website is: http://www.nominet.org.uk/

• What are the zone files?


What are the zone files?

A zone file is a collection of DNS Records (such as A, CNAME and SRV records) for a single domain name - if you are asked to edit the zone file, you can use the HOSTERWARE Domain App to edit the records directly. Do note that DNS updates will take up to 24 hours to be live worldwide.

• How do I find what domain extensions exist?


How do I find what domain extensions exist?

We can host any domain extension on our servers and a list of all domain extensions along with links to their registries are available at http://www.norid.no/domenenavnbaser/domreg.html

• What does FQDN mean?


What does FQDN mean?

FQDN (Fully Qualified Domain Name): A complete domain name consisting of a host, the second-level domain, and the top-level domain. For example, www.some-domain-or-other.ltd.uk is a FQDN. www is the host; some-domain-or-other is the third-level domain; with .ltd.uk is the second level domain, and .uk as the TLD

• What restrictions are there on the domain name I can choose to register?


What restrictions are there on the domain name I can choose to register?

Domain Names have a variety of basic rules, in general domains must: - Use only letters, numbers, or hyphen ("-"). - Cannot begin or end with a hyphen. - .com, .net, .org and .info domain names cannot exceed 67 characters total. - .info and .biz must have at least 3 characters not including .info or .biz. - Other domain names cannot exceed 22 characters, not including the extension. - Domain names are not case sensitive. - Domain names cannot include spaces. - 2 letter domains are not permitted. Strictly speaking domain shouldn't begin with a number either, however in practice it is possible in most circumstances.

• How do .tel domain names work?


How do .tel domain names work?

We sell nearly all domain name extensions for any purpose co.uk, me.uk, org.uk, biz, com, info, name,
net, org, eu.com, tv, co, cc, eu, mobi, me, uk.com, uk.net, gb.com, gb.net, tel. Tel domain names are different to other domain names. They allow you to store, publish and update online all your contact information and keywords under your unique domain name, without the need for a website. As soon as you buy a .tel domain name you will get access to the .tel App where you can add and remove your contact information. This information is then shown to anyone who goes to your-domain.tel. .tel domains are unlike other domains, you cannot setup web or email forwarding, change the name servers or use a .tel domain name to host your own website. To see a .tel domain in action, please visit http://telnic.tel/

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