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FAQ - DNS - Domain Name Service
Domain servers in listed order:
Primary Server Hostname:
NS1.1STNT.COM
Primary Server Netaddress:
24.77.168.246
Secondary Server Hostname:
NS2.1STNT.COM
Secondary Server Netaddress:
142.179.54.242
An Introduction to DNS and Name Servers
Every computer that is connected to the Internet has a unique IP address, much like a telephone number. An IP address consists of
four numbers, each of which can range from 0 to 254, separated by dots.
While it is possible for Internet clients to access a server by using its IP address, remembering a long number for each of your favorite
sites can be difficult, if not impossible. That's why Domain Name Service (DNS) is so useful. Domain Name Service is in the business of
broadcasting more "friendly" names across the Internet, which point to corresponding IP addresses. With DNS, anyone can simply type
in a domain name, which gets resolved, or translated, to the numeric IP address of a computer. With some Web browsers, for example,
you can see a domain resolution happen in the status bar at the bottom of the browser window. When you type in a Web address, such
as http://www.1stnation.com, the status bar of your browser may say:
Connecting to site 24.77.168.246...
Web site found, waiting for reply...
Your computer was able to match the IP address of the 1st NT machine, which is 24.77.168.246, to the domain name you entered.
In order to do this, your computer needed to have some sort of reference, where it could look up domain names and match them to
their corresponding IP addresses – in the same manner that you would use a phone book to look up someone's name to get their
telephone number. The Internet's version of this "electronic phone book" is called a Domain Name Server, and is commonly referred to
as simply a Name Server. When you initially set up your computer to connect to the Internet, you were required to give it at least one
name server so it would know where to look up the IP addresses of the domain names you access. Most people use two name servers,
called primary and secondary name servers, so that there is a backup in the event of a failure. In the above example, you could have
simply typed in the IP address of the server and the connection would have been made without needing to consult a name server.
However, most people on the Internet rely heavily on DNS, so that they don't have to worry about keeping track of all those IP
addresses.
A name server's only function is to maintain a table of domain names and matching IP addresses, called a DNS Table. Each domain
name on the Internet has specific DNS servers that are responsible for keeping their information in their table, and that DNS server is
then responsible for broadcasting that information across the Internet. Most likely, you chose a domain name for your site when you
first signed up. Your domain already gets an entry in the DNS tables of our name servers, and this entry is an important part of what
makes it possible for people to access your site on the Internet.
DNS Registration Records
There is a bit more involved in matching a domain name to an IP address than just having this information in a DNS table on a name
server. Since there may be times when you want to add a domain name to your site, or change the way your existing domain name is
handled, it is important to have some understanding of how DNS works.
There are organizations responsible for distributing domain names for those who wish to use them. Many countries have their own
organization, often called an NIC agency. For most U.S. domain names, including those ending in .com, .edu, and .org, this organization
is called InterNIC. InterNIC is currently operated by a company called Network Solutions, and is headquartered in Herndon, Virginia.
In order to use a specific domain name with your site, you must first register the domain name with the NIC agency responsible for that
domain. The registration process differs slightly depending on the NIC agency. The registration process for U.S. domains is detailed in
the next section of this guide. A domain name registration shows contact, technical, and billing information for the domain, and defines
a specific name server (or group of name servers) that will contain the information on where that domain name should point. The name
servers that appear in a domain's registration record are called authoritative, because they contain the most current and correct name
server information about the domain. For example, the domain registration for 1stnation.com looks like this:
Registrant: 1st NT (1stnation-DOM)
Box 1117
Summerland, BC
V0H 1Z0
CA
Domain Name: 1stnation.com
Administrative Contact, Technical Contact, Zone Contact:
Company Administration (SF232-ORG)
admin@1stnation.com
250-491-9386 Fax- 250-491-5644
Billing Contact:
Company Administration (SF232-ORG)
admin@1stnation.com
250-491-9386 Fax- 250-491-5644
Domain servers in listed order:
NS1.1STNT.COM 24.77.168.246
NS2.1STNT.COM 142.179.54.242
You can see from this record that the Registrant, or the organization that owns the domain, is 1st NT. The
Administrative Contact, who is in charge of how this domain name is managed, is listed as "Company Administration." The Technical
Contact, who is in charge of managing the technical aspects of this domain, is listed as "Company Administration".
A domain registration record also shows the name servers that are authoritative for the IP addresses that the domain should point to.
The two name servers in this record are NS1.1STNT.COM and NS2.1STNT.COM.
You can view the domain registration record for any existing domain name by going to http://www.uninett.no/navn/domreg.html and
choosing your countries registration authority, then doing a "whois" on the domain.
The domain should be the name of the domain name whose registration you wish to view, including the domain name extension (such
as .com).
Registration information such as this is kept by the NIC agencies responsible for different types of domain names all over the world. It
is important to note that domain registration records do not contain the IP address(es) where a domain name should point, but merely
the name and IP address of the name servers that contain this information. Some registration agencies handle DNS and only require
the IP address of your site. This method is not best but acceptable.
The Domain Registration Process
1st NT can also handle most all registrations in the world. If you order registration thru us, we charge a small administration fee for
registration application for the registrations. Or, you can do it yourself by clicking on our registration banner.
This section describes the process of registering U.S. domain names through InterNIC. Although the process for registering domain
names with most other NIC agencies is similar, there may be differences. If you wish to register your domain through a different NIC
agency, you should contact that agency for complete details. Use our DNS information for your requirements.
When you first order your site you are given the opportunity to have us send a Domain Registration Request to InterNIC on your behalf.
You are responsible for registering any additional domain names for use on your site. This section discusses the correct procedure for
registering domain names with InterNIC and preparing them for use on your site.
Checking the Availability of a Domain Name
The first step in registering a domain name with InterNIC is to check whether or not the domain name is still available. You can do so
by visiting the following URL: http://www.networksolutions.com/cgi-bin/whois/whois
After you find the domain name you want, go on to the next section, Registering a New Domain Name.
Registering a New Domain Name
Please be aware that InterNIC and others will invoice you separately for any domain name that you register. 1st NT is not
responsible for domain billing or registration. InterNIC currently charges $70.00 for an initial registration period of two years, and $35.00
every year thereafter to renew the registration. Others charge less.
To register a new domain name and have us do all the registration work, follow the steps below:
1.Check the availability of the domain name you wish to register. After you find an available domain name, go on to Step 2.
2.Order New Registration from our order form. We will make the application to the registrar for you. There is a one-time processing
fee for each domain name that is added to our name servers or any additional domain.
Should you wish to register to yourself,
The following example shows a completed Internic registration form for registering a new domain name.
EXAMPLE: Assume the domain name acme.com is available, and that you want to register it. The registration form would need to be
filled out as shown:
Authorization
0a. (N)ew (M)odify (D)elete....:N
0b. Auth Scheme................:
0c. Auth Info..................:
1. Comments....................:
2. Complete Domain Name........:acme.com
Organization Using Domain Name
3a. Organization Name..........:The Acme Corporation
3b. Street Address.............:123 Commerce Drive
3c. City.......................:Somewhere
3d. State......................:WA <Use 2-letter abbreviation>
3e. Postal Code................:98290
3f. Country Code...............:US <Use 2-letter country code>
Administrative Contact
4a. NIC Handle (if known)......:
4b. (I)ndividual (R)ole........:I
4c. Name (Last, First).........:Doe, John
4d. Organization Name..........:The Acme Corporation
4e. Street Address.............:123 Commerce Drive
4f. City.......................:Somewhere
4g. State......................:WA <Use 2-letter abbreviation>
4h. Postal Code................:98290
4i. Country....................:US <Use 2-letter country code>
4j. Phone Number...............:(800) 555-5555
4k. Fax Number.................:
4l. E-Mailbox..................:acme@aol.com
Technical Contact
5a. NIC Handle (if known)......:SF232-ORG
5b. (I)ndividual(R)ole.........:R
5c. Name (Last, First).........:
5d. Organization Name..........:
5e. Street Address.............:
5f. City.......................:
5g. State......................:
5h. Postal Code................:
5i. Country....................:
5j. Phone Number...............:
5k. Fax Number.................:
5l. E-Mailbox..................:
Billing Contact
6a. NIC Handle (if known)......:
6b. (I)ndividual (R)ole........:I
6c. Name (Last, First).........:Doe, John
6d. Organization Name..........:The Acme Corporation
6e. Street Address.............:123 Commerce Drive
6f. City.......................:Somewhere
6g. State......................:WA <use 2-letter abbreviation>
6h. Postal Code................:98290
6i. Country....................:US <use 2-letter country code>
6j. Phone Number...............:(800) 555-5555
6k. Fax Number.................:
6l. E-Mailbox..................:acme@aol.com
Prime Name Server
7a. Primary Server Hostname....:NS1.1STNT.COM
7b. Primary Server Netaddress..:24.77.168.246
Secondary Name Server(s)
8a. Secondary Server Hostname..:NS2.1STNT.COM
8b. Secondary Server Netaddress:142.179.54.242
This registration form shows that NS1.1STNT.COM and NS2.1STNT.COM are the authoritative name servers for this
domain. Unless you have your own name server and will be handling the name serving for this domain, you should leave these entries
as they are.
Please note that if you know the NIC Handle for your Administrative, Technical, and Billing contacts, you do not need to fill in the rest of
the information for those sections. Also, the above example assumes that 1st NT will act as the Technical Contact.
For complete instructions on filling out the InterNIC Domain Registration Form, please Click Here.
Transferring a Domain Name
To have your domain name point to 1st NT instead of your previous server, you need to modify your domain name record.
If you have registered your domain through Register.com or WorldNIC Services, you will need to send your user number and password,
along with the domain name to be modified, to admin@1stnation.com
If you have registered through NetworkSolutions.com, let us know on the order form or contact admin@1stnation.com with the
following Subject line: Modify Domain: yourdomain.com
Deleting a Domain Name
For security reasons, the person requesting the deletion should be the Registrant or the Technical Contact; otherwise, additional
information may need to be provided to establish the credibility of the person making the request. Contact the registration authority for
deletion requirements.
International Domain Registries
It is possible to register international domain names and use them with your virtual server. However, we may not be able to register
these names for you. If you would like to use a foreign extension, you must register with the DNS in that country and do the following:
1.Locate the domain registry of the country domain that you are interested in registering. For a list of domain name registries
around the world, please visit http://www.uninett.no/navn/domreg.html.
2.Have the organization that registers your DNS use our name servers so that our DNS servers can handle all the DNS work for your
domain. Here is the Name Server information you will need for this option:
Domain servers in listed order:
Primary Server Hostname:
NS1.1STNT.COM
Primary Server Netaddress:
24.77.168.246
Secondary Server Hostname:
NS2.1STNT.COM
Secondary Server Netaddress:
142.179.54.242
How long does it take before my domain name is active?
Once a new domain name has been submitted to a registrar, it usually takes about 1-2 days to become active. Transferred domains
may take slightly longer, since the registrar requires the owner of the domain name to give permission for the transfer via e-mail. Your
web hosting account will be activated nonetheless. We will give you a temporary IP address to your site so you can begin building your
pages right away.
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