Domain Names FAQ

Common questions asked about Domain Name registration

• What is a domain name?
• Why do I need a domain name?
• What characters can you use in a domain name and how long can it be?
• What is DNS and how does it work?
• What are Top Level Domain Names? What does this mean?
• How can I find out if a domain name is already registered?
• Can I transfer my domain to Fpweb.net?

What is a domain name?

A domain name is a group of letters, numbers, and hyphens, such as "yourdomain.com" where "yourdomain" can be almost anything.

A domain name should be relatively easy to remember. The domain can be used as the address for your web site and as your email address, such as info@yourdomain.com.

Why do I need a domain name?

All domain names are unique. It is your identity online. For businesses and organizations, a domain name can help brand your products and services. For individuals and clubs, a domain can identify your affiliations, relationships, or can just be your online personality.

What characters can you use in a domain name and how long can it be?

Letters and numbers are always valid characters in a Web Address. Hyphens may also be used in Web Addresses, but may not begin nor end your Web Address. Spaces and special characters are never permitted in Web Addresses. The special characters include, but are not limited to, these special characters: ! @ # $ % ^ & * ( ) ? _ (underscores)"

Domain names are NOT case sensitive, therefore YourDomain.Com and yourdomain.com are the same.

The number of characters you can use in your domain name has increased to a total of 67, including the extensions .com, .net, .biz, .org or .info. Now you've got even more options for establishing your online identity!

"www." and http://www. are not counted as part of the 67 characters allowed.

An example of a valid domain name is:
67–character–web–addresses–are–valid.com

What is DNS and how does it work?

DNS stands for Domain Name System and is the system that the Internet uses to find the information on the web.

When someone types in a Domain Name into a web browser their Internet Service Provider's (ISPs) DNS computer looks into its cache for an IP (Internet Protocol) address associated with that domain name. If the ISP does not have an entry cached it sends a lookup query to a top level DNS computer to return the DNS location associated with the domain name back to the ISP. Once the ISP's computer finds the IP address it can access the web site.

IP addresses are typically 12 digit numbers which identify a computer on the internet. IP addresses are like street addresses. They refer to specific servers and their physical location on the network. Domain names are like the names on the mailboxes, they are associated with people and with content.

What are Top Level Domain Names? What does this mean?

This is simply the extension of your domain name. In the 1980s, seven TLDs (.com, .edu, .gov, .int, .mil, .net, and .org) were created. Domain names may be registered in three of these (.com, .net, and .org) without restriction; the other four have limited purposes.

How can I find out if a domain name is already registered?

Simply type in the domain you're looking for below and find out!

Can I transfer my domain to Fpweb.net?

No. We no longer provide domain registration or renewal services. We feel that allowing our customers to choose their own registrar makes life easier for everyone.