Support

Domain Names




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 on the World Wide Web. 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 NOT different.  

The number of characters you can use in your domain name has increased to a total of 67, including the extension .COM, .NET, .BIZ, .ORG or .INFO. Now you've got even more options for establishing your Internet 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-available-from-frontpageshosting.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.

Do I have to pay for domain name registration?
Yes. There is a fee to keep track of your domain name and associated information. See current fees.

Top Level Domain Names

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 to know if a domain is already registered.

Simply use for "Find a name for your site" feature on our non-support pages. Check for any domain name and we'll tell you if its available.

How do I pay for the domain name fee?
YOU REGISTER: You pay the registrar, such as Network Solutions, directly for any domain name fees. Visit your registrars Web site regarding annual payments. They will typically send you a bill by mail or email. Pay close attention to the due date for your domain name fees as non-payment will cause you to lose ownership of your domain name.

Transferring Domains.

This is easier than it sounds. If you have a domain at another hosting company such as GoDaddy, you can simply point your domain to our nameservers. If your website is setup with us, 2 days later, your domain is now pointing to your website on our server. Easy. If you want to take your domain from another provider, simply cancel your account with them and sign your domain up with us. Simple.

Frontpage REGISTERS: FWHW provides domain name registrations. If you have Frontpage register you domain name, Frontpage will bill your credit card when payment is due.