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Frequently Asked Questions

Domain Names FAQ:
What is a Domain Name?
How do I get a Domain Name?
Who would register a domain name?
Why should I use MyFreeName.com?
Should I use .com .net or .org? Which one? All three?
What are the valid characters in the domain name?
Which registry are we using?
What are the total charges for domain registrations?
Do I need a DNS server to get a domain name?
Do I have to host my web site with you?
I did a search on Network Solution's WHOIS site and the information is wrong. Why?
I just registered my domain and it still shows up as available. Why?
How long does it take for changes to take effect?
How do I link my domain name to an existing website, such as members.aol.com, geocities, or other free pages?
Can I forward email from my new Domain Name?
Do Not-For-Profit organizations have to pay the registry fee?

Marketing FAQ:
What can I do to get more traffic to my site?
How can I get more traffic to my site?

Registry FAQ:
What is the Registry Fee that I have to pay?
What is Network Solutions or Internic

Web Hosting FAQ:
What is web hosting?
Who needs web hosting?
Why should I host with you?
How do I maintain my site?


FAQ related to Domain Names

What is a Domain Name?
A domain name is a word or phrase that ends with .com .net or .org Many people choose generic words (like Television, Music, Software)... others use business names (like IBM) or products (like Windows). You can register any domain name that is available... just remember - don't violate anyone's trademark.
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How do I get a Domain Name?
First, search to see if your name is available using the search box on our home page, or under the WHOIS link on the navigation menu. If your name is available, "check it off" and add it to your list. When ready, click the link to go to the order form... it will fill in all of the names you listed. Of course, you can remove ANY of the names from the list. You are NOT required to register any names that you research.
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Who would register a domain name?
Anyone who is on the Internet can have their own name. It can be used for web sites, email, or just held for future use. All businesses should have at least the name of their company as a domain name. IT doesn't matter if you aren't going to be on the Internet for a while -- even years -- if you don't take your name now, you can lose it forever!
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Why should I use MyFreeName.com?
We offer domain registration services for FREE. Registrations don't come any cheaper. Our services are top notch, and we are one of the largest registrars on the Internet. We offer this for free because we know a certain percentage of our customers will return for hosting and other services. Hopefully you will too!
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Should I use .com .net or .org? Which one? All three?
You should use whatever names you feel are important for you. The .com is the most prestigous, then the .net and finally the .org There is no real difference between the extensions... there is no particular meaning associated with any of them. When we register names for ourselves, we typically take all three. Why? If we take one, our competition will take the other two, and our customers can become confused and actually do business with the wrong company. Since the registrations are free, and the annual NIC fee is only $35, it is certainly worth it!
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What are the valid characters in the domain name?
You can use up to 63 characters, plus the .com .net or .org The name can ONLY consist of letters, numbers and dashes (hyphens). Any other character, including spaces, commas, periods or ampersands are not permitted.
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Which registry are we using?
Melbourne IT is one of the first accredited registrars by ICANN which has opened the competition with Internic. We are one of their partners, delivering great services at great prices here in the U.S.
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What are the total charges for domain registrations?
We do the registrations for free, no matter how many names you register. You will pay an annual NIC fee of $35 per year ($70 up front) on each domain name you register. Acme.com Acme.net and Acme.org count as three domains, and the NIC fee for the three would be $210.
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Do I need a DNS server to get a domain name?
Domain names must be associated with a DNS server. We let you associate your domain name with our DNS until you are ready to use it. Of course, you can move the name to any other server after registration, at no additional cost to you.
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Do I have to host my web site with you?
No! While we would like you to host it with us, you are not required to do so. If you host with someone else, just let them know you have a domain name and they will take care of the rest.
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I did a search on Network Solution's WHOIS site and the information is wrong. Why?
Network Solutions is currently showing only names they register. This is very misleading, as people think names are available that aren't. Our WHOIS search checks registrations from ALL registrars, so you will always have the most current information as to whether a name is available or not.
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I just registered my domain and it still shows up as available. Why?
Domain registrations are usually complete in minutes. The WHOIS databases, however, are updated every day or so. So it is possible that it will take up to 48 hours for your name to appear in the WHOIS search, although it typically takes less than 12 hours. If you don't see your name after 3 days, contact us and we'll check the registry directly.
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How long does it take for changes to take effect?
If you update your records (ie. to point the domain name somewhere else) allow 5 to 7 days for any changes to be made. The information has to trickle through the Internet, so it can appear to take days, even if the change is already complete.
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How do I link my domain name to an existing website, such as members.aol.com, geocities, or other free pages?
We offer "URL Redirection" service for only as low as $14.99 per year, which will connect your name to the site. Please note that your name must be registered through us for us to offer this service to you.
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Can I forward email from my new Domain Name?
Yes. We offer email forwarding at a flat rate of as low as $14.99 per year. This will forward email addressed to your new domain name to any single email address you specify!
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Do Not-For-Profit organizations have to pay the registry fee?
Yes. All names registered are subject to the annual registry fees. This applies even to not-for-profit companies. Also, the ".org" extension is often used by not-for-profits. However, it is not required that it be used by them. They can be registered by anyone.
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FAQ related to Marketing

What can I do to get more traffic to my site?
There are many things you should consider... 1. Promote your site: Using our Search Engine Submission services, we will submit your site every month to 1700 directories! 2. Track your positioning: we can run a report for you every week showing you how well you do in the major search engines. Want to be in the top 10 positions? This is essential to track your ranks! 3. Daily Web Trends reports... once you start getting traffic, you need to watch these reports to see where people are coming from, what they are seeing, how long they are staying on your site, and more.
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How can I get more traffic to my site?
Sign up for submission to 1700 search engines and directories. This gets you the best exposure for your buck !!!
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FAQ related to Registry

What is the Registry Fee that I have to pay?
There is a master database of all of the domain names in the .com .net and .org TLD's. There is a bi-annual NIC fee (aka Registry fee) of $35 per year ($70 for two years).
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What is Network Solutions or Internic
Network Solutions (aka Internic) is the company appointed by the government to maintain the master database of domain names. The government has recently ordered a breakup of the "Registrar" function (which is how you GET a domain name), leaving Network Solutions maintaining the "Registry" (the central database). You do not have to register your domain name directly with Network Solutions. It actually costs about $50 MORE to go through them. Rather, you can use our FREE "Registration" services (the service Network Solutions charges $49.99 for) and pay just the bi-annual NIC fee ($70 every two years).
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FAQ related to Web Hosting

What is web hosting?
Web hosting is a service that lets you put web pages on the Internet. Without web hosting, you would have to buy your own servers, your own high speed internet connections, and more. You rent space on our servers. Once you design your web pages, you "upload" them to our servers so that when people surf the Internet, they can find your pages.
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Who needs web hosting?
Anyone who wants a presence on the Internet needs web hosting services. Whether you need one web page or 10,000, you will need web hosting.
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Why should I host with you?
We offer high end hosting at great prices. Some "deep discount" companies offer such low prices because they cut all of the corners... they put thousands of customers on a single server... they don't have enough bandwidth... they don't have enough tech support people... their servers are always down... it's a nightmare. Our servers are up 99.99% of the time. Interruptions are rare, to say the least. We offer robust hosting packages on super-fast servers ensuring that your site is as fast as it can be!
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How do I maintain my site?
Many web design tools have a publish function that lets you upload your site automatically. Other people use tools called FTP utilities that will upload your pages for you. These are available on the internet and are extremely easy to use.
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