| When you buy a domain name it will be automatically | | | | What is important to note is that if you purchase a |
| registered through an accredited Registrar. There are | | | | domain name directly from a Registrar but have your |
| over 1,000 accredited Registrars to choose from. | | | | web site hosted elsewhere, it will be necessary to |
| Think of them as companies that compete to | | | | change the Nameservers to point to your Web Host |
| register domain names. Each Registrar chooses how | | | | Nameservers. |
| much to charge to register domain names. This is | | | | A Registrar gathers contact information and technical |
| why the same domain name may cost you $9.99 | | | | information. The technical information about your |
| with one Registrar and $25.00 with another. | | | | domain name is forwarded to InterNIC, a central |
| So who controls your domain name? It will be the | | | | directory known as the "Registry" whose goal is to |
| company where you buy it, either the Registrar or | | | | let other computers on the internet know how to |
| your Web Hosting Provider. Some Registrars provide | | | | find your web site. |
| additional services such as Web Hosting, however, all | | | | How to buy cheap domain names is easy enough as |
| Web Hosting Providers are not Registrars. If the | | | | so many Web Hosting Providers offer a free domain |
| domain name is purchased through a Web Hosting | | | | name if you sign up for one of their hosting |
| Provider who is not a Registrar, that Web Host will | | | | packages or buy one of their products. I prefer |
| have the domain registered through their Registrar of | | | | spending about $10.00 for a domain name through a |
| choice. | | | | Registrar and have no strings attached. If you plan |
| What Registrars or Web Hosting Providers do to | | | | on having multiple web sites then purchasing all your |
| register your domain name is invisible to you. All you | | | | domain names through one Registrar is the way to |
| have to be concerned with is who to pay to renew | | | | go as you can manage all your domain names in one |
| your domain name before it expires, which is the | | | | place. |
| company you bought if from originally. | | | | |