| Here are the top ten most frequently asked | | | | the name as long as you want. |
| questions regarding on Internet domain name | | | | Q6. Why does my Internet domain name still show |
| registration: | | | | as unregistered in a WHOIS tool? |
| Q1. Which characters are allowed in Internet domain | | | | A: WHOIS tools are meant to show the nameserver |
| names? | | | | contact information for domain names held by a |
| A: For normal ASCII domain names, the letters a-z, | | | | particular ICANN registrar. They are typical not |
| the numbers 0-9, and one special character, the | | | | updated in real-time and thus are not good indicators |
| hyphen or dash "-". Note that domains cannot start | | | | of current domain registration status. |
| or end with a hyphen. For the new tested IDNs | | | | Q7. How will I know if a Internet domain registration |
| (Internationalized Domain Names), the full range of | | | | attempt has been successful? |
| Unicode characters are available. This allows nearly all | | | | A: WHOIS tool takes anything up to 48 hrs to be |
| of the languages on the planet to be represented | | | | updated so can't be relied on. A better indicator is |
| within domain names, including Thai, Arabic, Lao, | | | | whether you receive a confirmation e-mail from the |
| Hebrew, French, German etc. | | | | domain registrar. You could also try registering the |
| Q2. How many characters can a Internet domain | | | | name again. By doing so, the registrar will do a "live" |
| name have? | | | | availability check on the name, which will indicate to |
| A: Generic domains (gTLDs) can have 63 characters | | | | you whether the name has been registered or not. |
| in the second level, plus the top level domain, .com, | | | | This is not the same as a WHOIS look-up. |
| .net etc. | | | | Q8. How long do domain names take to be active |
| Q3. How long can I register a Internet domain name | | | | after registration? |
| for? | | | | A: Approximately 24 - 48 hrs, though because |
| A: In most cases, you are allowed to register a | | | | nameservers work as a distributed network, it can |
| Internet domain name for period of one to ten | | | | take up to 72 hrs or more before your domain name |
| years. Longer periods are not currently allowed by | | | | is accessible to all Internet users worldwide. |
| the registry. | | | | Q9. Can I register a Internet domain for later use? |
| Q4. How long do Internet domain registrations take | | | | A: There is no problem in registering domain names |
| to make & process? | | | | first, and using them later on. In fact, it is estimated |
| A: Typically ten minutes or so. Once you have | | | | that among 80% to 90% of all domain names are |
| chosen the name and paid the fee, most registration | | | | "idle". |
| systems will register your name in near real-time. | | | | Q10. Can I get a refund if I make a mistake & |
| Q5. Do I "own" a domain name I register? | | | | register the wrong name? |
| A: Not really, it is more like a rental agreement. But | | | | A: Nearly all domain registrars operate a strict no |
| importantly, you have the exclusive right to renew | | | | refund policy. This is because they are charged a |
| the agreement with the registry at the end of the | | | | non-refundable fee by the registry to perform the |
| initial registration period, so effectively you can keep | | | | registration. |