What is DNS?

As the activity of the websites expanded, a protocol called DNS was created that was responsible for converting the domain name to an IP address. Before the advent of DNS, websites were available to users with an IP address, but with the increase in the number of websites it was not easy to store IP addresses, and this protocol started to work.

Now you no longer need to maintain every site to go for a long and complex IP site as before. Just type the domain name in your browser to do the DNS for you and connect the two.

For example, you enter a google.com website address in your browser, DNS server conversion and authentication is performed on the server side, and this domain will point to the master IP server for you to view this site.

What is an Ironic Broker?

To register Iranian domains such as ir. And … the only broker that officially sells these domains is IRNIC or IRNIC theoretical physics.

To register and change your DNS in IRNIC you first need to register on this site and then get a free NIC-Handle ID.

Once you have authenticated you can now register the domain at this website or easily change the DNS domain at IRNIC.

Dns change training in irnick domain

1. You must first log in to the Control Panel via the following address and your credentials.

  https://www.nic.ir/Login?r=%2FCheckout_Basket

2. Then, on the Domain Settings page of the “Domain Name System (DNS)” section, click the “Edit Domain Name Hosting Rows and Host Domain” button.

4. On the Domain Server page in the Server Name column you must enter the DNS address and in the Server IP column you must enter the Ip server.
5. Lastly, click the Apply button to save the settings.

After changing the DNS domain in IRNIC it will take about 5-6 hours to register the time changes and this process will be a bit more time consuming in Iranian domains than the internal domains.

As of today, anyone can register a new domain. It will be for making internet shortcuts. Google top level domain new. Enables companies and organizations that want to create a shortcut with a simple URL. Currently Google is new domain.

Uses for Google Docs and its applications. By typing “docs.new” into the browser’s address bar, a new Google Docs page will open immediately. Now Google intends to extend this scope to other organizations to create similar capabilities for them.

New surveys show that the number of registered domains has reached its peak. The reason for this is the attempt to acquire better domains.

What are the most popular top level domains, or at least, which are the ones that show up most on pages indexed in Google?

I wondered this yesterday after seeing a news article stating that the registration of .cn (china) top level domain names topped 1 million for the first time ever by the end of 2005. The seed for my wonderment was probably planted when EGOL, at Cre8asite Forums, asked about using a .info top level domain earlier that day.

So I decided to check to see which were the most popular top level domains in Google, since that was the easiest place to get some statistics.

I found a couple of lists of top level domains (generic tlds and country code tlds), and searched for the number of results that appeared in Google, using the advanced “site” search operator and my tld lists. For example, a search for “site:.com” without the quotation marks might show me approximately how many pages appear in Google’s index that are on sites using a “.com” top level domain.

I’ve listed the 20 most popular top level domains, then the 20 least popular top level domains, and finally the whole list.

The 20 most popular top level domains with the most page results in Google:

The 20 least popular top level domains with the least page results in Google:

Page amounts from all of the top level domains looked up in Google:

These are in alphabetical order within two groups. The generic top level domains (three letters or more) and special “arpa” domain first, and then the country code domains (two letters).

The total number of documents returned was 11,828,505,634. That’s likely an approximation, since there seems to be a lot of rounding going on, but it’s about as large a number as I expected to see.

 In addition, domain registration with an extension associated with the business area of ​​the site’s activity in SEO will also be effective.

Because search engines like Google, search engine robots show websites in their initial results that their domain extensions are commensurate with the geolocation of the searcher.

All domains are register under the supervision of ICANN (the only major domain registration for the world) and through registries approv by the organization.

All registrars have valid and active representatives who communicate to register domain, renew, change DNS, change whois domain users with them.

 These representatives, called the registry, are often domains and hosting service providers that offer different tariffs and domain services.

ICANN has introduced new extensions as a domain registration authority by expanding the scope of online business activities and the need to register different domains.

Due to the possibility of registering online at the moment of domains, a large number of domains are register daily with different extensions.

Domain extensions have different categorization, the main ones are as follows:

gTLDs mean Generic Top Level Domains
Like Com, Net, Org …

ccTLDs means Country code Top Level Domains
Like Ae, Ir, Fr and …

CentralNic TLDs mean Central Nic Top Level Domains
Such as Co.Com, Ae.Org, Uk.Com and …

Latest TLDs mean the Latest Top Level Domains
Like Radio.Am, Radio.FM, My and …

NewTLDs mean New Top Level Domains
Like Gallery, App, Club …

Each of these categories consists of different extensions that have registration conditions, including the number of letters, life spans, or the same registration period, cost, and so on, which will be discussed in detail below.

gTLDs as Top Level Domains:

AERO

This extension is abbreviated to Aeronautics, which is exclusively recorded by airline and airline companies. Providing the required documents and certificates at the time of domain registration is required.

ASIA

The domain that is registered under this extension is a regional domain for companies, organizations and individuals located in Asia, Australia and the Pacific.

The policies required for its requirements allow those who seek a relationship or presence in Asia to register this extension.

As a result, when searching for users in the Asia-Pacific region, websites with this extension will search in the initial results of pages that will have a positive impact on SEO.

BIZ

It is derived from the word “business” and is often appropriate for the domain of websites that are active in the field of business and online businesses.

CAT

This suffix is ​​for the organization and people who work in Catalonia. This extension is related to Catalan’s language and culture, and is welcomed by those who live in the area.

INFO

The first four letters of the word Information form this extension, which means information and can be registered by any organ, company, organization, personal, and … domain under this extension.

JOBS

And promotion of job opportunities for organizations and collections. This extension is applicable to any person or legal entity without any particular qualifications and limitations.

MOBI

MOBI is the first high-end suffix dedicated to registering the domain of mobile service providers, and due to the lack of view of these extensions, there are many free names that can be registered to businesses and websites created to work with mobile phones.

The only important point in this extension is that designing sites for DOT MOBI domains should be able to view them on the mobile because of the type of users of these domains.

NAME

The meaning of this extension is its application. Domain Registration Under DOT NAME is a pleasure for users who want to register their domain name and profile with a personal activity.

PRO

Domain registration for professionals, this extension can be registered by any person or entity active in the fields of law, medicine, accounting, engineering, sports, art and more.

TEL

A popular extension for publishing online contact information by individuals who start their digital business with the DOT TEL domain registration.

TRAVEL

The tourist industry is welcomed by tour guides, airline agencies, airline service companies and more to introduce their online activities to the world.

Registration and activation conditions for high-level domains:

The number of authorized characters for domains with gTLD extensions is minus 3 and has a maximum of 63 characters. In the PRO suffix, this minimum character is in the 4-letter domain name, and in Asia it is defined as a letter.

Possibility of using the number, English letters and dash (-) in the domain name is allowed.

These domains may be registered for at least one to ten years.

Often, these domains will expire after 30 to 36 days, which can be re-enabled if the domain owner has renewed the payment during this period.

If the extension does not extend beyond the expiration date, the expired domain will enter another stage called redemption. The period of redemption or fines is thirty days. In order to activate the domain, in addition to the expense, the amount of the fine should be paid.

By not paying the fine and renewal, the domain will be removed from the course and the domain WHOIS will be removed over time and will be released after 5 to 7 days.

Eventually, after the domain is released, it is possible to register it by the owner and anyone else.

ccTLDs as country extensions:

AC

An island called Ascension Island in the South Atlantic, which is derived from the first two letters of the island name and used by companies operating in this geographical area.
It also focuses on active Web sites for academies and educational institutions.

AE

The United Arab Emirates has an exclusive AE name that employs businessmen and businesses operating in the UAE, and second-class AE.ORG extensions belong to this country.

AF

The official extension of Afghanistan that covers the domain of this geographic region, and second-level extensions such as COM.AF,

NET.AF and

ORG.AF are also recorded under this heading.

AG

The extensions of Antigua and Barbuda, which are highly regarded by PLC companies in Austria, Germany and Switzerland. Second-class extensions CO.AG,

COM.AG, NET.AG,

ORG.AG,

NOM.AG also fall into this category.

AM

This extension is for the country of Armenia, but AM domains are also recorded by individuals and companies associated with the AM radio station industry.

AR

Dominions in Argentina can be registered with DOT AR or COM.AR second-level extensions.

AS

The names of the Samuel U.S. Web sites are defined by this suffix.

AT

The Austrian-Hungarian extension is followed by two extensions of OR.AT

and CO.AT for the websites active in the country as well as Swiss-related entities.

AU

Australia’s top-level code that uses domains with this suffix is ​​typically used by companies that are in the region or in business.

The four COM.AU,

NET.AU,

ORG.AU and

ID.AU extensions are also used for this geographic area.

BE

Domain with this extension is registered by companies or private entities in the country of Belgium or in a business relationship with it.

BR

The domain name extension is in Brazil,

and COM.BR is also used in this area.

BZ

The Belize country extensions, which are often used by individuals and companies who have been unable to customize their domain name with a BIZ extension after an ideal opportunity to start their business and can use this extension with meaning close to Business.

CA

The popular domain name extension for Canadian companies. It is also the name of the state of California, and is also use to register the domain of the websites of this geographic area.

CC

Cocos Island Code, which can be use as a good replacement for COM extensions.

CH

Swiss domains or companies with a business relationship with it are register under this high-level extension.

CN

It is only possible to register the domain with these extensions for individuals and companies resident in China, which is require to provide the necessary documentation to prove it to the registrar.
The third COM.CN,

NET.CN and

ORG.CN second extensions are also in this category.

CM

Coming from the name of the Cameron country in West Africa, which, along with the extensions CO.CM,

COM.CM and

NET.CM, are used by websites active in this geographic area. Residence in the Cameroon area for the owner is subject to the registration requirements of this extension.

CL

Extensions related to the Chilean and Easter Islands that fall into the top-level domain.

CO

The first two letters of Colombia are for the Dominican Republic of Colombia, but are most welcomed by the corporate website and global investments, meaning Company and Cooperation.

In cases where a domain with a COM suffix is ​​register, this suffix will be replace with the second-order extensions of COM.CO,

NET.CO, and

NOM.CO.

CX

Christmas Island extensions that can be record without any limitations by all individuals and organs.

CZ

The top-level domain code of the Czech Republic is introduced with the CZ extension, which has no restrictions.

DE

An extension derive from the word Deutschland, which is commonly used for genuine and legal personalities in Germany.

DK

Online businesses in Denmark use domains with this extension to start their own business.

EC

All individuals and organizations resident or in commerce with Ecuador register domains with this extension.

COM.EC,

NET.EC, FIN.EC,

INFO.EC,

PRO.EC and

MED.EC can also be found in the second-level extensions of the country.

EU

Real-world websites and legal collections in Spain, or in business relationships with it, register domains with this extension or COM.ES,

NOM.ES, and

ORG.ES.

EU

Companies or EU members can register domains with this extension. The requirement to provide residence documents in one of these countries is subject to registration.

FI

It is very popular in Finland and it uses the extension of FI for individuals and business collections related to this country.

FM

The Federated States of Micronesia in the western Pacific, the most sought after sites linked to the FM radio industry.

FR

This extension is available for registration in the countries of France and all persons residing in different regions of the European Union.

GB

An English-only extension that is rarely used, often seen with second-level extensions of GB.COM and GB.NET on the Internet.

DG

Granada, the DOT GD, introduces its domain to the digital world.

GG

The extension is Guernsey.

GL

Individuals and companies that are resident or in connection with Greenland (Autonomous Region of Denmark) with this extension, CO.GL,

COM.GL, NET.GL and

ORG.GL expand their business activities on the Internet.

GR

In Greece, people can register their domains with this extension or COM.GR.

GS

This extension was create in the name of the Georgian Southern Islands. These extensions are use by companies or private entities that are locate in these islands or have maintain their business relationships with them.

Gy

High-level domains of Guyana are record with this suffix. Among its second-level domains, COM.GY,

NET.GY and

CO.GY are also mention.

HK

Includes COM.HK extension for individuals and organizations associated with Hong Kong.

HN

Honduran redevelopment. Secondary Domains COM.HN,

NET.HN and

ORG.HN are also registered in this domain.

HT

The Haitian web site’s domain names are registered with HT,

COM.HT, NET.HT,

ORG.HT or INFO.HT.

HU

Hungarian nationals and companies can have HU extensions.

Id

Functional extension specifically identifying individuals or institutions active on the Internet from Indonesia.

IE

Only for brands and companies registered on the island of Ireland, and with significant links to the country, can be registered.

IM

The domain with this suffix is ​​register by any person or company and is more applicable to the websites of the island “I”. The second level extensions include COM.IM,

CO.IM, NET.IM,

ORG.IM, and PLC.CO.IM.

IN

An extension is of interest to the people of India and those who trade with the country. This suffix may also be associate with CO.IN,

FIRM.IN, GEN.IN,

IND.IN, NET.IN and

ORG.IN.

IO

The official extension of the Indian Ocean Territory, which can be registered for companies located in the area and is in business with the region.

IS

For collections and individuals resident in Iceland or in connection with this country.

IT

It is adapt from the name of the country of Italy and also for individuals active in the field of IT. The only condition for registering this extension is membership in the European Union.

JE

Jersey’s top-level domains are record with this suffix or

CO.JE, NET.ORG

or ORG.JE.

JP

JP domains are typically record by companies, organizations and private entities that are locate in Japan or have business relations with the country.

KI

Kiribati’s personal and commercial websites will use this extension to register their domains. Its second-level domains are BIZ.KI,

COM.KI, NET.KI,

ORG.KI and

INFO.KI respectively.

LA

The extension of the Democratic Republic of The Hague is more effective than the Los Angeles and Louisiana websites.

LI

The Liechtenstein country located in Central Europe uses this extension to register its domains.

LT

Lithuania’s high level extension is.

LU

A backdrop for the people of Luxembourg and the individuals, collections and companies that are associated with it.

LV

COM.LV,

NET.LV and

ORG.LV are used for the country of Latvia.

MD

MD with suffix MM for Moldovan companies and collections that are active in this area. This suffix is ​​also used by medical industry companies.

ME

Montenegro’s high-level extensions that can be recorded by anyone around the world.

MG

DOT MG and other extensions such as COM.MG,

NET.MG,

ORG.MG and

CO.MG are available for residents of the island of Madagascar and those associated with this geographic area.

MN

Can be registered for Mongolian country domains and all people interested in this extension.

MS

Typically, at the time of domain registration, these extensions are used by individuals and companies or in a business relationship with Montreux. Other extensions of this commercial area include COM.MS,

CO.MS and

ORG.MS.

MU

The top level extension of Mauritius Island, COM.MU,

NET.MU,

ORG.MU is placed in its categories.

MX

The .MX and COM.MX domains are often used by companies with a business relationship with Mexico….

MY

Malaysia’s top-level domain, which can only be registered to Malaysian citizens by providing the required documents. COM.MY,

NET.MY and

ORG.MY extensions also have this.

NF

Individuals and companies based in Norfolk Island, or in business communication with it, use this extension to register their domains.

NL

In the Netherlands, all individuals and companies can work with this extension.

NO

Only a Norwegian citizen with a person’s ID or a credible registered organization in this country can file a domain with this suffix.

NU

An inexpensive resort called the Newway Island in the Pacific, registered by everyone, and is therefore well received by the public.

NZ

Anyone living in New Zealand or in connection with this country can use the NZ extension to register their domain.

PE

Domain names in Peru are recorded with this suffix.

PH

To start an online activity in the Philippines, domain registration with this extension is suggested. Second-order extensions are COM.PH,

NET.PH, and

ORG.PH respectively.

PL

Polish country extension, which can be registered by all individuals and companies around the world.

Pm

The extension is used by St. Pierre Michelon of Italy.

PR

Real and legal personalities in Puerto Rico and public relations companies from these extensions and their second-level domains BIZ.PR, COM.PR,

INFO.PR, NAME.PR,

NET.PR, PRO.PR and

ORG.PR to register The names of their websites are used.

Pt

Retrieved from the beginning of the name of Portugal, which is authorized for residents of this region and the public, and has the second extension of the term COM.PT.

PW

This extension was granted to the Pacific Island of Palau in 1997.

RE

Taken from the name of the island of Reunion and will be applicable for domain registration of Reunion’s French websites.

RO

COM.RO, NOM.RO and the other three extensions are used to register domain names in Romania.

RU

Domain registration of Russia with these extensions and other examples such as COM.RU,

NET.RU, ORG.RU

and PP.RU.

SB

Only three extensions of the COM.SB,

NET.SB, and

ORG.SB order are specific to the Solomon Islands.

SC

Use Seychelles to activate the country. It is required to submit a document certifying that you are resident or related to it.

SE

Only the possibility to register for individuals and collections that are resident in Sweden or in business relations with the country. The opportunity to provide evidence to prove this is necessary.

SG

Singaporean companies or people with a business related to this country use this suffix.

SH

The extension of St. Helena is applicable to people who live or trade in this geographic area.

SO

Somalia’s top-level domain code is used by its residents or people in its business relationship.

SX

Independent islands in the Netherlands, St. Martin, where SX is the extension of its high-level slopes.

QA

From the beginning of Qatar, the name of the Qatari country has been taken and its domains are registered with this suffix.

TC

The highlands of Turks and Caicos are dominate by private companies and private entities locate in this geographic region.

TF

Antarctica France uses this extension to register its domains and must be the owner of that EU member state.

TK
Typically, it is use by the legal and legal entities of Tokelo for domain registration. In Germany, it is also use to register the domain of telecommunication relate websites.

TL

The DOT TL domain is commonly use by companies or private entities locate in Timor, or in commercial relations with the country.

TM

Turkmenistan and the active trading companies with it, welcome the TM extension to register their domains.

TO

Top-level domains of Tonga’s monarchy can be registered with this extension and under the supervision of its network information center.

TV

This extension is from the name of the small island of Tuvalu, but its use is abundant in the television industry and related affairs.

TW

Audiences of this extension are Taiwanese residents or collections and individuals associated with it, with examples of COM.TW,

CLUB.TW, EBIZ.TW,

GAME.TW and

IDV.TW being included in this category.

US

Domains owned by the country and the American people and organizations, companies and … in this country use this suffix.

UK

The UK top-level extension that can be registered to individuals and organizations in or in the United Kingdom.

Owning a domain with ORG.UK extensions for organizations or affiliates in the UK and ME.UK for public and private websites that are linked to this geographic region.

VC

Named Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and anyone and anyone can register domain with this suffix.

VE

The COM.VE,

CO.VE,

NET.VE, ORG.VE,

WEB.VE and INFO.VE extensions are effective for Venezuela’s true personalities and institutions.

VG
An extension that is typically register by companies and individuals resident in or with the British Virgin Islands in commercial development.

WF

WF domains are use for businesses in the Wallis and Futuna areas of the French colonies and in the Oceania region.

Ws

The official code for the Western Samoa region, which is know as the “Web site” extension, can be a good alternative to COM, NET, and ORG extensions.

Yt

For the Internet activities of inhabitants of the Mayotte region, it is use by French colonies.

ZA

As the extensions of the second level, South Africa is called.

Registration and activation conditions for country domains:

The number of authorized characters for most domains with a length of ccTLDs is 32 and a maximum of 63 characters.

Having a nationality in some countries has a precondition for possessing those suffixes. Only if the require identity documents are require to the registrar (including an identification card or so-call residence card), you can register it.

Possibility of using the number, English letters and dash (-) in the domain name is allow.

These domains may be registered for at least one to ten years. Some extensions such as AR, AT, BE, CH, DE, JP, IT, LI, NL, NO, NU, and NZ are only possible for a one-year registration, and their extensions will ultimately be possible.

Often, these domains will expire after 30 to 36 days, which can be re-enabled if the domain owner has renewed the payment during this period.

If the extension does not extend beyond the expiration date, the expired domain will enter another stage called redemption.

The period of redemption or fines is thirty days. In order to activate the domain, in addition to the expense, the amount of the fine should be paid.

By not paying the fine and renewal, the domain will be remove from the course and the domain WHOIS will be remove over time and will be release after 5 to 7 days.

Eventually, after the domain is release, it is possible to register it by the owner and anyone else.

New extensions NEWTLDs

ACADEMY

Educational institutions, universities, and private schools that are active in the field of education use this extension for the name of a persistent web site.

A new extension that will also have a positive impact in terms of improving the SEO of sites with related content.

The same goes for the growth and development of online training activities on each of these sites. There are no restrictions for domain registration with this extension.

ACCOUNTANT

This extension is mean to be the appropriate accounting for websites that are active in the field of finance and taxation.

ACTOR

It is suggest that actors, theater and theater education academies, as well as individuals and institutions with online activities in the field of cinematography, will have their own domains with this extension.

Guiding users who are looking for websites that are likely to be more likely to be search by search engines. This does not affect the site’s SEO improvement.

ADULT

For contacts for websites that are only suitable for adults and specific age groups, the domain is register with this extension.

AFRICA

If you are thinking of starting an online business or setting up a personal website in Africa, think about domain registration with the AFRICA extension. A new surplus to show commitment, trade and action in relation to Africa.

AGENCY

Service and active agencies under the name of airline, tourism and travel, advertising, real estate … use these extensions to view the vast Internet world.

AMSTERDAM

This extension is only valid for Internet activities of people, organs and nonprofit institutions that are present in Amsterdam.

APARTMENTS

A new general extension for information, rentals, sales, and apartments related businesses around the world.
APARTMENTS extensions are suitable for any person or business related to the wide range of apartments.

APP

Web sites that specialize in applications such as mobile phones use these extensions for their online business. The requirement to register a domain with an APP extension having an SSL certificate.

The site will not be see until it is install on the certificate domain. This will establish a site’s security for users.

It is also easy to access for users who are looking for a particular application.

ART

For the creative community and artists it will be very practical. Museums, filmmakers, writers and art lovers can register their preferred domains with meaningful and meaningful extensions.

This extension will also work for decorative arts, literature, film, music and cooking, which will be the root of art and creativity.

ASSOCIATES

It means the participation of businesses and online business activities that are carry out in a group.

Domain registration under this heading can differentiate the categorization of website activities. Users looking for this business and doing business on the Internet will be able to respond more quickly.

ATTORNEY

A popular extension for judicial organs and advocates who have gone a long way to the Internet. These web sites are also offer by search engines to users interest in the field.

AUCTION

Auctions and auctioned sites use these extensions to better capture their online business and eager visitors to this type of service are well on their way.

AUDIO

People, music institutions and art collections can register their favorite titles with this new extension.

BABY

A unique and lasting name for any website that is relevant to babies. Whether you are a parent, company, business, organization, etc., it does not matter, and you can now register a domain with the new BABY extension.

It is suggest that websites that have different activities in the infantry sector should introduce their own introduction to these extensions in the digital world.

BAND

Groups of music and community of artists It is better to choose a domain with this suffix to promote their activities in the global Internet world and globalization.

BARGAINS

Web sites that deal with buying, selling, selling auctions and large online stores can use these extensions to deliver their services to potential users in the world of digital commerce. This will have a positive impact on converting users and visitors to customers.

BERLIN

Berliners in Germany can set up a local and native business with this extension to become more localized. Google search engines also target users and seekers of these categories of websites more quickly.

BEST

Think about this extension if you want to showcase the world’s prominence. The introduction of the best in the word will also have a good effect on the memory of the audience. With this feature you will be well verse in the minds of visitors.

BUSINESS

Businesses and online businesses that are eager to grow on the Internet will remind DOT BUSINESS.

One of the most practical new extensions that has been highly welcome by digital business owners.

This extension, as a good alternative to BIZ, allows many arbitrary domains to be register.

CAMERA

Photographers use this name to register their own web sites in this field and to better be see by users who search for them in search engines.

Registration and activation conditions for country domains:
The number of authorized characters for most domains with a length of ccTLDs is 32 and a maximum of 63 characters.

Possibility of using the number, English letters and dash (-) in the domain name is allow.

These domains may be register for at least one to ten years.

The registration of these extensions is open to the public and there is no limit to the submission of the records to Registerar.

Often, these domains will expire after 30 to 36 days, which can be re-enabled if the domain owner has renewed the payment during this period.

If the extension does not extend beyond the expiration date, the expired domain will enter another stage called redemption.

The period of redemption or fines is thirty days. In addition to the renewal fee, the amount of the fine must be pay in order to activate the range.

By not paying the fine and renewal, the domain will be remove from the course and the domain WHOIS will be remove over time and will be release after 5 to 7 days.

Eventually, after the domain is release, it is possible to register it by the owner and anyone else.

What is the extension for your domain?

Pay special attention to the type of extension, its use and the country or region of business activity in order to register an appropriate domain in your Internet activity.

The first step in introducing and selling brand, product, products, artwork, your biography in the digital world should be properly set.

 This makes it possible for search engines, such as Google, to find their true seekers.

New extensions are the right choice for geeks due to the proper classification of business areas and business websites.

By selecting the right extension for your website, you can direct visitors to it.

Increasing users who visit the website daily will increase your business growth.

By knowing the differences between domain and hosting (or domains and hosts), you will begin to properly plan your website setup.

To simplify this, we can use the famous example of the address and store. If you have a store in a shopping center, what is your store?

The name and address of the store building

The items you sell in this building or use to store the store.

A building where your store is located.

We review the examples above for your online business website:

1. The name and address of your store building in the Internet world is call the Domain. The domain name represents your name and will be compose of numbers and letters. To register a domain address, you are allow to use numbers, letters, or a combination of those two. Your website users will come to the domain name.

2. The products and services offer on the website are the products that are selling  in the store and the design of the site is your shop decoration in the world of the Internet.

3. The material used to create your store building is also the hardware domain called Host or Hosting, which you will get from a hosting company.

Hosting companies generally offer domain-related services to users. In the following, we will provide further details on the web site and the domain for you.

What is a domain?

The domain or website’s address in the Internet world consists of two main parts: the domain name and its extension. The domain name depends on your taste and website content.

  As mentioned, this name can be composed of numbers, letters, or both.

The domain name is separated by its “.” Extension. Extensions are categorized into two main categories, international and national, which will determine the appropriate extension of the domain of your website activity and your personal opinion.

For example com An example of an international extension and. An example of a national extension of Iran.

Do not forget that every website needs a unique domain. So you will not be able to register a domain that has already been register and is not own by another.

  Domains are connect to your web hosting via the IP address of the “Internet Protocol Address”.

Each host is know to be an IP address in the Internet world. IP addresses are define on your domain through a service called DNS or Domain Name System, which will be notified to you by the hosting company.

What is a host and how does it work?

A web host is the place where your website information is located so that users can view the website through a link to it.

In fact, your information should be on a device that connects to the Internet 24 hours a day, and users can view your website online at any time. This server is call.

Web hosts may be share or proprietary. Depending on the site you design and the features that this site requires, you will choose your hosting type.

The server you are looking for may also be inside or outside of the country. Depending on the range of your audience, whether inside or outside the country, choose the server location.

By providing a hosting, depending on the type of hosting, you will give access to the hosting space through the hosting company.

DNS records will also be post by the hosting company to set up DNSs on the domain after loading the website information on the hosting site and defining the website’s domain name.

At this point, entering your domain’s address in the browser, users will be redirect to your website.

Now that you are familiar with the concepts and domain, you can first select and register your domain’s domain name.

Examine well for hosting companies. From the beginning, register your domain with a company that has a good record and to ensure its performance in terms of domain and hosting services.

After designing the site, buy the hosting in accordance with it and start the web site, go to the world of online services.

Perhaps you did not get acquainted with this title,

and this question has come to your mind what the domain of the park is and what does it use? In this article, we will become more familiar with the concept of Domain Park and its applications.

What is Domain Park?

Hosting servers provide different side features on their defined plans. One of these features that has definitely come to your ears is the domain park or the same Alias ​​domain.

This feature is a good way to introduce your website in addition to the main domain through other domains.

For example, your domain is X.COM and your site will be uploaded if users also enter X.IR or X.NET domains in the browser. With this action,

your site will still be visible if the user enters the domain name of the site’s original domain name in the replacement domain browser.

What are domain camping sites?

By defining the successor domain in the hosting service, you can expand your business introduction not only with a domain but also with many domains in the digital world. The successor domain has no difference from the original site, and its only address is different, and exactly displays the contents of the original site.

In this way, you can register all the addresses related to your business, the company’s products and company name in Persian and English, and use different domains to view your website.

By defining the subdomain, along with displaying the contents of the main site through different addresses, you can create email addresses under that domain. Just create new addresses with subdomain in the Create Email section of your hosting control panel.

But ultimately, the recipient of the email is the main domain box and will only display the sender and recipient domain name that is different and appropriate to the Domain Park address.

Not only does this make your site more accessible to the Internet, it also brings about the exclusivity of your brand and brand. By doing this, and registering all extensions of your domain, you will also prevent the exploitation of individuals.

As has been seen, brand recognition may have its other extensions recorded by other people and use its reputation for the benefit of the brand.

This will prevent you from registering all extensions of your business domain and brand,

and taking a major step in digital advertising.

Why define domain substitutions?

By defining the surrogate domain, you increase the likelihood of finding your own website on the Internet,

and you will be able to see each domain with different extensions on your site’s homepage.

Domain Park Features:

It is defined in the host that hosts the main domain.
You can use an unlimited number of domain parks for your website.
Domain Park DNSs are identical with the main domain.
You can specify email addresses under the main domain and its domain park.

Domain Park and Redirects Difference:

When entering an alternate domain address, the exact contents of the main site will be displayed and will be displayed in the alternate domain name browser. In contrast, in redirecting a domain, the main address of the site is only used from the symbolic address to view the content, and in the main domain domain browser Is visible.

Difference park domain and subdomain

Domain Park is an independent address that can be registered with any extension and has its own DNS Zone.

Subdomain, however, is in fact a prefix of the main domain and is completely dependent on the domains,

and in most cases it shows off the content of the site’s original information.

The subdomain does not have a separate DNS zone,

and a new record with its IP server will be create in the DNS Zone domain.

Register other domains along with the main site’s address

Now, knowing the concepts of Domain Park and its features,

before registering an overview domain on the same domain you do the same as the main site of your site,

or at the start of your online business, and you also think of domain domain registration.

Be sure to consider the same extensions when registering your domain’s main domain and,

as far as possible, record your most advanced business name and affiliates,

and take the firm, firm, and confident step by step.

This error is usually seen in the following cases in the Plesk panel:

1. You can not create a new account or the Domains menu will not open. In both cases, you will encounter the following error:

ERROR: Call to a member function toArray () is null (Config.php: 85)

2. When you want to log in to the WordPress menu in Domains> example.com> Log in or want to edit the Service Plan, you will encounter the following error:

ERROR: Call to a member function toArray () is null (Config.php: 119)
3. When creating a Sub-Domain, encounter the following error:

Internal error ;-P <script> </ script> <p> ERROR: Call to a member function toArray () is null (Config.php: 85)
4. You do not have access to Hosting Settings and PHP Settings in the host and you encounter the following error:

ERROR: Call to a member function toArray () is null (Config.php: 142)
5- When installing SSL, you will encounter the following error by visiting the Domain> example.com> SSL / TLS Certificates section:

ERROR: Undefined class constant ‘TMP_PREFIX_ZEND_FILE_TRANSFER’ (FileTransferAdapterHttp.php: 10)

6. While browsing the Service Plan section and selecting a package for editing, the following error message is displayed:

ERROR: Call to a member function toArray () is null (Config.php: 142)

7- Pleschek encounters one of two errors during the update process:

% plesk_dir% admin \ logs \ php_error.log:

“C: \ Program Files (x86) \ Parallels \ Plesk \ /admin/bin/ai.exe” –select-product-id panel –select-release-current –upgrade-installed-components failed with message: ERROR : can not apply patch panel-17.5.3 ~ patch33

Unable to set the object (C: \ Program Files (x86) \ Parallels \ Plesk \ admin \ htdocs \ javascript \ .aiupd_5447 \ jsw.min.js.old) owner: (5) Access is denied.

PHP Fatal error: Call to a member function toArray () is null in C: \ Program Files (x86) \ Parallels \ Plesk \ admin \ plib \ PhpSettings \ Config.php on line 119
Or

The process can not access the file because it is being used by another process.

(Error code 32) at rename file C: \ Program Files (x86) \ Plesk \ admin \ plib \ CommonPanel \ Config \ Defaults.php to C: \ Program Files (x86) \ Plesk \ admin \ plib \ CommonPanel \ Config \ .aiupd_13030 \ Defaults.php.old
8. Click the View the update logs button to see the following message:

Details: ERROR: can not apply patch panel-17.5.3 ~ patch42

The process can not access the file because it is being used by another process.

(Error code 32) at rename file C: \ Program Files (x86) \ Plesk \ admin \ plib \ functions.php to C: \ Program Files (x86) \ Plesk \ admin \ plib.aiupd_8046 \ functions.php.old

Warning! Not all packages were installed.

The reason for the above errors

The reason for all the above errors is just one factor, and that is one of the Plesk bugs numbered PPPM-7691 that was fixed in the new autoinstaller.

The solution to the above errors

Connect to the server via the Remote Desktop (RDP). Open CMD on the server and run the following command:

Its all done! After successful execution of the above command, all errors are resolved.

but how they will deal with you on an ongoing basis. Remember, this is a service, and you are a customer—make sure anyone you think of dealing with appreciates this.

Being in the Internet business, we have the opportunity of dealing with hosts all over the country—many good, and some downright awful. They sound great when you are signing up and sometimes turn out to care less after you’re on their service. Though there is no absolute way to avoid this, there are some steps you can take to reduce your chances of signing up with an inhospitable host. This is one of the most important decisions you have to face in developing your site. After all, it doesn’t really matter how fabulous your design is if nobody can access it.

We have developed a way to deal with this challenge. Through a six-step process, we eliminate the bad apples and, hopefully, end up with a winner.

---

Note

This small study is by no means meant to be applicable to the population of ISPs as a whole, or as a referral to any specific provider. This is only as a guide on how to conduct your own virtual host study.

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Round 1: For our study, we visited the USA Nationwide as well as the California listing at http:www.thelist.com (see Figure 5.1).

Figure 5.1. ISP resources at http://www.thelist.com/misc/ALL-USA.html.

We choose 60 ISPs at random from the two listings, and fired off an e-mail to each of their “human” e-mail boxes. We didn’t ask all of the questions we pointed out earlier in this chapter because we didn’t foresee the need for all of the services we mentioned. Our e-mail looked something like this:

Hello-



We are comparing Web Hosting services. It would be very helpful if you would take a moment to answer the following questions. This will enable us to determine if your services will fit our needs as well as our budget.



Do you offer the following, and if so how much do you charge:



1. Virtual hosting of my existing domain name:



2. High-speed (T1 or faster), redundant connection to the Internet:



3. Access logs (online, via email, other):



4. Netscape Secure Commerce Server (if not, do you have an alternative?):



5. Server hardware on site (you are not a reseller):



6. 5 megabytes (MB) of storage space:



7. Unique cgi-bin directory:



If applicable give more details of your cgi system (support, free scripting, etc.):



8. 5 e-mail addresses under my domain:



9. Auto-responder e-mail system (please comment):



10. Mailing list program (such as majordomo or listserv):



11. FTP access (direct, secure access to WWW directory):



12. Technical support (by telephone with a real person):



13. 800# technical support (this is a bonus):



14.   Discount Set-up fees for having an existing domain name and doing the InterNIC domain name modification ourselves:



Do you have a package which includes all of these services?



Anything else you feel is unique about your service:



Additional comments?



Your name:




Your Email:




Company name:




URL:




Phone:




Street Address:




City, State, ZIP:



Thank you for your cooperation, we look forward to hearing from you,



Kim and Brad Hampton

What we got back was alarming! We received seven form letters (they either did not even attempt to answer our specific questions, or had their “human” mail routed to an autoresponder), six e-mail error messages, five replies that either had the wrong information or did not answer our questions fully, and one that did not arrive until seven days later. We received only 11 responses out of the 60 that even answered our questionnaire correctly, and 50 percent of our questionnaires went totally unanswered.

Wow! Now you can see why we’re putting you through all this.

Out of the eleven acceptable responses, five were very expensive, and two did not have the services we required, so we tossed them off our list. Luckily, four respondents fit our price range and needs. Although two respondents did not offer a Netscape Secure Commerce Server, we kept them on our list, since they appeared to have an alternative. We crossed our fingers that our four possibilities would pass the test, so we wouldn’t have to send out another mailing.

Here is a sample of a response we found acceptable:

To: Hampton & Associates <hampton@ha.net>



From: "Martin G. Bayerle" <bayerle@imagixx.net>



Subject: Re: Web Hosting Services



>Hello-



>



>We are comparing Web Hosting services. It would be very helpful if you >would take a moment to answer the following questions. This will enable >us to determine if your services will fit our needs as well as our >budget.



>



>Do you offer the following, and if so how much do you charge:



>



>1.  Virtual hosting of my existing domain name:  Yes, $150 first year,



$85/year thereafter.  (If we process your request for an original domain: $250 first year), with monthly charges of $35/month, 5mb storage.



>2.  High-speed (T1 or faster), redundant connection to the Internet: Yes, one step removed from backbone.



>3.  Access logs (online, via email, other): Real-time on-demand customized demographic analysis of your web-site.  For an actual example, try our "Some Data for our Advertisers/Customers" button from our home page http://www.imagixx.net.  
See also our on-line info kit at



http://www.isiah.com.



>4.  Netscape Secure Commerce Server (if not, do you have an >alternative?): Yes, with Enterprise Server.  $20/month additional for order page within our secure directory.



>5.  Server hardware on site (you are not a reseller):  We run BSDI 2.01



and NT on several hardware platforms.



>6.  5 megabytes (MB) of storage space: Included.



>7.  Unique cgi-bin: Yes, but self developed CGI is first reviewed by our staff.



>If applicable give more details of your cgi system (support, free >scripting, etc.):  We offer several stock scripts which we can modify for your personal requirements.  Any CGI scripting outside of our stock scripts comes at an extra charge of 
$45/hour.



>8.  5 e-mail addresses under my domain:  Four aliases are included.  They filter into your actual mailbox.  Additional private mailboxes are at $10/month.



>9.  Auto-responder e-mail system (please comment): One included.



Additional are at $10/month.



>10. Mailing list program (such as majordomo or listserv):



$35/month



>11. FTP access (direct, secure access to WWW directory):



Included.



>12. Technical support (by telephone with a real person):



10a - 8 p M-F, By web pager access at other times.  One-hour response if



after normal hours.



>13. 800# technical support (this is a bonus):



Yes, as well as e-mail.



>14. Discount Set-up fees for having an existing domain name and doing >the Internic domain name modification ourselves:



See above.



>Do have a package which includes all these services?



Visit our web site.  For more info, and to see how an autoresponder works, send an e-mail to info@imagixx.net.



>Anything else you feel is unique about your service:



We are flexible and innovative.  Just e-mail any of our other customers



for their opinions!



>Your Email:  docdet@imagixx.net



>Company name:Imagine Communications Corporation ("Imagixx")



>URL: http://www.imagixx.net, http://www.isiah.com



>Phone:800 562-4499



>Street Address: Network Operations Center, 2567 University Avenue



>City, State, ZIP: Morgantown, WV 26505

Round 2:

We visited the prospective ISPs over a period of time, noting their access speed. We were sure to visit during different times of the day (especially during peak usage times, like the lunch hour), and from different dial-up accounts (so that it wasn’t our own dial-up server we were testing). Knowing that different factors affect access speed, we used another site, which we know runs consistently, as our benchmark. We did these things to make sure our prospective hosts’ servers were consistently fast. They all passed the test.

Round 3: We found our prospective hosts’ client list and visited some of their sites.

---

Note

One of our prospective ISPs did not list any of its clients at its site, so we e-mailed asking for references. The ISP stated that for the privacy of their clients, they did not give out this information. We told them we respected their point of view (which we do) and asked them to please forward our questionnaire (Round 4) on to five of their clients for us. They told us they would try, but we never received any questionnaires back, so we crossed them off our list.

---

We noted the speed of the server (we were making sure they didn’t run their own site high speed and run their clients on bogged-down servers). They all passed this test as well.

Round 4:

We e-mailed a random selection (five each) of our ISPs clients, asking them for comments regarding their host.

Our e-mail looked something like this:

Hello-



My name is Kim Hampton, I am considering using host_name as a Web Site host. Before committing myself to their services, I wanted to get an idea of what some of their clients think of them (yes, your honest opinion :). If you could, please help me by 
reply to these questions:



1. How long have you had host_name hosting your Web Site?



2. Is host_name's technical support accessible and helpful if you have a problem?



3. How many times do think your WWW service has been "down"?



Have you had any complaints from people accessing your system?



Do you consider your Web Site host reliable?



Have you ever needed a programming service which your host could not provide?



Any other comments?



Thank you very much for your time. Any help is truly appreciated.

We lost two more prospective ISPs at this point and were now down to two.

Round 5: We thought of an annoying question and gave the finalists a call on their technical support phone numbers. We chose a question to which we already knew the answer, but we acted absolutely clueless. It’s a question we get from time to time: “If I turn off my computer will people still be able to access my Web site?” We noted how long we were waiting on hold, which was not long. They were both friendly and helpful and treated us with respect.

Round 6:

We picked our favorite. At this point they asked us for our billing information and a password. We needed information from them as well, such as:

• The necessary server and technical contact information, so we could modify our domain registration with InterNIC ourselves. (See Chapter 3.)
• Their mail server information, to set up our mail program. (See Chapter 14, “Mail Delivery Systems.”
• Where our FTP directory would be located.
• Where to access our logs.

We let them know which mailbox names we wanted under our domain and wished them a good day, and that was it.

---

Note

At this time we told them that we were writing a book on Web development, and that the site we were discussing would provide updates for our readers.

---

Connections to the Internet

You will need access to the Internet in order to transfer your pages and test them on your server, as well as to keep abreast of the WWW. The minimum type of account you want is a PPP (Point-to-Point Protocol) or SLIP (Serial Line Internet Protocol), and not a Shell account, which limits you to text-only access.

Dial-Up Accounts?

Ultimately, you’d want to have a dedicated T3 connection to the Net, but this is too expensive for most people to consider. Since price is a consideration to all (well, most) of us, you’ll probably settle for a modem connection, or maybe an ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) line.

Although some companies offer dedicated modem line service (meaning you are always connected to the Net), there really isn’t much advantage to this. You probably don’t want to spend the whole day online, and if you do, you’d want to be accessing the Net at faster speeds than a telephone line allows. The dial-up services we’ve seen that offer “unlimited hours” are generally slow as molasses.

If you can afford about $150 (current market price at the time of writing this), you’ll definitely want to get a 28.8Kbps modem (as opposed to a 14.4Kbps, the minimum). Almost any access provider will now support 28.8Kbps for the same price as 14.4Kbps, so you’re getting twice as much service for the same cost (to say nothing of waiting half as long to transfer anything). While there are now faster modems, even a 28.8Kbps modem will start to experience errors on a standard U.S. phone line, and it’s probably best to go for an ISDN connection if you want to increase your speed.

How to Use FTP to Post and Update

So, how do you set up your system to post and update your site? For a while now, we have used an FTP client, called CuteFTP (CUTFTP), which is very simple and intuitive. Remember that we are not posting any files yet (since we haven’t even started them); we are just going to set the connection between you and your virtual host so it is ready when the time comes. (See Figure 5.2.)

1. If you don’t have your FTP software, install CUTFTP from your CD now. (Installation instructions are in Appendix I.)

   Open the FTP program.

2. Open the site manager from within the program (in CUTFTP it’s in the FTP drop-down menu).
3. Choose Add site.
4. Enter the required information. Don’t forget to enter your password.
5. That’s it!

Find a list of host candidates and begin your virtual host study. E-mail them inquiring about your special needs and specific pricing. (Do this even if you have no special needs.) Here is where you’ll cut your list dramatically—only consider those who respond within a day, and in a friendly manner.

Visit their sites,

looking for information on their companies. Note the speed of their servers. (Many things can affect speed, such as your own dial-up connection, so check a few times, during different times of the day to make sure it is running smoothly; if possible, have others check the server from their systems as well.) If a server is slow, or is down, chuck it off your list now!

Find their client lists and visit some of their sites,

noting the speed of the server to make sure they don’t run their own sites high speed, and run their clients on bogged-down servers. Note: You want your pages to appear as if you are running your own server, and so will a good service provider. Therefore, a provider should be hesitant to give you a list of clients. However, many small companies like to be listed on a provider’s client list (since they see that as additional traffic), and any good business person will have at least a couple of clients who don’t mind acting as professional references.

E-mail a few of their clients, asking them if they are pleased with their host. Oh goody, we’ve eliminated a few more.

Now, think of an annoying question and give the remaining candidates a call on their technical support phone numbers—use 800 numbers if possible. Choose a question to which you already know the answer, but act like you’re absolutely clueless (“if I turn my computer off, can people still see my pages?”), or read through the next chapter, and ask a technical question about software, hardware, and so on. This is, of course, the main reason you’re using a provider. Note how long you are waiting on hold. If you have to leave a message, do not tell them you are a new customer, just leave your annoying question and wait to see how long till you get your reply. How friendly and helpful are they?

Pick your favorite.

Ask whether you should register your domain name or if the host will do it. It’s easier to have them do it, but it could cost extra. Chapter 3, “Your Domain,”; has more information on this.

If this all seems like too much trouble, consider the trouble of having your system go down once a week, or missing an important deadline because your inhospitable host won’t answer your phone calls, or finding out that every time you turn around there’s some added charge.

When we started with our first small site, we simply used our dial-up access provider as our host—let’s just say it didn’t turn out very well. So take our advice, spend the couple of days now, and save yourself endless amounts of frustration.

Where to Look

If you use an ISP to dial-up to the Internet, the ISP is a good place to start. Many offer reduced hosting rates to dial-up customers. Beware though, as a general rule we usually steer clear of hosts who offer dial-up access, because their dial-up customers demand too much of their server’s resources. Another problem is that many people have gotten into the ISP dial-up business without much forethought. After paying for the hardware, software, and bandwidth necessary for a decent server, there’s not a whole lot of profit. In order to keep a decent margin, and keep prices competitive, dial-up providers often have to push their equipment to the limit. This causes slow speeds and frequent system crashes.

There are exceptions to this rule,

however. If the provider runs its dial-up and WWW hosting services on separate servers, or if it has massive resources that can handle the load on its system, it should be fine. The best case scenario would be to use the same ISP for all of your needs, but it’s often too difficult to find a company capable of doing this.

Local computer magazines can be a good resource if you are interested in using a local host. You will generally find these in supermarkets, libraries, and coffee shops. Even national publications can be a good place to look for a provider. Again, it doesn’t matter if they’re out of your area, although the threat of “coming down to the office to straighten things out” doesn’t hold much water when your provider is a thousand miles away.

---

Note

Beware of deals that sound too good to be true. You may see ads for WWW hosting that offer huge amounts of storage and bandwidth for a small price (especially in national magazines). These people are generally counting on high volume, which will lead to very slow speeds.

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If you’ve had no luck so far, or would like to expand your search, your next stop should be the Internet. A couple of great resources are http://www.yahoo.com/Business_and_Economy/Companies/Internet_Access_Providers/ and http://www.thelist.com.

it would seem a very simple task to find the right one for you. Unfortunately, it’s not so easy. However,

we have found it matters little whether your host is in the same city or even the same state (provided you use a separate service for dial-up).

Besides the cost of an occasional long distance phone call (though many offer toll-free support), there is really no difference. So, let us begin the process of finding a suitable virtual host.

Comparing Virtual Domain Hosts—What to Ask

So, how do you know which virtual host is right for you? Well, you will need some information to make that decision. In fact, we assume that you don’t even know the questions to ask, much less the answers to them. In order to speed you through the process,

we’ve put together a basic list of your potential needs and have incorporated them in a checklist format for sending out a questionnaire via e-mail.

Here are some questions that you may want to ask each potential ISP (your own priorities may differ):

Do you offer virtual hosting of my domain name?

Obviously, this is why you’re looking in the first place. However, we’ve run into providers that have tried to talk us out of using our own domain, and there is simply no good reason for this.

The biggest reason providers would try to do this is that it gives them control over how you handle your online business.

If you perform business under a provider’s domain, the provider has the control. For instance, if you keep your pages at www.provider.com/~yourname/, you won’t be able to move to another server without changing your address. In short, don’t fall for this ploy.

Another situation occurs when the provider’s WWW (HTTPD) server is not sophisticated enough to properly handle aliasing. The server should be set up so that it recognizes your domain as something unique, and not just an alias of its own domain name.

The address www.yourname.com should lead directly to your own index (home) page. If your provider candidate says that your address will have to look like www.yourname.com/yourname, or www.yourname.com/home.htm, you’ll want to keep looking.

Do you provide a high-speed, redundant connection to the Internet?

There are many different connection possibilities to the Internet. It’s possible to host a WWW system on a computer that’s hooked up to the Net through a modem, but, of course, it’s very slow. For commercial purposes, you’ll want a T1 or faster connection.

Most modems access the Internet at a rate of at least 14.4Kbps (fourteen point four thousand bits per second). A single-channel ISDN line connects at 64Kbps, and there are other types of connections that range in speed from 56Kbps on up.

A full T1 connects to the Net at a rate of 1.54Mbps (one point five four million bits per second). In other words, it can access the Net 100 times faster than a 14.4Kbps modem, or it can transfer enough information to keep 100 14.4 modems working at full speed (as in the case when 100 people are accessing the system at one time).

We say “full” T1 because it is possible to have a T1 connection, but only use (and pay for) part of the possible bandwidth. This is called a fractional T1 (or FT1). If a provider says they use a T1, always make sure they are running a full T1.

Your next option is a T3, which transfers at a rate of more than 44Mbps. (Don’t get into the habit of thinking that a T3 is three times faster than a T1—it’s actually nearly 30 times faster.)

The next evolution in high-speed data transfer are optical connections (as in fiber-optics) that start at about the same speed as the T1, and may soon begin offering speeds that will make the T1 look like two tin cans and a piece of string. It’s good that you know things will be getting faster, but just keep in mind for now that a full T1 is minimal.

Do you provide access logs?

Access logs contain information on your site hits: who accessed your system and when, any errors that occurred, and so on. They are kept in a file on the server. There are three main ways hosts offer access logs to clients.

\Online access log summaries are very easy to use and generally offer the most graphical interface to view your access logs. Many hosts send their clients the summaries of their access logs via e-mail (on a weekly or monthly basis). While these summaries certainly involve the least amount of your time, they are often quite limited in the information they provide.

Some hosts only offer access to their raw logs, which look like a huge mess unless you use software to decipher them. This is by far the most difficult way to view your hit information, but it can also be the most informative. (For more information on access logs, see Chapter 25, “Maintaining Your System.”

Do you have a secure commerce server?

A commerce server uses encryption methods to transfer secure information (such as a credit card number) over the Internet. It literally puts your information in a very hard-to-break code, so that it can be sent over the network, away from peeping eyes.

Even though current encryption methods create codes that are so hard to break the U.S. Department of Defense and National Security Administration regulate them, there’s no way to make an unbreakable code. This has been a big issue on the Net.

The problem stems from the fact that the Net is a public network. Remember in the first chapter of this book, where we talked about how information was transferred over a network?

We said that the machines are given addresses, and that they ignored messages that weren’t addressed to them.

Well, for the most part, you can consider that everything you send over the Net is available to everyone else. If they wanted to, people could read your e-mail, or anything else you send or receive.

The only way to secure it is to encrypt the files in a way that makes the files useless gibberish to anyone who doesn’t have the code key.

Commerce servers use what is called Public Key Encryption. This is a method whereby an encryption key is sent out as public information. This key enables people to write to you in a code that only you can decrypt.

It also allows for ways to verify who sent the file/message. It’s way beyond the scope of this book to get any further than this into the details of encryption methods (there are good books on the subject), so suffice it to say that it gets very elaborate, and is relatively secure.

We say relatively secure, because even with all the hubbub you may have heard in respect to sending your credit card information in cyberspace, it’s probably the safest way to use your credit card. Think about it. Every time you use your credit card, you’re giving people access to your number.

Whether you’re ordering something over the phone, giving your card to a restaurant server, or handing it to a cashier, this person can copy the number and use it. People can even dig through the garbage for your imprinted carbon paper and get the number there.

So what we’re really talking about is perceived security. In reality, a good encryption system that is worthy of national security (as most are) is a heck of a lot better than entrusting your card number to a telephone operator.

Unfortunately, there has been so much press about online security that people are scared to use their credit cards for purchasing. To help overcome this, you’ll want to offer ordering options (phone, FAX and mail), and you’ll want to use a smooth, highly user-friendly commerce server that sets people’s minds at ease.

Netscape has made security a main focus, and the Netscape browser has security functions built in (it even warns you when a transfer is about to be made to an unsecured server).

Since Netscape is a name recognized by most users, it also plays a big role in perceived security—a potential customer might feel better using a Netscape Enterprise server than they would using “Billy Joe Bob’s secure server.”

This is why we specifically requested a Netscape Commerce Server on our e-mail questionnaire, although we give a prospective provider the opportunity to offer an alternative.

Is your server hardware on site?

Some companies selling Web space have no actual hardware on site. They act as resellers for the server space on other people’s systems and serve as middlemen for technical problems and setup.

There is absolutely no reason to use this type of service; they often charge more than an on-site service, and can end up being a pain when you have a problem. After all, when looking for efficiency, involving more middlemen seldom does the trick.

How much storage space do you provide?

A big misconception when it comes to Web sites is storage space needed. People often overestimate the amount of space their system will need.

Many providers will package storage at in sizes of 5, 10, 20 megabytes on up. In reality, most systems will use less than a megabyte of storage space. (We’ve produced highly graphical WWW systems that take up less than 250KB total.)

Unless you are planning a system with hundreds of pages, or plan to post very large files online, 5MB should be ample space for most commercial sites (unless people are uploading information that you plan to store). A good provider will tell you this.

How do you provide for CGI services?

CGI stands for Common Gateway Interface—and also, Computer Graphics Interface, which we mention so that you’ll know that to some computer people, the term CGI might mean something else.

This is covered in more detail in Chapter 11, “Integrating HTML with CGI,”; but it’s important that we address it now, because you will almost definitely want to run CGI scripts.

CGI makes it possible to run an external application (or gateway) under a Web server. (Actually, it’s designed for other uses as well, but those are not our concern at this point.) A CGI-BIN is the place where the CGI scripts are held.

These scripts enable the WWW server and browser to run external programs, without the need to launch another application.

If one CGI script were able to do the same thing on every computer, scripting would be easy. Unfortunately, the CGI script relies on the operating system of the server, so a PERL (UNIX) script might look like garbage to a non-UNIX server, and so on. You’ll need to have a custom setup of your CGI scripts.

Most servers have CGI-BIN directories, which you are able to make use of. This is a good start, but not good enough. You should be able to have your own CGI-BIN so that you can run your own scripts (rather than adapting your system to work with the scripts that already reside on the system).

Furthermore, your provider should be willing to set up the CGI-BIN, and should also help you in writing the scripts. This stuff is a cake-walk for a decent programmer, and your provider should be willing to offer this service at little or no charge.

Do you provide e-mail boxes under my domain?

Since you can only register your domain name under a single server address, your ISP should be able to provide you with several e-mail addresses under your domain.

If you’ve surfed the WWW much, you may have come across pages that have an address like www.somename.com, but the webmaster’s address is something like joe@someothername.com. This might occur if the person who owns the page has someone else acting as webmaster, but it’s more likely that the server hosting the Web site doesn’t have a mail server.

A virtual host should be able to set up multiple e-mail boxes for you, so that you can have e-mail for everyone working for the company,

as well as aliased mailboxes such as sales@, support@, webmaster@, and so on—even if you’re the only person in the company. Any provider who can’t do this is not the provider for you.

Furthermore, an e-mail address has eight characters before the @. There are, however, ways of aliasing this address, so as to allow for more than eight characters. In some cases, you might want to have an e-mail address like William.Shakespeare@domainname.com, rather than wshakesp@domainname.com. This won’t pose any problems to a service provider worth his/her salt.

Do you have an autoresponder e-mail system?

These are used to send automatic responses to people requesting information. For example, people wanting pricing information from you can simply e-mail price@your_company.com. They are then sent an automatic reply with the information.

Although we can set these up without the host’s help, we have found it much easier to go with a host who has already set up an autoresponder. Remember, no need to reinvent the wheel—you have more important things to concentrate on now.

Do you provide any mailing list services?

If you want to run a large discussion group, or send an electronic newsletter, you will need a mailing program. There are other options available to you (see Chapter 15, “Customer Service Online”), but it’s just so much easier to have that resource available to you, and there’s really no excuse for your ISP to not provide this service.

How do you handle file transfers?

You’ll need to have direct access to your HTML files, so that you can update them and fix errors immediately. Most providers are able to put the files in a secure directory, where you can access your pages via an FTP (File Transfer Protocol) client.

Obviously, these files should be secured by a password, so that only you can add, delete, or make changes. (Note that for the WWW to work, anyone must be able to read your files, but only you should be able to mess with them.) This is usually accomplished by having the WWW server mirror certain directories on the FTP server.

Some providers have firewalls set up between the directories where you place your files and the directories where they are stored for WWW retrieval.

A firewall is a protocol that protects one part of a network from another by controlling the access between the two parts. In some cases, there may be a time delay in posting the pages that you’ve changed. The provider may have a time lock that won’t post pages until the next day, and so on. This is rare, but you might run into it.

Sometimes, a provider has set up no protocol for using FTP to access your files on the WWW server, and says that you can just e-mail the files to them and they will post them.

Forget it! If the provider hasn’t made the arrangements to handle this automatically, they’re not the company you should be dealing with.

Another problem occurs when the provider uses your FTP directory as the WWW directory itself,

with no security measures to keep others from gaining access. In other words, your competition could easily access your directory and delete your pages—or put their own up!. Obviously, you don’t want this.

How do you provide technical support?

You want to be able to get on the telephone with a real person. If a provider tells you that its technical support only communicates by e-mail, forget them. While e-mail works great for some questions,

many problems require the back and forth communication that e-mail simply doesn’t provide (such as figuring out software problems). As a bonus, a few hosts now offer toll-free numbers for technical support.

Are there any discounts on setup fees?

If you already have your domain name, you will have to modify your information with InterNIC. If you do this yourself, many hosts will discount their set-up fees. They should be willing to do the same if you are registering your domain name yourself (that is, a new domain),

since the work involved on their part is identical.

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Note

By no means do you have to have e-mail boxes through your access provider

(the computer you dial up to access the WWW yourself).

Your mail server can be anywhere on the Internet, and as long as you have a decent dial-up provider,

you should never notice a difference. You might even ask for a discount,

since your dial-up provider will not be providing mail service (unless your access and WWW hosting provider are one and the same).

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Note

The Netscape Enterprise server is the newer release of the Secure Commerce server. However, it was not released prior to our writing this section of the book.

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Note

A T1 may not be fast enough if your service provider is using this line to service many accounts. This will be dealt with later in the chapter, when you test your server’s speed. Just keep in mind that anything less than a full T1 is probably not going to work well for you.