As a hosting reseller with a few vendors, I used to request domain registration through those Web hosting service accounts. One of them outsources the registration to Melbourne IT (melbourneit.com.au/). This is perfectly reasonable because the hosting service is not set up to be a domain registrar. What is not reasonable is their choice of Melbourne IT. Of course, you might not know who the registrar is going to be when you sign up, either as an individual or a hosting service reseller. I did not, but ultimately decided to deal directly with the registrar and had my hosting service transfer the domains from their control to mine so that I could manage my own domain registrations directly with Melbourne IT. Once I obtained this access and could bundle all of the domain names under a single account, I proceeded to transfer them out of Melbourne IT one by one as they came due. I chose to transfer them to GoDaddy. Melbourne IT is one of the slower-to-transfer and most expensive-to-renew registrars that I have ever dealt with. Today I made the long distance call to Australia to deal with Melbourne IT about a transfer that I initiated 8 or so hours ago and found out from Support, that transfers...

I’ve had a couple of questions lately about domain registration versus hosting accounts, so I thought I’d answer them here. It doesn’t matter where you register a domain, you can host the actual Web site for that domain anywhere. It seems a lot of folks have registered with Network Solutions, but have yet to get a Web hosting account, and have then discovered that when they go to their domain name (enter their address in a browser’s URL address bar), there is a directory of other businesses like theirs. Network Solutions has parked their own paid directory on that spot, pending the domain being hosted. [See a previous post for more info on that practice, as well as my take on why not to use Network Solutions.] When you register a domain, you own that name for the duration of the contract and have the right to renew it when the contract is due to expire (usually after a year, but some people buy 2-10 year registrations). When you actually purchase Web hosting, you let the domain registrar know where your Web site is by giving them DNS information. DNS, variously described as Domain Name Server or Services, Domain Name System, is server software that translates...

In addition to the other reasons to shun NetworkSolutions.com, here’s a fresh one. If you register a domain name with your hosting company and don’t use it, don’t provide an index page of your own, or don’t point it to another domain, the hosting service posts a default Web page. These usually have the host logo and a notice that the site is under construction. If you have a similar situation with Network Solutions (i.e., have not yet “assigned [the domain] to your hosting account” to use their typically incorrect parallel universe of terminology), they display a page that contains a big promo for Network Solutions’ products/services at the bottom, and a looks-like-a-real-Web-page but is actually a paid directory of businesses similar to yours at the top. Unless visitors to the page have pop-ups blocked, they will also see a pop-up window with more directory listings for businesses like yours. In other words, you have paid for domain registration, you are their hosting customer, and Network Solutions uses your unused Web space to put up a page that looks like a legitimate Web site, advertises your competitors and themselves, and includes an...

As much as I like to do business locally, I am purchasing Web hosting elsewhere. I am also a hosting service reseller. This enables me to manage multiple clients from a single Web Host Manager control panel. The time I save is time spent on checking client’s Web sites and server data routinely, as well as responding to problems (very few, usually having to do with client configuration of email accounts or email quotas) which is what they get for their money when they buy a hosting package through me instead of vendor-direct. I don’t expect clients to use my hosting service, and for non-profits or folks who want to do business with thoughtful companies, I’ve recommended AcornHost.com. I am a reseller with InMotionHosting.com. I have had positive experiences with them and like how they handle support issues and questions. My clients have hosted directly with them, or have purchased an account from me. I also have clients hosted on LunarPages.com, as well as a reseller account with them, but after a couple of bad experiences, I am no longer recommending them. I might have hit them at a bad time, or engaged with the worst of their tech support people, but their interface...