Questions and Answers - Domain Names and Registration
What is a virtual domain? How do I register a domain name? Do you host sub-domain names? Can I transfer my existing site to your hosting service? Can you host foreign domain names? Currently I have a sub-domain name. How do I transfer my web site to you?
What is a virtual domain? A virtual domain allows you to have your own domain name, such as www.yourcompany.com.au, without having to provide the expensive hardware and connections to support it. When we host your site we provide these for you, but this is transparent to any visitors to your site. Your site is accessed through the web at http://www.yourcompany.com.au and you can receive email at yourname@yourcompany.com.au.
How do I register a domain name? If you want an Australian domain name e.g. yourcompany.com.au you must register it through Internet Names Australia. We cannot register the name for you because, as part of the registration process, you have to indicate that you agree to certain terms and conditions. However, the registration process is quite straightforward and we will give you all the information and support you need to register your chosen domain name. Currently Internet Names Australia charge AU$125 to register a domain name for two years. If, however, you would like a domain name ending in .com (or .net/.org) we can register this name for you at a special price (see our Price List for details). Alternatively, if you prefer, you can register you chosen domain name yourself through InterNIC. Currently InterNIC charge US$70 to register a domain name for two years.
Do you host Sub-Domain Names? No, we are sorry, but Orca Technology does not offer sub-domain name hosting (i.e. names of the form yourcompany.orcatechnology.com) nor do we offer domains of the type orcatechnology.com/yourcompany.
Can I transfer my existing site to your hosting service? Yes. You will need to notify your registrar so that they can update your site's details. For InterNIC, Network Solutions and Internet Names Australia registered domains we can submit the transfer request for you for free when we set up your account, although you will have to authorise the transfer. For any other registrar you will have to submit the transfer request yourself, but we will provide you with all the information and support you need to handle the transfer. We will set up your account within two working days so that you can upload your site to our service. The transfer process typically takes a few days to complete, but as soon as it is your visitors will access your site from our service. The change will be transparent to them.
Can you host foreign domain names? Yes, we can host names other than .com or .au (e.g. .uk, .jp etc). We cannot register names other than through InterNIC, but we will supply you with all the technical details about your server that you need to register or transfer a non-InterNIC domain.
Currently I have a sub-domain name. How do I transfer my web site to you? If your site is currently hosted as a sub-domain i.e. a site of the form someothercompany.com/yourcompany (typically as part of a package with your ISP) there are a few simple steps to hosting your site with us: Choose and confirm the availability of your new domain name and register it through the appropriate registrar (or through us - more information above). Choose and order your hosting account from us, with domain registration if required. If you register through us, we will set up your site addressing for you. If you are registering through another registrar, we will email you all the information you need to complete the registration, when your account has been set up. Finally you need to upload your web site files to our servers, and we suggest that you place a forwarding page on your old sub-domain for a while. There is more detailed information on each of these steps in our Online Manual.