Domain registration woes

[JoeRT]

Yesterday I thought up a really cool domain name.[nbsp][nbsp]One of those that, when I checked it, I had to tell my wife "I can't believe this isn't registered!"[nbsp][nbsp]I checked CORENIC, I checked Network Solutions... available everywhere![nbsp][nbsp]So I quickly logged into Joker and ordered the .com and .net versions of it.

Now I've seen the prominently placed warning from FutureQuest enough about registering a domain BEFORE ordering a package.[nbsp][nbsp]So I waited.[nbsp][nbsp]Joker, in their always efficient way, had the .net version done in a couple hours.[nbsp][nbsp]But I didn't see the .com version.[nbsp][nbsp]Well this morning I get up, check the database and find that the .com version had been registered just one day before by someone else in Belgium![nbsp][nbsp]But, since it went through Network Solutions, it didn't make it's way into the database for quite a while so it looked like it was available a lot longer than it was.

Ah, if everyone could be as efficient as Joker![nbsp][nbsp]Too bad registrations weren't based on the speed of your registrar... that would certainly help competition.

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Joe Torsitano
www.tiswest.com (http://www.tiswest.com)
www.weatherforyou.com (http://www.weatherforyou.com)

"Missed it by that much!"

[Charles Capps]

The EXACT same thing happened to me...[nbsp][nbsp]All three instances of my target domain (.com, .org, .net) were available, so I registered all three...[nbsp][nbsp]Only to find that the .net one didn't go through, as my competitor ALSO went through Netsol, on the same day...

[pier]

Yeah, I had the same experience once. Whenever a domain
comes free, it is 'first comes, first served'. You think it's yours, but someone else has registered it 10 seconds before you :(

However, I once also did manage to get a domainname by registering it the day it came free :)

Pier

[Phil Chaney]

But, since it went through Network Solutions, it didn't make it's way into the database for quite a while so it looked like it was available a lot longer than it was.
If I understand the shared registry system properly, the real issue is the way the registry process is handled.

Another problem was created the second the monopoly (NSI) was "deregulated".[nbsp][nbsp]When it was decided to allow different entities besides NSI to register domains, the governing bodies decided that for the time being NSI would function as operator of the Shared Registry System, the root servers containing the actual domain records.

The agreement between the registrars and NSI was setup so that each registrar is not only responsible for managing all registrant information, but also responsible for validating all information during the registration process, including which domain names are available to register and which are not.[nbsp][nbsp]Once this has been verified, the registrar takes the registrant through its process and after the billing process, the information is transferred to the SRS.

Here's where the problem occurs.[nbsp][nbsp]Most registrars do not use proper registry checks (checking all the registry databases) to validate whether a domain is available.[nbsp][nbsp]Almost every whois function I've seen used by registrars checks only the public whois database at crsnic.net which is only updated once per day, and propagation usually takes 48-72 hours.[nbsp][nbsp]As a result, there isn't an accurate way to know if a domain name has already been registered through NSI or elsewhere.[nbsp][nbsp]Domains registered elsewhere will show up (often before the crsnic database has been updated) if the whois script checks other registries besides the SRS .[nbsp][nbsp]I've only seen a few whois scripts that actually check more thoroughly - http://www.wwhois.com/ will tell you if it's in the NSI registry (this is not the whois database), whether its propagated to nameservers, if its in the "whois" database, and any registrar info.[nbsp][nbsp]If its freshly registered, in most cases this script will report that its registered, but not in the nameservers or whois database.

I think this is one of the biggest problems that has resulted with the advent of multiple registrars.[nbsp][nbsp]The misundertanding of the agreement with NSI has also created other problems (anyone recall the flap with the hyphens before and after the domain).

-Phil


[This message has been edited by Phil Chaney (edited 04-03-00@04:20 am)]

[JoeRT]

I once also did manage to get a domainname by registering it the day it came free This brings up another question I've had.[nbsp][nbsp]Just when does a domain name become available?[nbsp][nbsp]There's one out there I'd love to get, which goes no where right now (doesn't point to a site), which was originally registered back in 1998, which tells me it's going to be due here soon.[nbsp][nbsp]But is there a grace period?[nbsp][nbsp]If it was originally registered May 1, 1998, and they didn't pay by May 1, 2000, is it available on May 2, 2000?[nbsp][nbsp]Or does it just vary?

-----------------------
Joe Torsitano
www.tiswest.com (http://www.tiswest.com)
www.weatherforyou.com (http://www.weatherforyou.com)

-- I've got questions, but I don't think Radio Shack has the answers this time.[nbsp][nbsp]:)

[pier]

As far as I know, there is a grace period. It first will be put on hold, after that it will become available after 'x' days/weeks of something like that.

For me I found out that the domain became free that day, was because that morning, on whois.net it was on hold (both .com and .net), while I now could register it on network solutions (of course I used joker.com to do the final registration). 12 hours later, the .net domain became 'deleted', so I guess it became free that day.

Pier
[ In other words: as soon as a domain is marked 'on hold', try to register it on various registrars. Whenever they all allow you to proceed the process, got to joker.com :P ]