What is a domain name, or URL?
A domain name is also called the URL or web site address. This is the unique name that your customers will type into a browser to access your
web site information. No other person or company will have the same address as you.
URL is an acronym that stands for Uniform Resource Locator. Technically, a URL is an addressing construct used for identifying and locating
computers on the Internet. While computers use Internet Protocol (IP) numbers to locate each other on the Internet, people find them hard to
remember. Therefore, Web Addresses were developed to permit the use of easily remembered words and phrases to identify Internet addresses. For
example, the web address gkg.net represents the company GKG. When you type GKG.NET in a web browser or send e-mail to someone at GKG.NET, the
Domain Name System (DNS) translates gkg.net into the IP numbers used by the Internet and connects you to GKG.
Think of it as a networked extension of the standard filename concept: not only can you point to a file in a directory, but that file and that
directory can exist on any machine on the network, can be served via any of several different methods, and might not even be something as
simple as a file: URLs can also point to queries, documents stored deep within databases, the results of a finger or archie command, or a
myriad of other items.
What makes registering with GKG better than registering with our competitors?
In addition to our commitment to provide the highest quality product
at the lowest possible price, we pride ourselves on providing the best
customer service in our industry. We believe that our customers deserve
prompt, friendly,
and courteous service when they contact any
representative of GKG. You can reach a GKG customer service representative
8am - 8pm CST, Monday through Friday by dialing 1-800-617-0412.
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How much does it cost to register a domain?
GKG is committed to register all top-level domain names at a one of the
lowest prices for a domain name available on the web. In addition, GKG
offers bulk pricing and reseller programs that can drop our prices to rock
bottom levels. Please see our pricing page for current pricing details.
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How do I choose the domain name that I want?
The easiest name for your customers to remember is your business name. The next best thing is a catchy phrase, noun or adjective to describe
your business. If you are not able to find a domain name that fits your image, call GKG and ask for a Domain Name Consultant.
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How long does it take to register a domain name?
Our user friendly online registration process takes only a few minutes to complete. Due to the update schedule of the registry and the root
servers, it may take up to 48 hours for your domain to be listed in the DNS tables.
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What domain extensions are GKG accredited
to register?
GKG is accredited to register the top-level domains .com, .net, .org,
.info, .name, .biz, and coming soon, .us suffixes.
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Can GKG register .edu, .gov or other country
codes?
GKG is unable to register any domains that do not include a .com, .net,
.org, .info, .name, and .biz suffix, but we will possibly
be able to do so in the future.
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What about the newly approved top level domains?
GKG is accredited to register the top-level domains .com, .net, .org,
.info, .name, .biz, and coming soon, .us suffixes. However, ICANN recently
approved six new top-level suffixes. GKG is seeking accreditation for as
many of these suffixes as we believe is prudent and will announce when we
become accredited for each new suffix.
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How many characters can my domain name contain?
The domain name that you choose can now be up to 63 characters long before you add the http://www. pre-fix or the .com, .net or .org
extensions.
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Which characters am I able to use to make up my domain name?
Although the number of characters to register the domain name has been increased, no characters have been added for domain name use. Valid
domain name characters include letters, numbers and hyphens.
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What is the maximum number of years I can register my domain?
The registry allows each domain to be registered up to 10 years at any given time.
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Does GKG offer a price break for multiple-year registration of a domain?
We do offer a bulk price
for multiple domains registered with a GKG representative. Please
see the bulk
pricing page for more details. Also, please see our pricing
page for current pricing details.
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How many domains can I register at once through the online registration tool?
Up to 500 domains can be registered at once online if using the same GKG usernames, DNS and payment information.
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What is the GKG username used for?
This is a quick and easy way for you to be able to complete the registration form without typing your contact information multiple times. A GKG username
will be associated with all of your contact information. If you will be registering more domains in the future, you will be able to use your username again and again.
Your password is chosen at the same time as your GKG username; these two pieces of information used together identify you as a contact for all of your
domains and allow you to manage your account. GKG recommends that you use your email address as your username in order to be able to remember it easily.
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How do I create a GKG username?
You can create a GKG username in 2 ways. First, you can create a GKG username during the domain registration process. Second, you can
visit our Account and Domain Management and click on Create a GKG Username. Remember that your GKG
username and password are case and space sensitive.
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I forgot my username, how do I retrieve it?
To retrieve a username associated with your domain, go to Account and Domain Management and click on
Forgot you Username or Password. Select
Read these Directions and enter your domain name.
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I do not have a credit card. How can I pay by check, money order, or wire transfer?
In order to pay for a domain using a check, money order, or wire transfer you must visit GKG's Domain Payment
section and complete the Off-Line Domain Registration Form. Mail this form with your payment to:
GKG
Attn: Domain registration
302 N. Bryan Ave.
Bryan, TX 77803
USA
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What is domain parking?
By selecting to park a domain with GKG, we will automatically provide DNS entries for your domain (this means GKG will answer for the domain name). GKG provides two
parking packages during the registration process:
1) Deluxe Parking allows you to register a domain and the ability to administer some additional services such as:
- 100 URL Forwardings (cloaking available)
- 1 POP3 email account with 10MB Quota
- 100 email aliases
- Webmail also available (additional $9.99/year)
Please see our pricing page for current pricing details.
There is no training required. The administrative modules are so simple, it's just point, type and click.
2) Basic Parking includes:
- 1 Coming Soon page -or-
- 1 URL Forwarding option (cloaking available)
- 5 Email aliases
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What is Hosting?
Hosting is a service in which a website is stored on a server that is specially designed for websites. While some Internet novices cut corners by providing in-house web hosting, serious e-Business companies recognize the
importance of a dedicated web hosting service. GKG.NET, INC's hosting services include data backups, 24 hour monitoring, POP3 email accounts and expert technical support.
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What if I haven't chosen a hosting service for my site?
If you have not chosen a company to host your site, GKG is able to help! Visit the Hosting section on our
web site for more information on our wide variety of hosting packages.
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What are GKG's hosting prices?
Our hosting packages start as low as $2.99 per month. We have packages that
will fit any set of requirements. For more details, visit the Hosting
section on our web site. We often run hosting specials, so check out our
pricing
page for current pricing details.
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I am required to provide DNS information during the domain registration process. What is the DNS information used for?
Every registrant provides DNS information for each domain registered. This information refers to the server that will answer for your domain. GKG
provides you with four options to designate a DNS entry:
- Host with GKG - this option allows you to take advantage of one of GKG's hosting packages.
- Basic Parking - this option allows you to park your domains with GKG at no charge (if chosen during initial domain registration)! You also
will receive a
- 1 Coming Soon page -or-
- 1 URL Forwarding option (cloaking available)
- 5 Email aliases
- Deluxe Parking - this option allows you to park your domain with GKG. You will also receive a
- 100 URL Forwarding (cloaking available)
- 1 POP3 email account with 10MB Quota
- 100 Email Aliases
- Webmail also available (additional $9.99/year)
- Host with another provider - this option requires that you have the primary and secondary DNS of your provider and carries no charge from GKG.
You will need to contact the company that will host your web site to get this information. You will be required to
enter the host names instead of the IP numbers.
Please see our pricing page for current pricing details.
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How do I register my own DNS?
To register your own DNS, go to our Account and Domain
Management section and click on Register/Modify a DNS. Select Register DNS and fill in the form and press submit
to provide GKG with the needed information. You MUST meet the following criteria for your form to be processed:
- The parent domain must be registered with GKG (ex: if you want to register DNS.FOO.COM, FOO.COM must first be registered with GKG.NET).
- Your IP number must be static (excludes servers with cable modem with DHCP assigned IP numbers).
- Request must come from current Registrant or current Administrative/Technical contact.
There is no charge for this service.
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How do I modify my host name's IP#?
To modify your DNS, go to our Account and Domain
Management section and click on Register/Modify a DNS. Select Modify DNS and fill in the form and press submit
to provide GKG with the needed information. You MUST meet the following criteria for your form to be processed:
- The parent domain must be registered with GKG (ex: if you want to register DNS.FOO.COM, FOO.COM must first be registered with GKG.NET).
- Your IP number must be static (excludes servers with cable modem with DHCP assigned IP numbers).
- Request must come from current Registrant or current Administrative/Technical contact.
There is no charge for this service.
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How can I find out who has registered a particular name?
Perform a whois search and obtain contact information for any domain.
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Is it possible for another company to register my domain name after I have registered it?
If you have registered a domain with an accredited ICANN registrar such as GKG and receive an electronic confirmation, your domain cannot be
used by anyone else. The only time that another entity can register your domain name is if the name is not renewed before the expiration date.
Name availability is verified by accredited registrars such as GKG through the SRS (Shared Registration System). This system prevents a domain
name that is successfully registered through GKG from being registered through another domain name registration site.
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Is my domain contact information available to the public?
The rules and regulations for domain registration are set by ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers). Your contact
information will be available to those that do a "whois" search in the GKG whois database.
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After I register my domain, how long until it is considered registered?
Your domain is considered registered as soon as you have completed the online registration process. Due to the update schedule of the
registry and the root servers, it may take up to 48 hours for your domain to be listed in the DNS tables. However, you may log into
our system to make Account and Domain Management changes immediately.
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How soon after the registration process can I use my domain?
If you are hosting your own web site, then you may use it immediately. If you are hosting with us, you will be able to use your domain
as soon as your account is setup. However, remember that it may take up to 48 hours for the root servers to update. If you are having
difficulty viewing the web site after the 48 hours, you should contact the host provider.
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After I register my domain name, when will my information appear in the whois database?
Your information should appear in the whois database within 48 hours of the domain's creation date and time. GKG does not guarantee the
accuracy of whois database information.
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What if I misspell my domain name?
Domain name registration is non-refundable. However, you will be given a 48-hour grace period to make corrections to your domain name.
To submit a change, send an email to support@gkg.net and you will receive a reply as soon as
possible. A misspelling is defined as a 1-2 character difference in spelling. Please list the misspelled domain as well as the correct
domain. The request must come from a current contact for the domain.
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Can I add years to my domain before it is due for renewal?
Yes, log into our Renewal section using the username and password that is currently associated with the domain. Click *here* to go
directly to that log in screen. For a current list of prices that includes domain renewals, please go to our
Pricing Page.
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What happens after my domain's registration term expires?
You will always be given the chance to renew your domain registration before
anyone else has the opportunity to register it. However, GKG will follow the
following steps very closely:
1) 60 days until domain registration term expires - An email is sent to all
designated domain contacts with renewal instructions.
2) 30 days until domain registration term expires - A reminder email is sent
to all designated domain contacts with renewal instructions.
3) 15 days until domain registration term expires - An email is sent to all
designated domain contacts with renewal instructions.
4) Domain registration term expiration date - An email is sent to all
designated domain contacts with final renewal instructions.
GKG reserves the right to delete any domain not renewed by this date.
However, generally, GKG will place a domain on HOLD and remove the domain
from the zone files for a number of days before deleting the domain. This
action will remove a web site from the Internet and stop mail from being
delivered. This action is taken to further remind customers that did not
heed our repeated notifications.
Customers may take advantage of GKG's domain restore service to restore
deleted domains to active status up to 30 days after deletion. To request
this service, please follow the instructions found on the Domain
Restore page (link words Domain Restore to the page you created).
* As per our Domain Registration Agreement, domain contacts are responsible
for maintaining current contact information.
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What is the restore service?
The restore service allows customers to restore deleted domains to active
status.
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How much does the restore service cost?
The restore service costs $80.00 (U.S. Dollars) per domain to be restored payable by
cashier's checks or money orders only. GKG also accepts
wire transfers at a higher price of $105.00 (U.S. Dollars) as
payment for the restore service.
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How do I request that a domain be restored?
To request that a domain be restored, you must go to the Domain
Restore page.
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Can GKG restore any tld?
No, GKG can only restore .com and .net domains. This is because the .org
domains are now controlled by an independent Registry.
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Can I make domain changes as part of my restore request?
No, the domain will be restored to the EXACT state it was in before it was
deleted.
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How long after a domain is deleted can I restore my domain?
The restore service only extends to domains that have been deleted in the
last 30 days; however, GKG may take up to 2 weeks to process restore
requests.
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What are internationalized domain names?
Internationalized domain names are domain names represented by native language characters.
The native language domain name will be followed by .com or .net for example:
.com).
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What is an internationalized domain name registration?
Registrants will be able to register second-level domain names in .com and
.net, in available characters.
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How do I use an IDN?
To use an IDN to navigate to a Web site, the user types the IDN in the browser's
address bar or clicks an active link. If the user does not have the i-Nav plug-in,
most browsers will require that the user type "www." or "http://" before the IDN.
These prefixes will enable the browser to recognize the IDN as a DNS query. The IDN
is resolved and the desired Web site appears in the browser.
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What languages are supported?
Since availability of languages is dependent upon Unicode, it would be best to answer
this question in Unicode terms from the Unicode site. Many scripts (especially Latin)
are used for a very large number of languages. The easiest answer is that Unicode
covers all the languages that can be written in the following scripts: Latin; Greek;
Cyrillic; Armenian; Hebrew; Arabic; Syriac; Thaana; Devanagari; Bengali; Gurmukhi; Oriya;
Tamil; Telegu; Kannada; Malayalam; Sinhala; Thai; Lao; Tibetan; Myanmar; Georgian; Hangul;
Ethiopic; Cherokee; Canadian-Aboriginal Syllabics; Ogham; Runic; Khmer; Mongolian; Han
(Japanese, Chinese, Korean ideographs); Hiragana; Katakana; Bopomofo and Yi.
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How will non-English domain names appear on my Web browser?
All non-English domain names registered during the testbed period will become second
level domain names within .com and .net. For example, a Chinese domain name may appear
as .com.
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Will the internationalized domain name testbed support name server names?
Yes, name server names may include native character set names preceding the .com or
.net in the internationalized domain names testbed.
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How will GKG handle trademark issues with regard to international domain names?
All trademark issues will be handled in the same manner as English
domain names, that is through the UDRP.
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How will internationalized domain names be processed?
GKG uses registry-standard name prep conversion and encoding algorithm to convert
native language characters into ASCII compliant codes.
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What is the maximum number of characters allowed for an internationalized domain name?
The encoded form of the internationalized domain name (including the 4 characters
for .com or .net) may contain up to 67 characters. The characters can be letters,
numbers, and/or hyphens. Hyphens may not begin or end a domain name. The
internationalized domain name transformation software will reject the name if the
encoded conversion exceeds the limit.
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How will internationalized domain names appear in the Zone file, as the
actual name in the native character set, or as the ASCII transformation?
When in the Zone file, internationalized domain names will appear as the encoded
ASCII character string. For example, the RACE encoding of domain.com will be stored
as bq--gde6djht.mltbd.com.
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How will the internationalized domain name appear in WHOIS?
In WHOIS, the internationalized domain name will appear in RACE format, such as:
bq--gde6djht.com
As the protocol evolves, the beginning of the string (bq--) could change.
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How can someone find out if a domain name has been registered in multiple languages?
Domain names are unique registrations for each language. Therefore, a
user must request registration information by initiating a WHOIS query
for the domain name, in each language (native character set).
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