The Basics - Domain Name Services

»	What is a domain name?
»	How much does a domain name cost?
»	How do I register a domain name?
»	Can I host a Web site with pair Networks if I registered the site's domain name with a registrar other than pairNIC?
»	What's the difference between a Dedicated IP domain hosting, Shared IP domain hosting, and Parked Domain hosting?
»	What is a SubDomain?
»	I already have a domain name. What do I need to do to have it work with my pair Networks account?
»	Do I need a separate account for each domain name?
»	How do I modify a domain name that is already set up at pair Networks?

Answers

What is a domain name?

A domain name is a name used to locate a service on the Internet, such as a Web site or e-mail server." An example of a domain name is example.com. The top-level domain (TLD), or domain name extension, is the .COM, .NET, .ORG, etc. portion of the domain name.

A domain name is an easy to remember name that refers to an IP address. An IP address, or Internet Protocol Address, is a series of numbers separated by dots (such as 204.171.64.2), that uniquely identifies a specific server on the Internet.

How much does a domain name cost?

Usually, domain names have a yearly registration fee associated with them, which varies according to the domain name registrar used. pair Networks' domain name registrar, pairNIC, offers one-year .com, .net, .org, .biz, .info, .us, .ws, .mobi, and .me registrations for $19. The cost per year of the domain name registration decreases if you register a domain name for a longer period of time (up to five years).

To register domain names with country-code extensions such as .US (United States of America) you may be required to have a residence, or at least a presence, in that particular country. Other country-code extensions such as .WS (Western Samoa) can be registered by anyone.

How do I register a domain name?

You can register domain names ending in .COM, .NET, .ORG, .BIZ, .INFO, .US, .WS, .MOBI, and .ME using pairNIC, our domain name registration service.

You can also use our domain name registration tool below:

	.com .net .org .biz .info .us .ws .mobi .me
	www.pairNIC.com

If you are a current pair Networks customer, you can register a domain name via our Web hosting control panel, the Account Control Center (ACC). Simply log into the ACC, visit the Domain Name Management section, and follow the instructions on registering a domain name. If you want to add this domain name to your Web hosting account, registering a domain name via the ACC allows you to easily set up your domain name with your pair Networks Web hosting account.

Can I host a Web site with pair Networks if I want to register the site's domain name with a registrar other than pairNIC?

You are free to use other domain name registrars if you'd like. Here are the steps to follow:

1. Sign up for a Web hosting account with pair Networks.
2. Log into the Account Control Center, and click Domain Hosting Management (after your account has been activated).
3. Click "Add"
4. Select the "Add Domain Name Records for a Domain Name to be Registered Later" option, and fill out the page. You will receive name server information for this domain name.
5. Use this name server information when you register the domain name at your domain name registrar.

What's the difference between a Dedicated IP domain hosting, Shared IP domain hosting, and Parked Domain hosting?

Dedicated IP Domain Hosting

Dedicated IP domain hosting provides your domain name with its own IP address. The first domain name on a Web hosting account must use Dedicated IP hosting. Additional domain names added to your account can use either Dedicated IP, Shared IP, or Parked domain hosting.

The first Dedicated IP Domain Name added to your hosting account is included at no extra cost. Additional Dedicated IP Domain Names can be added for a monthly fee of $1.95 per domain name.

If you want to use SSL, you must use the Dedicated IP hosting option for your domain name.

Shared IP Domain Hosting

Shared IP domain hosting provides all of the features available to a Dedicated IP domain name with no monthly fee, but shares the IP address of another dedicated IP domain name on your Web hosting account.

There is no cost for a Shared IP domain name.

You can upgrade your Shared IP domain name to a Dedicated IP domain name or downgrade it to a Parked domain name.

Parked Domain Hosting

Parked domain hosting allows a domain name to point to the same Web site as the domain name on which it is "parked."

A Parked domain name shares the IP address of the domain name on which it is parked. You can park a domain name on domain name using Shared IP domain hosting. You cannot park a domain name on another Parked domain name.

There is no cost for a Parked domain name.

It is possible to upgrade a Parked domain name to a Dedicated IP domain name or to a Shared IP domain name. There is no cost associated with upgrading the domain name; however, if you choose the Dedicated IP domain hosting option, you will still have to pay the $1.95 per month fee.

If you are a current pair Networks customer, you can upgrade your parked domain name by following the steps below:

1. Log into the Account Control Center
2. Click "Domain Hosting Management"
3. Click "Manage"
4. Select the domain name you wish to upgrade or downgrade
5. Click "Modify Domain Name Settings"
6. Select the upgrade option and click "Modify Domain Name Settings"

What is a Subdomain?

A subdomain is a subset of a domain name (subdomain.example.com). A subdomain can use either Dedicated IP, Shared IP, or Parked domain hosting. If you wish, you can create and add a "pairsite.com" subdomain via the Account Control Center (e.g. example.pairsite.com). Please note that some "pairsite.com" subdomains are already reserved.

I already have a domain name. What do I need to do to have it work with my pair Networks account?

We have created a separate Knowledge Base Support page for this topic. Please click here for a complete answer.

Do I need a separate account for each domain name?

No, you do not. You can host as many domain names as you'd like on any pair Networks hosting plan.

How do I modify a domain name that is already set up at pair Networks?

You can control many aspects of your pair Networks hosted domain names through our Account Control Center. You can park domain names, upgrade domain names, register new domain names, and more. If you are a current pair Networks customer, and you register a domain name via our ACC and add it to your pair Networks hosting account, we will waive your domain hosting fees. Please note that if you choose the Dedicated IP domain name option, you will still have to pay the $1.95 per month fee.

If you wish to make modifications to your domain name and are not able to, or are not sure how to do it via the Account Control Center, please contact our friendly Support Team at support@pair.com.