From: "Susan Vollmer" Save Address To: stlwebdev@stlwebdev.org Subject: STLWEBDEV: Changing Servers & Registrars Date: Wed, 28 Mar 2001 21:20:32 -0600 Reply-To: stlwebdev@stlwebdev.org

Recently, I received several emails from Affinity.com, who is the partner the IWA works with offering a free year of web hosting to new IWA members. The emails are notifying of the need to change servers. The sites who have their domains registered through Network Solutions and Internet Names Worldwide will be moved to the new IP addresses automatically. If your site is with another registrar, you have to make your own arrangments.

I used my web hosting for a client who had already purchased his domain name before I was ever brought into the picture. Initially, he thought he had purchased it through Tucows, but it turned out that it was another company Domain Direct who either had an ad on the Tucows site or is one of its partners. And its registrar is opensrs.org.

Has anyone ever switched registrars before on an existing domain name? Can you provide any guidance, pros or cons?

Also I'm concerned in reviewing the lookup utility, the person who is listed as the technical contact I do not know, and he's not involved with the website. I don't know if he's involved with Tucows or Domain Direct. The actual client is listed as the administrative contact and the billing contact.

In my other sites, I'm listed as the administrative contact because I was involved in obtaining the name. How do others normally set this up?

Any input would be welcome.

Thanks, Susan Vollmer

http://www.nostalgicgarden.com http://www.fallenmartyrs.com

-- Anonymous, March 29, 2001

Answers

From: "Patricia West" Save Address To: Subject: RE: STLWEBDEV: Changing Servers & Registrars Date: Wed, 28 Mar 2001 21:51:46 -0600 Reply-To: stlwebdev@stlwebdev.org

---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------- RE: Susan Vollmer, Changing Servers & Registrars

I've done this twice recently with clients and it can be a pain. The client should have been given instructions on how to make modifications when they registered the domain name. It can usually be done on-line at the registrar's website using a logon and password. IF the client has this information, then it's easy. You just go in and change the DNS primary and secondary numbers.

If your client doesn't have a clue as to how to make the modifications, then the client will have to call customer support at the registrar's and find out their procedure for DNS and administrative contact modifications. My client and I did a conference call to get the information we needed.

One recent client was registered by a developer who did the original site. He made himself the contact for every category and he has moved out of town. So, the email address he used as his contact email is now invalid. It's going to take the client a lot of time to get the information switched to the way it should have been in the first place.

Another client who was not listed as a contact had his domain "expire." The ISP (a local one) did the registration and put the ISP down as administrative and billing contact. Unfortunately the ISP didn't notify the client when payment was due.

The point is that a lot of clients really don't have a clue about computers or the internet. We need to be real responsible when we advise them or register them.

I make sure the client is the administrative and billing contact and has information in his/her files about how to make modifications. Sometimes I'm the technical contact, but the web host I use prefers to be listed as the administrative contact.

Hope this helps. Patsy West WebsiteWiz, LLC wiz@websitewiz.com

-- Anonymous, March 29, 2001