What is a domain name?
A domain name is a set of letters and numbers which makes up the web address of your website. Our domain name is HostworX.co.za. Our web address is www.HostworX.co.za
In order to have your own specific website address you need to register your own domain name.
What is domain forwarding/pointing?
Domain forwarding or pointing is the rerouting of a domain name to another web address. You can point any domain name you own to any other domain name of your choice. For example: We have pointed the address www.bestsolution.co.za to our website www.HostworX.co.za
Thus any requests for your domain name will be automatically forwarded to any website address of your choice.
What is domain parking?
Domain parking enables you register and reserve a domain name for future use. It is a good way to ensure that a domain name you wish to use in the future will not be registered by someone else in the meantime. There is no monthly charge to park your domain.
Can I keep my domain name if I want to change my web hosting company?
Yes. As long as your domain name is registered in your name, so make sure that your web hosting company does this before you signup! Simply update your domains name servers to your new web hosting company. If you have a .co.za domain you will need to cancel your web hosting with your current web host to ensure a smooth transfer to your new web hosting company.
How do I register a domain name?
First you need to ensure that the domain name is available. (You can do this at www.HostworX.co.za from the domains menu)
Second you need to decide on your web hosting package which you wish to have with your domain name. You can just register the domain only by choosing Domain Parking which has no hosting but simply reserves the domain name.
Then simply apply online and we will register your domain name for you.
How does the Registration process take place for a new domain registration?
Selecting a Name:
To host a web site on the Internet you will need to register a website name. This is known as the domain name. We would recommend that you choose a name that is best suited to your businesses name or type of business. Once you have identified a name you will need to consider the specifications that your website may require.
Looking at The Hosting Specs:
The specifications of your website are the hardware and software resources that your site will require.
These specifications range from:
- The number of domains supported
- The amount of space that the site requires
- The amount of traffic that you expect the site to move.
- The amount of email addresses that you may require at that domain e.g name@domainname.co.za
- The amount that you are willing to spend on the Site.
- The Access to the server to update the site.
The Added Benefits:
In addition to the Website specifics you will want to look at additional benefits. Those benefits that make hosting a pleasure.
These include things like:
- Availability of Support, Quality, and Consistency of Support
- Additional Resources: e.g. software resources, administration facilities, payment options etc.
- Security and Stability of your site.
- Quick, Efficient, and friendly Administration
At HostworX we try and ensure that we provide you with the best of resources to manage your site and an equally superior support structure to help you administer your site. We have packaged these requirements into our variety of hosting options made available to you.
Selecting the Hosting Solution:
The next step would be to consider which of the Packages offered would best suit your immediate requirements. Keep in mind that your requirements will change over time. HostworX enables you to Upgrade/Downgrade your package at any stage, with minimal effort. If you have any questions regarding our packages, please feel free to contact our support department.
Once you have selected the Ideal package for you the next step would be to register.
The Registration:
There are several avenues for you to proceed with your registration.
- Register your site on the HostworX.co.za web site.
- Contact the support department and speak to consultant.
- Email the support department and ask for assistance with the registration.
Please keep in mind the several payment options that we make available to you. You will require certain Contact and bank details when registering your account.
Once you have registered your site, it can take up to a few hours to activate the Domain and have you setup on our servers. Once active and all payments have been made. You will have access to your web space, administration panels, and email facilities.
If you have any further questions regarding the setup of your domain, Please feel free to contact HostworX Support Department.
How do existing Domain names get transferred to HostworX
If you have a previously registered domain the process is very similar to that of the newly registered domain.
1) If you are a new client upon signing up with HostworX by selecting a hosting account and begining the ordering process, you will be requested to enter your domain name that you want to transfer to HostworX servers. (NOTE: On international domains like .COM, etc you need to get the authorizing EPP code from the old ISP as well to prove the transfer request is legitimate)
OR
1) If you are an existing client, you will need to add the domain to your existing hosting package by going to the SolidCp control panel, selecting "domains" and adding the new domain. This sets up our servers in preparation for the domain transfer. Once you have added the domain to our control panel, you will goto www.HostworX.co.za, and begin the domain transfer request from the domains menu. You will be requested to enter your domain name that you want to transfer to HostworX servers. (NOTE: On international domains like .COM, etc you need to get the authorizing EPP code from the old ISP as well to prove the transfer request is legitimate)
2) On submitting the transfer request, the domain will be checked to see if it is available for transfer, once it is verified, you can continue on with the ordering process, and complete the checkout. This initiates the transfer request of the domain to the registrar.
NOTE: the transfer of .co.za domain names are free, .com; .org; .net domains need to be renewed to effect the transfer.
After the transfer process begins, we send an email to the existing registrar, indicating we want to transfer the domain, the registrar in turn will lookup the current owner and administrative contacts and email them a "ticket" requesting that they accept or decline the request. If the request is declined or ignored the domain will NOT transfer, and the process will have to be started again. So please inform the old ISP to accept the domain transfer and if necessary unlock the domain so it can be transferred, this is the case on international domains like .COM, etc. If all is well with the previous hosts and the transfer was accepted, the domain can take between 1 to 5 days (.co.za) and 5 days to two weeks (.com) to complete.
You will be given access to your FTP server & Hosting Control panel so that you can publish your website & create your mail boxes (and databases if any) on our servers once you have signed up. You can also setup a temporary propagation URL (host header) so you can test the website on our servers, while the domain is still transferring.
By the time the transfer has completed you should have already a working website & ready mailboxes on our servers. Our support team and/or your developer will assist with any difficulties you may experience whilst uploading your website & databases.
There is an error in the domain name that has been registered. How can I rectify this?
If you have very recently registered a domain name with HostworX and have realized that the domain name that was registered is incorrectly or misspelled then please make sure that you contact the HostworX support department within 5 days of the registration.
NOTE: If the error is realized too late, you will be charged full registration for the domain name. However, if realized in time, HostworX should be able to rectify the error.
This is applicable for .co.za domains only.
Most other TLD's like .com; .org domains etc, the registrations are done straight away, we get billed with no possible refund available.
How do I change my already registered domain name?
Unfortunately if you have already registered a domain name, you cannot merely "rename it" or "swap it" for another name. The process in changing your domain name to another is as follows:
- You will need to cancel the old domain name (If you no longer require it).
- You will need to register the new domain name (at full registration price)
- Once the new domain is registered, and setup on the control panel, you will need to upload the content from the old web site to the new web site.
Why do I need to verify my email address for some domain registrations?
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has introduced new regulations requiring that the registered domain owners email address be verified for new domain registrations. This will also further apply to domain transfer or changes made to domain details where the registrant email address is not yet verified.
Once the domain registrant has verified your email address, you will no longer be required to provide further verification for registrations or transfers against the verified email address.
This is designed to eliminate internet and domain fraud.
The verification process will apply to any Generic Top Level Domains (gTLDs) such as .com or .biz, etc. Any country specific domains, such as .co.za or .co.uk, etc, will not be required to be verified at the present moment.
An email will be sent to the registrant email address, which must be actioned by clicking the link in the email. If no response is received within 15 days, the domain is placed into Client-hold status, which is effectively the same as suspension at registrar level. Once the link is verified, the domain will be re-activated, but while in Client-hold no websites or DNS will resolve.
If the email address provided is incorrect, which is why the verification was not performed, please inform us on dnsadmin@HostworX.co.za so that we can update your mail details and re-send the verification.
