Vodafone Business Product Management Group. Web and Domain Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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1 Vodafone Business Product Management Group Hosted Services Web and Domain Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Vodafone Group 2010 Other than as permitted by law, no part of this document may be reproduced, adapted, or distributed, in any form or by any means, without the prior written consent of Vodafone Group Plc.

2 Contents 1. Document Information Introduction Uses Domain FAQs What are a registrar and registrant? What is a Registrant Type? What is DNS? What is a DNS record? What is the domain name redemption period? What are Confirmation of Registration letters? What is a nameserver? What is a domain name? What is a subdomain? What is the WHOIS database? How does the WHOIS database work? What do the WHOIS results mean? Why are my registration details important? What are the limitations in naming a domain? Are checks carried out on the domain name terms? What is the policy for resolving name disputes? What is domain propagation? Transfer a domain to Vodafone Transferring a TLD domain to Vodafone Transferring an.eu domain to Vodafone Can I resubmit the EPP code to transfer my domain? RCOM Transfer Status Transfer request created awaiting fax Awaiting auto-verification of transfer request Acquiring Current Whois for Transfer Verification Auto verification of transfer request initiated Awaiting Release by Current Registrar Domain contacts did not response to verification s Domain contacts did not approve transfer of domain Whois information does not match current registrant Hosted Services Web and Domain FAQs Page 2 of 17

3 4.9. Domain is not registered and cannot be transferred Transfer already initiated for this domain Transfer rejected by losing registrar Transfer authorization fax not received Cancelled by customer Awaiting manual fax verification Transfer request not yet submitted Hosting FAQs What are Vodafone Hosting Services? Do I need a domain name? What duration are the hosting contracts? What is SSL? What is JavaServer Pages (JSP)? What are the main features and applications available? Hosted Services Web and Domain FAQs Page 3 of 17

4 1. Document Information 1.1. Introduction This document consolidates all FAQs to be included in support systems locally for customers benefit. All information provided is additional to User Guides and Help Content already provided within the VHSP and Vodafone support websites and structures. The document will attempt to present this information in a Q&A format, defined by topic for ease of reference Uses FAQs are intended to be provided as a quick reference point for those questions likely to be commonly asked by customers. The document should also be included in support training material to ensure support teams are well versed in those questions most likely to be asked by customers. Hosted Services Web and Domain FAQs Page 4 of 17

5 2. Domain FAQs 2.1. What are a registrar and registrant? A registrar is a company that has been accredited by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) to sell gtlds (Generic Top-Level Domains) such as.com. Registrars may also be organisations that have been authorised by a national authorised body to sell cctlds (Country Code Top Level Domains) such as.co.uk. Vodafone is not a registrar, instead we use a partner to provide customers with domain names. The individual or organisation that applies for a domain from a registrar is called a registrant. Once the domain is successfully registered, the registrant has the right to use that domain name for the time it is registered. When the period of registration completes, the registrant will have the option to renew their registration for that domain name. If they choose not to however, the domain will be come available for anyone to register What is a Registrant Type? Registrant types are not defined by all registrars, however those that do define a Registrant Type do so to categorise companies against the domains they are registering. Examples of registrant types are: An individual Sole Trader Partnership Limited Company Public Limited Company Limited Liability Partnership Registered Charity Other entities such as charities, school/educational establishments, clubs & associations, etc. You will be asked to enter your company numbers when registering a domain as a company What is DNS? A DNS is a Domain Name Server. There are many DNS on the internet, and their task is to translate domain names e.g. Vodafone.com, that we find much easier to remember; into IP addresses e.g IP Addresses are central to the method that data is passed from one computer to another. A DNS will hold many types of records, some translate domains so we can visit websites, others translate mail exchange information so our s can be successfully delivered to the right recipient, and still others allow a company to have multiple domain names but for which a customer will be directed to one website. Hosted Services Web and Domain FAQs Page 5 of 17

6 Each domain name in DNS will nominate a set of name servers to be authoritative for its DNS records. This is where all other name servers will be pointed when looking for information about the domain name What is a DNS record? DNS records are stored in the zone file for a domain name on that domain s authoritative DNS. There are many different types of records, and they all serve a different purpose. Some of the more common records are: A Record An A Record maps a domain name e.g. example.com, to the actual address on the internet (known as an IP Address) where the information of that domain name resides and can be accessed. Therefore, if a website for the domain name example.com exists at , then the IP address for that domain name will be set as such in the zone file on that domain s authoritative DNS CNAME Record A CNAME record is basically an alias for a domain name. Using a CNAME record, either sub-domains of a domain name or other domain names entirely can be mapped to the domain name for which the A record exists, i.e. to the domain name for which an IP address where the actual data resides can be found. If the A record stated that for domain name example.com the IP address was , then the CNAME record could say that the domain name vacuum.example.com was an alias for example.com typing in either would take someone to the same website MX Record An MX record is responsible for distribution, and defines for a domain name where the mail exchange can be found (via it s IP Address) for an to be delivered to that domain PTR Record A PTR record is basically the reverse of an A Record. Instead of translating a domain name into an IP address, it reverse looks up a domain name from an IP address. This is becoming very important in terms of security, in this way for example an Anti-Spam engine can reverse lookup a senders IP address and validate that the domain they are saying the is from is actually the one they are sending it from What is the domain name redemption period? What is the Domain Redemption Period? If a domain registration period has run out and the registrant of that domain has not renewed, the domain will enter a redemption period. The redemption period lasts for up to 30 days, and during this time the registrant can retrieve the domain name for an additional fee. A registrant will always be given the choice to renew their domain before the domain registration period runs out, but the redemption period extends the time in which it s possible Hosted Services Web and Domain FAQs Page 6 of 17

7 to retain registration. It should be noted however that once a domain registration enters the redemption period, the domain name will stop working and appear offline. Pending Delete Phase This phase occurs after the redemption period, if the original domain registrant has not retrieved the domain name. During this time no-one can register the domain, but after the Pending Delete phase (which lasts 5 days) the domain name is returned to the public pool for anyone to register. Renew domain before redemption phase Therefore, it is strongly recommended that domains are renewed prior to the redemption period as once it has entered the redemption lock period the domain will cease to work as the zone files on the Global DNS for that domain will have been removed What are Confirmation of Registration letters? Not all registrars will send out confirmation of registration letters or domain name certificates. However, if you receive a confirmation of registrations is will confirm the domain has been successfully registered and you will likely be asked to complete and return a form. For example, Nominet in the United Kingdom are a registrar that sends out confirmation of registration letters and requests a returned reply form What is a nameserver? A nameserver is a server which controls the DNS for a domain. It allows you to decide which hosting company controls your webspace and . One of the advantages of registering your domain name with Vodafone is that you are free to change the nameservers to other hosts whenever you like. However, if you choose not to point to our nameservers, you won't be able to use our web and systems to configure your domain name, nor will you be able to use our hosting solutions What is a domain name? Your domain name is the address that people use to find you or your company website online. Because the internet is a huge set of connected networks, it actually locates things using strings of numbers called IP (Internet Protocol) addresses. This is not very user-friendly, so the domain name system allows us to use meaningful names instead. It s a lot easier to remember a website called than one named More importantly, the domain name system allows you to have exclusive rights to a domain name, so that no-one else can use the same website or address. This also means that your website and address can reflect the name of your business, rather than being part of your internet service or provider. Hosted Services Web and Domain FAQs Page 7 of 17

8 2.9. What is a subdomain? A subdomain is a subdivision of a domain, for example "hostedservices.vodafone.com" is a subdomain of "vodafone.com What is the WHOIS database? The WHOIS database is a publicly available store of information about specific domain names. It s possible to find out who registered a domain, who the registrar is, and contact details (e.g. administrative contact and technical contact) for the domain name How does the WHOIS database work? The WHOIS database is maintained by registrars and not by a central registry. When a domain is registered with a registrar, they will pass details for that domain to the WHOIS. In most cases, to do so is a legal requirement however some national authorised bodies, for example Nominet in the UK, have an opt-out system What do the WHOIS results mean? A WHOIS lookup can return various results dependent on the WHOIS server the query is run against. Some of the fields that can be returned are described below: Domain: the domain against which the WHOIS lookup was run. Contact Details: Administrative, technical and billing contact details for the domain Created: domain registration date Last-changed: the last date against which any changes were made to the domain name Registration-expiration: the date upon which the registration of the domain name will expire. Nserver: details of the Name Servers for the domain name. Status: this is the status of the domain name. There are several status levels: ACTIVE: This status is set by the registry and means that the registrar can modify and renew the domain, and that the domain will be included in the zone (i.e. working on the internet) if the domain ha been delegated to at least one nameserver. REGISTRY-LOCK: This status is set by the registry and means the domain cannot be modified or deleted by the registrar. The domain will still function on the internet, as well as being able to be renewed. Hosted Services Web and Domain FAQs Page 8 of 17

9 REGISTRAR-LOCK: This status is set by the registrar and means the domain cannot be modified or deleted until the registrar removes the lock. The domain will still function on the internet, as well as being able to be renewed. REGISTRY-HOLD: This status is set by the registry and means the domain cannot be modified or deleted by the registrar. The domain will not function on the internet, but can still be renewed. REGISTRAR-HOLD: This status is set by the registrar and means the domain cannot be modified or deleted by the registrar. The domain will not function on the internet, but can still be renewed. REDEMPTIONPERIOD: This status is set by the registry when a registrar requests that a domain name be deleted from the registry. If however the registrar requests a domain name be deleted within 5 days of the initial domain registration then it will be immediately deleted rather than entering the redemption period. The domain will not function on the internet during this period, nor can it be modified or purged. It can however be restored. Any other registrar requests to update or register the domain will be refused. The domain can be held in the redemption period for up to 30 days. PENDINGRESTORE: If a domain is in the redemption period, a registrar can request the restoration of a domain. The registry will then set the status of the domain to PENDINGRESTORE.The domain will stay in this status until the registrar provides required restoration documentation. If the registrar does not provide the restoration documentation within seven calendar days the domain will revert to REDEMPTIONPERIOD status. If the registrar provides documentation to the registry within seven calendar days the domain will be set to ACTIVE status. PENDINGDELETE: The domain will be purged from the registry database after being in this status for five calendar days Why are my registration details important? If you have paid to register a domain, you want to be sure that those details are documented. If there should be a domain ownership dispute you cannot legally be proven as the registrant of that domain if you have provided invalid details What are the limitations in naming a domain? Special characters are not allowed in domain names, except for a hypen (-). All numbers and letters are allowed. Your domain name must also be longer than 2 characters, but shorter than Are checks carried out on the domain name terms? Customers are allowed to register or transfer whatever domain names they wish to. There are some restrictions on registering certain TLDs. For example, if you are registering a.aero domain, then you will need to be in the aviation industry and this will be checked by the Hosted Services Web and Domain FAQs Page 9 of 17

10 appropriate registry. Choosing a name that can be seen to infringe upon or violate the rights of a third party may result in a domain name dispute What is the policy for resolving name disputes? When resolving domain name disputes, registrars follow the UDRP (Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy). The UDRP is a policy established by ICANN (the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) for the resolution of domain name disputes. The dispute will then be taken forward through a UDRP proceeding after which the registrar can cancel, suspend or transfer the domain name based on the outcome of the proceeding What is domain propagation? DNS propagation involves changes to your DNS Zone and changes to your WHOIS information, to update domain information on the internet. Customers often call Vodafone to say that they can't see their domain names straight after ordering them, or just after a transfer between providers. After either of these two events your domain name/website may not be visible for up to 48 hours, whilst DNS propagation occurs. Hosted Services Web and Domain FAQs Page 10 of 17

11 3. Transfer a domain to Vodafone 3.1. Transferring a TLD domain to Vodafone In order for a domain to be transferred into your Vodafone account, the domain has to first be transferred to our registrar, Register.com. For the transfer to take place, we will need the most up-to-date address for the domain s admin contact (ADMIN-C). If you don't have access to the address listed in ADMIN-C, then you will need to change it before the transfer can proceed. Most providers will allow you to do this online, though some will need you to or fax them. To check the domain s current registrar and admin contact address visit Please note, Top Level Domains names that are newer that 60 days or within 7 days of entering redemption cannot be transferred in or out of Vodafone The transfer process is as follows: Visit the Vodafone hosted services store and type your domain name into the "Domain Search" box, then click on the "Transfer" button. Select your domain name from the list, then click "Add To Basket". Select which hosting options you want, then click the "Continue" button. Check the details, and then click on the "Checkout" button. Confirm that you are the owner, and are allowed to transfer the domain name, then click "Proceed With Order". Follow the on-screen instructions until your transfer is complete. When the transfer has started, the current admin contact will receive an from Register.com containing a URL, a domain name and password. They can use these details to either cancel the transfer or confirm it. Register.com will ask for a contact phone number in case there are any problems. After the transfer is accepted, it will take 24 hours to complete if the domain is with another Register.com reseller, or up to seven days if the domain is with a different registrar. Once this has been replied to in the time scale specified by that registrar, the domain will be transferred to Vodafone, and you will be able to manage your domain in the Vodafone Hosted Services Control Panel Transferring an.eu domain to Vodafone In order for a.eu domain name to be transferred into your Vodafone account, the domain has to first be transferred to our registrar, Register.com For the transfer to take place, we will need the most up-to-date address for the domain s registrant contact. If you don't have access to the address listed, then you will need to change it before the transfer can proceed. Most providers will allow you to do this online, though some will need you to or fax them. Hosted Services Web and Domain FAQs Page 11 of 17

12 To check the domain s current registrar and admin contact address visit Please note: any domain due for renewal, in the quarantine or pending delete will not transfer and will be declined by the registrar. The registrar will also not accept a transfer in the first 60 days after registration or within the 7 days before the domain name expires. You will then need to: Visit the Vodafone hosted services store and type your domain name into the "Domain Search" box, then click on the "Transfer" button. Select your domain name from the list, then click "Add To Basket". Select which hosting options you want, then click the "Continue" button. Check the details, and then click on the "Checkout" button. Confirm that you are the owner, and are allowed to transfer the domain name, then click "Proceed With Order". Follow the on-screen instructions until your transfer is complete. When the transfer has started, the current registrant contact will receive an from Register.com containing a URL, a domain name and password. They can use these details to either cancel the transfer or confirm it. Register.com will ask for a contact phone number in case there are any problems. After the transfer is accepted, it will take 24 hours to complete if the domain is with another Register.com reseller or up to seven days if the domain is with a different registrar. Once this has been replied to in the time scale specified by that registrar, the domain will be transferred and you will be able to manage your domain in the Vodafone Hosted services Control Panel Can I resubmit the EPP code to transfer my domain? You can re-enter the domain AuthCode in the Domain Management Portal, it resides on the Transfer History page. Hosted Services Web and Domain FAQs Page 12 of 17

13 4. RCOM Transfer Status 4.1. Transfer request created awaiting fax A fax transfer order has been created and submitted, however we have not yet received the signed fax transfer form for the order. Note that fax transfer orders must be accompanied by an ICANN required FOA (Form of Authorization/copy of legal identification of the registrant or administrative contact). Acceptable forms of identification are: Notarized statement of identity Valid Drivers license Passport Article of Incorporation Military ID State/Government issued ID Birth Certificate Please allow 24 hours for receipt and recording Awaiting auto-verification of transfer request An auto-verification transfer order has been submitted and we are in the process of obtaining the current whois data in order to generate the verification Acquiring Current Whois for Transfer Verification When an auto-verification transfer request is initiated, our system attempts to obtain the registrant and/or administrative contacts from the current registrar in order to generate the transfer verification . Sometimes, due to the current registrar blocking outside whois queries, we are unable to electronically retrieve the required whois information to proceed with the transfer request. When this occurs, the domain is placed into a verification queue where it is manually updated. Our goal is to attend to these within 24 hours Auto verification of transfer request initiated The current whois information has been collected and the verification has been sent to the authorized contacts, however we have not yet received a response. This status will remain until the verification is responded to, or the transfer is cancelled and closed. If the transfer is not responded to within seven (7) days, it will be closed automatically. Note that if the address is not the correct or current address for the domain, please contact the current registrar and update your contact information. You will need to cancel the current transfer order and submit a new request so our database has a record of the whois information at the time of transfer initiation. Hosted Services Web and Domain FAQs Page 13 of 17

14 4.5. Awaiting Release by Current Registrar The verification for this transfer has been sent and responded to. This domain transfer has been initiated with the Global Registry and is in PENDING TRANSFER status as of the date listed below and is awaiting approval and release by the losing registrar. The process is complete from our side and the domain must be released to the registry by the losing registrar. The losing registrar has five days once the domain is pending to respond. Please note the domain is sent into pending transfer status once the verification has been authorized, fax recorded or valid EPP key has been submitted. Note that changes can be made to domains in pending transfer status Domain contacts did not response to verification s The verification was not replied to by the authorized domain contact(s). If the transfer is not responded to within seven (7) days, it will be cancelled with this status Domain contacts did not approve transfer of domain One of the authorized contacts declined the transfer request Whois information does not match current registrant This transfer was cancelled as the whois information provided does not match the current registrant. When submitting a fax transfer, the registrant information you input when initiating the request must match the current whois information from the current registrar. If this information does not match, the transfer will be rejected Domain is not registered and cannot be transferred This means that the domain name is not a registered domain name, therefore is not active or transferable. This status will be returned for transfer attempts made for domains in Redemption Period or Pending Delete status. The domain status is currently "Registrar-Lock". A registrar lock is a security setting that prevents domains from being transferred between registrars. When this occurs, contact the current registrar and request the lock be removed. Due to a registry restriction, domains that are not yet 60-days old are not transferable between registrars. This is a registry rule, not a restriction instituted by Register.com Transfer already initiated for this domain Once a domain is in "pending transfer" status, duplicate transfer requests for the domain will be cancelled with this status message. Hosted Services Web and Domain FAQs Page 14 of 17

15 4.11. Transfer rejected by losing registrar This transfer request was validated by the registrant/admin contact for the domain and sent to the registry for release and approval by the losing registrar. A request was then sent to the global registry for approval and release by the losing registrar; this request was rejected by the current registrar. Unfortunately we do not have access to the reason(s) the current registrar has rejected your transfer request. Please contact the current registrar for additional information Transfer authorization fax not received When a fax order is created, but the authorization fax is not sent in to verify the request, the transfer will be cancelled. Fax orders are held in open status for 30 days. If the fax is not received within 30 days, the order will be marked with this status Cancelled by customer The transfer order was canceled from within your reseller account from which it was initiated. A transfer order can only be canceled prior to being initiated to the global registry and by going into PENDING TRANSFER status. Once the domain is pending transfer, the only way to cancel the transfer is to request that the current registrar NACK (Negative ACKnowledgement) the transfer with the registry Awaiting manual fax verification The verification fax has been received and we are not able to obtain the current whois data. When this occurs, the name is placed into a queue where it will be manually verified within 48 hours Transfer request not yet submitted A transfer order has been created by the user, but has not yet been submitted to our transfer database. To submit the transfer, login to your account, choose menu option DOMAINS and then my transfers, click the transfer order number and then click the submit button. Hosted Services Web and Domain FAQs Page 15 of 17

16 5. Hosting FAQs 5.1. What are Vodafone Hosting Services? Vodafone Web Hosted Services are a range of web hosting packages and optional value-add services to cater for the various web requirements of our customers Do I need a domain name? Yes you need a domain name to Host a website. You can register a new domain with Vodafone or transfer an existing domain into Vodafone from your current provider What duration are the hosting contracts? Contracts for hosting can be offered for 1, 2 or 3 year terms What is SSL? Secure Sockets Layer, transmits private information through the Internet. It uses a cryptographic system that uses two keys to encrypt data, a Private key and Public key. An SSL certificate contains the following information: The domain name for which the certificate was issued. The owner of the certificate and the domain name. The physical location of the owner. The validity dates of the certificate. When you connect to a secure web server such as the server authenticates itself to the web browser by presenting a digital certificate. The certificate is proof that an independent trusted third party has verified that the website belongs to the company it claims to belong to. A valid certificate gives customers confidence that they are sending personal information securely, and to the right place What is JavaServer Pages (JSP)? JSP technology offers a simple way to create dynamic web pages giving users more freedom through Java technology s Write Once, Run Anywhere capability. JSP technology separates content generation from presentation and takes advantage of reusable tags and objects, simplifying the maintenance of web applications. JSP technology provides users with two options: The scripting ability needed to create simple and interactive Web pages, or Scaling to support complex web sites that are fully integrated with enterprise class applications. Hosted Services Web and Domain FAQs Page 16 of 17

17 5.6. What are the main features and applications available? The main features and applications (available in Website Applications within the Vodafone Hosted Services Portal) are as follows: Feature Description Example applications Hosting Hosting features relate to details such as web Space and bandwidth for the hosting packaged purchased. e.g. Webspace Sub-Domain Management Domains section offers sub-domains capabilities and application that allows you to modify the zone file for your domain such as DNS management application. e.g. DNS Manager Site Builder Applications This section contains tools/application used for creating a completely customized website in a few simple steps. e.g. EasySiteWizardPro, Advanced Website Templates Business Applications Business applications relate to tools used for marketing purposes and promoting websites such as marketing tools that allows you to create and send graphically rich and compelling HTML newsletters. e.g. Search Engine Optimization, Website Statistics, Website Promotion Wizard Ecommerce Applications Ecommerce contains tools used for setting up shopping carts on websites as well as tools designed for maintaining online shops. e.g. EasyStoreMakerPro OSCommerce Developer Applications and Databases This section contains tools for enhancing your security features for your website as well as tools for database management. e.g. Website Security MySQL Manager Niche Applications This section contains specific tools that are not contained in standard product offers. These are usually specific to the OpCos requirements. e.g. Online workspaces Dedicated IP address Hosted Services Web and Domain FAQs Page 17 of 17