Register. Transfer. Manage your domain names

Domain Names Frequently Asked Questions

• What is a domain name and why should you register one?

  A domain name in its simplest form is just an Internet Website address. Just as your house or apartment has its own unique identifying address for the post office, so does each and every Website in existence.
  
  The domain name system was originally created for the benefit of humans. The actual address used by computers is numerical in format and is referred to as an IP, or Internet Protocol, address. An IP address takes the form of four series of numbers separated by periods. An example of an IP address is 215.55.258.145, and as you can see this would not be easy for most of us to remember. So to compensate, the domain "name" system was created. Its much easier to remember a website named "thiswebsite.com" than it is to remember a number such as the one above, right?

• Are there restrictions over the structure of a domain name?

  Yes - most domain names have rules on how they are constructed:

  Domain names must consist only of letters (a-z) and numbers (0-9) - they may also contain the hyphen (-) symbol but may NOT contain special characters like the "and" symbol (&) or exclamation mark (!).

  Domain names may not contain spaces or start or end with a hyphen (-).

  Domain names cannot be more than 63 characters (excluding the .com, .co.uk domain extension.

  All domains are lower case.

• How long does it take to register a domain name?

  We submit your domain order virtually immediately to the Registrar. Since our domain signup system is integrated with the Registrar's own systems, we often receive confirmation that a domain is reserved within an hour or even even within minutes, depending on the volume of domains being registered at that time.

  Our automated registration system will keep you up to date at each stage of the registration process.

• Can I cancel a domain name?

  Please proceed carefully with this option. Please note that refunds are not available for cancellations.

  Cancelling your domain name means it will be deleted from the registry. Your website will no longer be accessible and you will no longer be able to receive emails sent to your email addresses.

  Do not proceed past this option unless you are absolutely certain. Once a domain name is deleted, PrimeHost cannot retrieve it for you without re-registering it at standard registration rates.

• How do I transfer a domain name?

  A domain transfer is, in effect, to transfer domain name from the management under one registrar to another registrar. As a registrar is only responsible for the management of your domain records, this transfer should in no way affect your website, relevant email or DNS.

  In order to process the transfer of your domain, you need to have domain already under your ownership and a registrar that you want to transfer that domain to. While the process of a domain transfer is a fairly simple procedure, it is important to understand the workings such a domain registration transfer so that things don't get more complicated than you can handle.

  Our system provides a step by step, easy to use interface to transfer domains to us, and if you so choose - away form us.