Domain Name Registration

DNS Name Registration

🎯 What You'll Learn:
Understand the complete DNS domain registration framework including ICANN hierarchy, registries, registrars, and resellers. Learn how to choose TLDs, select second-level domains, pick the right registrar, and understand EPP status codes for domain management.

As the name suggests, name registration involves the registration of domains. A domain represents a public identity on the internet, and it's used to identify the IP address of the computer system hosting web content. To ensure that each domain is unique, name registration has to be processed within a globally distributed framework designed to enforce a certain set of rules. That framework is the domain name registration hierarchy.

Hierarchy

🏛️ Domain Registration Hierarchy:
The domain name registration hierarchy is a globally distributed framework that ensures domain uniqueness and enforces registration rules across the internet.

ICANN - Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers

At the top of the hierarchy rules ICANN, a non-profit, internationally organized corporation.

• Main Role: Oversee the huge and complex, interconnected network of unique identifiers that allow computers on the internet to find one another
• Responsibilities:
  • Managing generic TLDs or country-code TLDs
  • Managing how root name server systems function
  • Coordinating how IP addresses are supplied to avoid repetition or clashes
  • Maintaining a central repository of IP addresses

Regional Internet Registries (RIRs)

Below ICANN are five regional internet registries.

• Each registry is responsible for obtaining IP ranges from ICANN to allocate them to internet service providers across a specific geographic region
• These registries manage IP address distribution for their respective regions (ARIN, RIPE NCC, APNIC, LACNIC, AFRINIC)

Registrars

Subordinate to the registries are the registrars, which are ICANN-accredited organizations responsible for processing the registration of domain names.

📋 Examples of Registrars:

• GoDaddy
• Namecheap
• Bluehost

Resellers

After registrars come resellers - third-party companies that offer domain name registration services through registrars.

• Example: Route 53 - The dedicated DNS and registration as a service provided by AWS
• Route 53 is the reseller of two registrars:
  • Amazon Registrar for Generic TLDs
  • Gandi for all other top-level domains

Registrants

At the bottom of the hierarchy are the registrants - the people or organizations who register domains through a registrar or a reseller.

🔄 Registration Hierarchy Flow:
ICANN → Regional Internet Registries → Registrars → Resellers → Registrants

Process

The process of registering a domain name consists of the following steps:

1. Step 1 - Domain Selection: The registrant chooses a domain name and submits a request to a registrar or reseller
2. Step 2 - Availability Check: Provided that the domain name is available, the registrar registers the name and then creates a WHOIS record
3. Step 3 - WHOIS Record Creation: The WHOIS record contains:
   • The registrant's name and contact information
   • The name and contact information of the registrar
   • The registration date
   • The name servers
   • The most recent update
   • The expiration date
   • Administrative and technical contact information (optional)
4. Step 4 - Registry Submission: The registrar sends the domain name request along with the contact and technical information to the appropriate registry
5. Step 5 - Master Server Update: The registry files all information provided and adds the names on file to the master servers, which will tell other servers on the internet where your website is located

📝 What is a WHOIS Record?
A WHOIS record is a public database entry that contains registration and contact information about a domain name. It serves as a directory of domain ownership and technical details.

Considerations When Choosing a TLD

There are currently more than 1500 TLDs to choose from, which include:

• Generic TLDs (gTLD) - .com, .net, .org
• Country-code TLDs (ccTLD) - .uk, .de, .jp
• Infrastructure TLDs - .arpa
• Sponsored TLDs (sTLD) - .gov, .edu, .mil
• Internationalized Domain Name TLDs (IDN TLD) - Non-Latin characters
• Geographic TLDs - .london, .nyc, .tokyo

Not all TLDs will suit your requirement, so we have to take these considerations into account and ask the following questions:

Consideration	Description
DNSSEC Support	Security-related feature to avoid DNS cache poisoning and other attacks
IDNs Support	International Domain Names - support for non-ASCII characters
Privacy Protection	For protecting the privacy of website owner information
Target Audience	Is the organization region-specific? (e.g., healthcare provider)
Relevant Field	What is the field of business? (e.g., .cafe, .coffee, .tech)
Local Presence Requirements	Some TLDs require local presence or registration

Choosing a Second-Level Domain

Name Considerations

✅ DO:

• Use keywords that reflect your industry
• Use localized keywords if applicable
• Try to keep it short with less than 10 characters
• Ensure it is easy to spell
• Ensure it is easy to pronounce
• Ensure it is easy to remember

❌ DON'T:

• Use hyphens, numbers, or acronyms
• Make it too long or complicated
• Use trademarked names

Choosing a Registrar

When selecting a domain registrar, consider the following factors:

1. Pricing

• Registration fee - Initial cost to register the domain
• Renewal fee - Annual or multi-year renewal costs
• Other potential charges - Domain transfers, privacy protection, etc.
• Most registrars do not charge transfer fees, but some do

2. Cost Benefits

• Bulk pricing options for multiple domains
• Promotional deals - Registering a domain name for several years at a discounted price
• Bundle discounts when combined with other services

3. Add-On Services

• Web hosting services
• WordPress hosting services
• Website builders
• Email hosting services
• Brokerage services
• Privacy protection (WHOIS privacy)
• SSL certificates
• Customer service support (24/7 vs business hours)

4. Supported TLDs

• Not all registrars have the license to sell all top-level domains
• Verify the registrar supports your desired TLD before committing
• Some registrars specialize in specific TLD categories

5. Policies

⚠️ Critical Policies to Review:

• Domain Transfer Policy: What is the registrar's policy on domain transfers? Are there fees or waiting periods?
• Domain Expiration Policy: What happens when your domain expires?
  • Domain names are registered for a specific duration
  • Some registrars offer a grace period after expiration to allow renewal
  • Other registrars can exercise predatory practices, such as buying your expired domain name as soon as it expires to sell it back to you at a much higher price
• Auto-Renewal Settings: Is auto-renewal enabled by default? Can you disable it?
• Domain Lock: Does the registrar provide domain locking to prevent unauthorized transfers?

6. Customer Reviews

• Always read customer reviews while carrying out your research on which registrar you should choose
• Check for reviews about customer service responsiveness
• Look for feedback on renewal pricing and hidden fees
• Verify the registrar's reputation for security and reliability

7. Best Practice

💡 Pro Tip:
It is recommended that you register your domain name with one registrar but host it with another provider. This approach makes it easier to switch hosting companies if required later on, provided that the domain name is hosted on a platform different from the one it was registered on. This separation of concerns gives you more flexibility and control.

EPP Status Codes

Extensible Provisioning Protocol (EPP) domain status codes, also known as domain name status codes, indicate the status of a domain name registration. Every domain has at least one status code, if not more. Each EPP code provides useful information about a domain that comes in handy for operations such as:

• Troubleshooting domain-related issues
• Domain renewals
• Domain transfers between registrars

Types of EPP Status Codes

There are two different types of EPP status:

🔐 Client vs Server Status Codes:

• Client Status Codes: Set by registrars, and depending on the registrar, they are set upon registering the domain or when requested by the domain owner
• Server Status Codes: Set by registries, and they take precedence over client codes. If you remember from the previous section, registries reside higher up in the domain name registration hierarchy than registrars

Common Client Status Codes

Status Code	Description
clientHold	Tells your domain's registry to not activate your domain in the DNS and therefore it will not resolve. An uncommon status that is usually active during legal disputes, non-payment, or when your domain is subject to deletion.
clientTransferProhibited	Tells your domain's registry to reject requests to transfer the domain from your current registrar to another. Often used as a security measure to prevent unauthorized transfers.
clientUpdateProhibited	Tells your domain registry to reject requests to update the domain information. Provides protection against unauthorized changes.

Common Server Status Codes

Status Code	Description
OK	The standard status for a domain, meaning that it has no pending operations or prohibitions. The domain is active and can be modified or transferred.
autoRenewPeriod	A grace period provided after a domain name registration period expires and is extended or renewed automatically by the registry. If the registrar deletes the domain name during this period, the registry provides a credit to the registrar for the cost of the renewal.
serverTransferProhibited	Prevents your domain name from being transferred from your current registrar to another. An uncommon status that is usually active during legal or other disputes, at your request, or when a redemption period status is in place.

Checking EPP Status Codes

🔍 How to Check EPP Status:
You can inspect the EPP codes of any domain you're interested in simply by performing a WHOIS lookup against it. Navigate to: https://lookup.icann.org/

Enter the domain name and view the "Domain Status" section in the WHOIS record to see all active EPP codes.

🎓 Key Takeaways:

• Registration Hierarchy: ICANN → Regional Registries → Registrars → Resellers → Registrants
• ICANN manages the entire DNS ecosystem including TLDs, root servers, and IP address coordination
• WHOIS records contain all registration and contact information for domains
• Over 1500 TLDs available - consider DNSSEC, IDN support, target audience, and field relevance
• Second-level domains should be short (under 10 characters), easy to spell, pronounce, and remember
• Avoid hyphens, numbers, and acronyms in domain names
• Choose registrars based on pricing, supported TLDs, add-on services, policies, and customer reviews
• Best Practice: Register domain with one provider, host with another for flexibility
• EPP status codes indicate domain status - two types: Client (registrar-set) and Server (registry-set)
• Server codes take precedence over client codes
• Check EPP status using ICANN WHOIS lookup tool
• Common statuses: OK (standard), clientHold (not activated), clientTransferProhibited (transfer blocked)

📚 Practice Exercises

1. Perform a WHOIS lookup on your favorite website and identify its EPP status codes
2. Research three different registrars and compare their pricing for a .com domain
3. Identify which TLD category would be most appropriate for:
   • A local London bakery
   • An international tech startup
   • A government agency
   • An educational institution
4. List three domain names for a fictional coffee shop business following the naming best practices
5. Explain the difference between a registrar and a reseller with examples