Number 239 - April 2003
Your Own Domain
By Bart Koslow, from Nibbles and Bytes,
The Journal of Thousand Oaks PC Club, Sept. 2002
   Registering and using your own domain is now inexpensive and easy. You may register a domain name and obtain services such as email, web space for a home page, URL forwarding, etc. for between $9.95 and $15 a year. About three years ago it cost $35 a year just to register a domain name without any services. Competition has brought the price way down.

   Services May Include:

   Email forwarding - My ISP provides my email address as bartkoslow@network56.com. My domain (www.koslow.net) email address is bart@koslow. net. If you send mail to bart@koslow .net, it will be forwarded to bartkoslow@network56.com without your being aware of it. My present domain registrar allows me to use up to 50 email addresses from which mail win be forwarded to any of 50 other email addresses.

   POP mail - A mail box on the Web that permits you to receive and send email to and from an email program on your computer, or to handle mail at the web mailbox. Web space for a home page. Web building tools.

   URL Forwarding - If I had a home page at a site other than my domain host (for example my real home page is at www.aol.com/bartkoslow), and you type www .koslow .net, you would be forwarded to my AOL home page. This may be done without your knowing you are looking at a home page on AOL. In that event, you will still see the website name as www.koslow.net. My present registrar permits forwarding for up to fifteen sub-domain names. Examples of sub-domain names are sales.koslow.net and info.koslow.net.

   Domain Name Server (DNS) Management - You may manage your domain name from your registrar's site.

   Domain Parking - If you do not have a home page, you may set up a parking site. When someone types www. yourdomainname.com, they will see a short title or message provided by you.

   Support by email or phone.
   Here Are Some Registrars' Sites You May Wish To Visit:

   
  • www.gfmedia.net/namesu.com - $9.95/year. Up to fifty email forwarding names free, free URL forwarding, up to fifteen free sub-domains, free DNS management, Parking Page free - up to 255 characters personalized text, 10 page website free with website building tool and hosting -I use and recommend this registrar. Good support. You cannot buy these services as inexpensively.


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  • Namesecure.com/services/index.cfm - $15/one year, $24/two years, $60/five years with free URL forwarding, E-mail Forwarding, and a One-Page Mini-Site.


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  • www.eyeondomain.com - $15/year, $29 for 2 years. Free Domain Parking. Free Domain Control Panel. Free Cloaked Domain Forwarding (with 2 year registration). Free Email Forwarding (with 2 year registration)


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  • www.reserveyourname.com - $14.95/year. Free email forwarding and DNS management.


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  • www.kalberg.net/domains - $15/year. All free: email forwarding, web site hosting, domain management, URL forwarding, and domain parking.


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  • Domains.dewdesigns.com - $15/year. Email forwarding, URL forwarding, DNS management. Poor support. Not recommended.


    •    Here is your chance to become more professional. Let me know if you find other good registrars at competitive prices.
      Number 239 - April 2003