Domain Name Registrars, Who Are They? What are Domain Name Registrars?

A domain name registrar is an entity, accredited by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) or by a National Country Code Top-Level Domain (ccTLD) authority, to manage the reservation of Internet domain names in accordance with the guidelines of the designated domain name registries and offer such services to the public.

• The domain name industry is regulated and overseen by ICANN http://www.icann.org and ccTLD authorities.

What Does ICANN Do?

When browsing to a page on the Internet, you type a unique web address into your computer. ICANN coordinates these unique identifiers across the world. Without that coordination, we wouldn’t have one global Internet.

• ICANN coordinates the Domain Name System (DNS), Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, space allocation, protocol identifier assignment, generic (gTLD) and country code (ccTLD) Top-Level Domain name system management, and root server system management functions. These services were originally performed under U.S. Government contract by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA http://www.iana.org) and other entities. ICANN now performs the IANA function.

Domain Names Ending With Two-Letter Combinations, How to Register These Domains?

Two letter domain names, such as .uk and .jp, are called country code top-level domains (ccTLDs) and correspond to a country, territory, or other geographic location. The rules and policies for registering ccTLDs vary significantly and a number of ccTLDs are reserved for use by citizens of the corresponding country.

IANA Registrar Root Zone Database

For details about ccTLD registration policies, you should contact the designated country code manager. A complete list can be found at the IANA Root Zone Database.

• The IANA Root Zone Database list of gTLDs and all delegated ccTLDs & their designated managers can be found here.

The list represents the delegation details of top-level domains, including gTLDs such as “.COM”, and ccTLDs such as “.UK”. As the manager of the DNS root zone, IANA is responsible for coordinating these delegations in accordance with its policies and procedures.

To find specific domain registrar information, click on the above link, search the domain listing for your required domain or country-code TLD, (i.e. .com) and you will see who manages the domain, (VeriSign Global Registry Services, in this case).

Clicking the domain link will give the delegation record (for .com in this example) and at the bottom of the page you will find the registry information, the URL for registration services and the WHOIS Server address.

• Much of this data is also available via the IANA WHOIS protocol service at whois.iana.org. Accepted query arguments are domain names, IP addresses and AS numbers.

Which Registrar Registered My Domain Name?

To access information regarding which registrar registered a particular domain name; please go to the InterNIC Registry Whois Service, internic.net/whois.html.

The Accredited Registrar Directory

The Accredited Registrar Directory is a complete listing by Company/Organisation of companies which have been accredited by ICANN to act as registrars in one or more gTLDs and/or ccTLDs can be found at the InterNIC Accredited Registrar Directory, http://www.internic.net/alpha.html

• Since new accredited registrars are establishing registration services on an ongoing basis, this directory will be updated frequently. It is suggested that you refer to this directory often for new, up-to-date information.

End-User Domain Name Registration

Can an end-user register a domain name with ICANN? Sorry, but it is impossible for an end-user to register a domain name directly with ICANN, a designated registrar must be chosen. Alternatively, you could become a registrar!

• Each accredited registrar must pay a fixed fee of approx. $4000 to ICANN as well as dividing a fee of approx. $3.8 million among all registrars.

You can research your domain name choices at any of the registrars listed in my article, ‘Where to Register Domain Names“. Most of these registrars provide domain name registration, domain name hosting, FREE domain name search facilities and some even give you a FREE domain name if you accept their domain name hosting package.

Domain Name Registrars – Who Are They Conclusion

To summarise, a domain name registrar is an entity, accredited by ICANN or by a ccTLD authority, to manage the reservation of Internet domain names. These are the only people you register your domain name with.

You can research your domain name choices and hosting providers at any of my recommended domain name registers. Most of these registrars provide domain name registration, domain name hosting, free domain name search facilities and some even provide your domain name for free when you register for a domain name hosting package.

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Well, I hope you found something useful and enjoyed this article, Domain Name Registrars, Who Are They?