What is a Domain Name?

In many ways, a domain name is similar to a customized license plate. It is a unique Internet address that can be used for e-mail, web hosting, etc. It allows you to receive information at your customized e-mail address. It is your company’s identity on the Internet.

If your organization is My Company, Inc., you could register the domain name of mycompany.com and your e-mail address could be tom@mycompany.com.

Why do I need one?

So that your prospects and customers can find you at your unique address on the Internet. By reserving your name now, it assures you that the name you want will be available when you are ready to use it….next week or next year.

Is the name I want available?

We’ve made that easy by providing a direct link to whois at the InterNIC.  You can do that from here or read on and complete your search later.  Before attempting to register your name, check to make sure your preferred name is not already in use.

What is a Top Level Domain (TLD)?

Every domain name is made up of at least two parts. They are of equal value and importance because they have to be input exactly in order for someone to reach you.

mycompany.tld. In Internet language the .tld represents the Top Level Domain. A tld is one of the following:

org - organization

net - network, infrastructure or machine

edu - educational institutions

gov - governmental agency

com - commercial (most businesses)

The three most common, .com, .net and .org can be registered by virtually anyone for almost any reason. 

How long can the name be?

mycompany is the second level domain.  Due to recent changes in the registration process, domain names can now be up to 63 characters. The entire domain name including the .com must not exceed 67 characters. There are conflicting reports on the exact length, so we strongly recommend that the entire domain name, including the .com extension not exceed 63 characters. The only valid characters for a domain name are letters, numbers and a hyphen. The domain must begin and end with Alphabetical or numeric characters.  Other special characters are not permitted.

Why can’t I just register my domain myself?

InterNIC requires that a domain name be associated with at least 2 name servers to be registered. By associating our nameservers with your domain name, you meet the "active" domain requirement.

What will it cost me?

For $95.00 we will register and pay for your domain name. This covers the first two year period of registration. This fee also includes the free web page and if you choose free URL forwarding.  At the end of the two year period, should you elect to continue, we will reregister your site with InterNIC for an additional two years for the flat fee of $75.00 which includes the cost of the domain and parking your domain on our NameKeeper.com servers.

No more billings from InterNIC to contend with.  We’ve taken the hassle out of domain name shopping by providing a one stop service.

What do I get for my money?

For your $95.00 fee, we will register your domain with the InterNIC, fill out all the necessary paperwork, associate our name servers with your domain and provide you with a temporary home page, that you can customize using one of our templates, that announces your domain and company information.

We offer free URL forwarding, if you want this new account to go to another web site. For an additional fee, we can also offer email forwarding from your new account. That is, any mail that might come to this account could be automatically forwarded to your existing email account.  

We reserve the right to limit where sites can be forwarded. We will not URL forward any site to an Adult content site.

Can NameKeeper.com host my new web site once it is created?

 If you want us to host your active web site, we can do this for $75.00 per month and this includes up to 10 meg and offers up to 5 email accounts and email forwarding.  Under this plan, we support Front Page Extensions and will provide to you FTP access.

Who owns the domain name reserved at NameKeeper.com?

You do. You will be setup as the administrative contact while we act as your technical and billing contacts. By having yourself listed as the administrative contact, you have complete control over your domain.

How long can I keep a name with NameKeeper.com?

You may keep your domain with us as long as you like provided your account is current.  Your initial registration covers the first 2 year period.  After that, you domain name license needs to be renewed. You can however, move your domain at anytime to any other service provider that you choose at no additional charge.  If you elect to move your domain name, be sure to change the billing contact.  As a matter of courtesy, we would like to hear from you as well to know that you are moving your site.

Can I get E-Mail at my new domain name?

Yes. For an additional fee of $10.00 per month (billed quarterly in advance), we can set you up with your own POP mail account. You can use this account or have any mail sent to this account forwarded to any other valid email account that you wish. By having your own POP mail account you have established a permanent e-mail address that you can use regardless of how many times you change service providers. You have the option of canceling your email account after any quarterly billing period.

By paying in advance for the 2-year period, we will reduce your monthly cost of email to $5.00 per month, but again, it must be paid in full, in advance for the 2-year period.  Your cost of email will then be $120.00 for the 2-year period plus the cost of the domain registration of $95.00 bringing your new total to $215.00.  In the event that you move your domain name before the 2 year period is up, unused email fees are nonrefundable under the advance payment plan.

How long does it take to register my domain name?

It can range from a day or two to up to two weeks. Once we receive your request, we will process it promptly. The InterNIC is extremely busy but will process our order on an expedited basis. Once we receive confirmation we will advise you by e-mail. We strongly suggest that you do not publish or advertise your new address until you have received this confirmation.

mycompany.com is taken….what do I do?

You have a few alternatives. You could contact the owner of that name and attempt to offer them lots of cash, but they probably won’t sell.

More likely, you will want to try different variations of the requested name. Try, for example, mycompanyforyou.com, mycompany4u.com or any other creative version of what you want. Remember, information to the left of the .com is not case sensitive so don’t try to get cute with capitalization. MyCompany.com won’t work if mycompany.com is already taken.  With the expanded character set limits, virtually any domain name that you envision has the potential of being available.

I’ve submitted my name….it’s guaranteed, right?

Not so. Not until you have received your official notification by e-mail from NameKeeper.com.

Who is NameKeeper.com?

We are owned by Data-Vision, Inc.   Just 2 miles from The University of Notre Dame, located in Mishawaka, Indiana, Data-Vision specializes in the design and creation of Web sites worldwide. NameKeeper.com grew out of requests from our clients to find an affordable server to park domain names.

Why do I need Namekeeper.com to reserve my domain name?

Remember, the InterNIC requires that a domain name be associated with at least 2 name servers. We fulfill that requirement for you.

What will people see if they access our domain name?

For people using browsers that support virtual hosts, they will see a temporary home page that announces your domain name and company addressing information including phone numbers. If you add the e-mail option, we will provide a direct e-mail message form so that they can contact you directly from this site. Fortunately, Netscape 2.0 or higher and Explorer 3.0 or higher, which over 95% of all net users have, support virtual hosts. People using older browsers will be taken to the NameKeeper home page.

Can I cancel my requested domain name and or email service once I’ve submitted it?

No.  Our system will automatically submit your name for reservation almost as soon as you submit it.  Once submitted, it cannot be refunded or changed, so be sure that you have it correct when you submit your information.