Do you know where you domain name is registered? What if you need to modify it? What is you changed hosts and needed to change your dns? For those that don’t know, dns stands for “Domain Name Server”, this information tells the internet where to find your website, the exact computer on the internet where your webpages are located.

The bad news is many people do not register their own domain name. You can’t blame them as many people new to the internet have no clue how to properly register a domain name, I sure did’nt when I was new.

Even more bad news is, what if you have a dispute with your current web host and decided to part ways? What if they registered your domain for you when you signed up? Often hosting companies will register a name for a customer and often the contact information is the hosts contact information. After all they are taking care of all the details for you.

So the scenario comes down to you needing to move your website. The first step is to move or upload all your files on the new hosting service. Next step is to change your domain names dns record, you do need to tell the internet that your site now has a new home, located on a different computer on the internet.

The trouble begins. Maybe you dont even know how to change your domain’s information. Or worst, you do, maybe your new host helped you, but now you find out, you can’t get access to your domain name because it was registered by your old host. Often the domain information shows the hosts e-mail adresss for all contact points on the domain. Like I said, they took care of all the details for you.

Will your old host help you change your dns? If you part on a bad note, it’s possible they won’t, or they will drag their feet for ever.

I need to follow my own advice. For years I’ve preached to any one that would listen, ALWAYS make sure you control your domains. What do you think happened to me?

Hey it was’nt my fault.

I switched hosting some time back, the new one looked so good. They were so nice they even gave me a free domain name for signing up. Was’nt that so grand of them? I was happy so I was lazy, I had always thought I need to get that new domain name on my own registrar, with all my other domain names. Never got around to it. Bet your do that some times too, huh?

Before long their support level began to decline, ending with only ticket support, often leaving me hanging, maybe you’ve heard this story before. It was time for a change, for my income sake, a new host was in need. It did’nt take me long to get set-up with a incredible new host, atci hosting, but wait, the fun began.

There was one domain, that was not in my name or under my control. Guess which one? My procrastination catches up with me. I was stuck paying hosting bills on the old host because I was waiting to get control of my one domain. Talk about them dragging their feet. Do you think they did it on purpose.

Getting to the point, have your own registrar account somewhere else and have all your domains under your control, in your name, with YOUR contact information and YOUR e-mail address as contact person. There are many hosting companies that are top notch and would never hold you hostage, but I’m not taking the chance.



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