What did we mean by that?

Your Domain is the name you are known by on the Internet, but it's not what the computers use. Computers use a binary number to address the computer on which your web pages are stored or e-mail box is saved. The service which translates the human friendly name into the binary number is called DNS.

DNS is designed to keep going when something goes wrong. The rules say you must have at least 2 machines doing the translations for a domain. These machines should be well away from each other, to protect you against any single failure, like a hub going down, a power cut or a communications cable being dug up.

If your service provider has DNS servers which are on the same lan they are breaking the rules, and putting your service at risk.

You can check this out from unix or Windows NT by using the program nslookup which runs in a terminal window
 

In this, unfortunately common, example the IP addresses of the name servers only differ in the right-hand (least significant) group --- these servers are on the same lan, which should make one cautious about using an-isp.net for DNS service.

For any domain the DNS servers should be:

• On different Computers
• On different Networks
• Powered from different Electricity Supply companies
• Use different routes to the major network switching centres (NAPS)

OA5's service is based on our server in Britain, and our partner's server in Stockholm. This geographic spread means that the service we deliver for our customers fully meets all the requirements.

DNS from OA5 is done right

There ain't no such thing as a free lunch. Some very low cost domain registrations are simply attempts to lock you in. When you check, the domain is registered to the company offering the service, and nowhere is there any indication that it was registered for you.

Some of our clients had to get new domains because their first domain was registered by a now defunct ISP.

OA5 makes a point of ensuring that the registration shows you as the owner of the domain. We subscribe to the ISPA-UK code of of conduct and will transfer administration of your domain promptly on your request, provided you have paid the registration fees.

How often have you heard

“I was looking for a really great name for my website, I thought I'd found one, but when I came back two days later to register it, it was taken!”

You don't have to be paranoid to believe that some registry agents are feeding off your creativity to find good names to register and sell later. Fortunately many countries are now taking the view that domain camping is antisocial, and the courts are evicting squatters. It doesn't help when what you are seeking is a new servicemark.

OA5 has logs in case something goes wrong, not to see what ideas you've been trying out.