Technical FAQ: Domain names, IP addresses and DNS

How do I get my own domain name?
What characters can I use in my domain name and how long can the name be?
Can I view my site with and without the "www"?
Can Demon register my domain name for me?
How long will my domain name registration take?
How much does a domain name cost?
How do I transfer an existing domain name to your servers?
What is "Name Based Hosting"? Do I need an IP for each domain on my Server?
Can I add additional IP addresses?
Does Demon provide DNS service?
What is "shadow primary?"
Can I have my own DNS name servers configured?
Can I use Demon as my secondary DNS?
Can I direct my email to somewhere other than the RaQ?

How do I get my own domain name?

When you sign up for a RaQ from Demon, all you need to do is decide on the domain name you want. Providing that your chosen domain name is available we will take care of all the details for you.

On the order form you will be required to specify the primary name for your RaQ (e.g. mail.mydomain.co.uk). This will be entered as the reverse DNS that your IP address will resolve to for everyone on the Internet. This name will only be changed subject to an administration fee. If you choose to run your own DNS, you will need to ensure that an equivalent forward lookup is in place to match the reverse, otherwise you may not be able to send and receive email, or use other internet services from your RaQ.

What characters can I use in my domain name and how long can the name be?

Domain names can be up to 64 characters long, including the top level domain suffix, such as ".com", at the end. A domain name is not case sensitive and must start and end with a letter or a number and may be composed of letters, numbers, or the dash, "-", character. Underscores, and other punctuation characters, are not allowed.

Can I view my site with and without the "www"?

Yes, you will be able to access the site either with or without the "www" in front of the domain name. Either http://www.yourname.com or http://yourname.com will access your site.

Can Demon register my domain name for me?

Yes, when you order the RaQ service from us we will handle all the domain name registration.

The Demon Hostmasters currently carry out domain transfers for all Demon's and Thus's Internet customers. As you would expect from the largest web hosting company in the UK the Demon Hostmaster team has considerable expertise and experience in dealing with both customers and the various global domain name registries.

How long will my domain name registration take?

Once your domain name registration has been approved, it can take up to 24 hours before it is active.

If you bring a domain name to us from another hosting provider, it requires a modification of the domain record. Domain modifications take longer than registering a new domain, due to the fact that the current administrative or technical contact for the domain must acknowledge the modification request, and cached DNS around the globe needs time to expire before the records Demon serve are picked up

Note: This does not mean it takes this long before you can access your site. At Demon we can allocate an IP address as soon as your application is processed which will allow you to access your server.

How much does a domain name cost?

As part of the comprehensive dedicated hosting package Demon is offering to register and renew your chosen domain name free of charge. Additional domain names can be registered at the normal Demon Domains Services price.

How do I transfer an existing domain name to your servers?

If you hold a domain ending in .uk, you will need to fax your current provider asking them to change the tag to "DEMON". We can then carry out any further required changes.

If you hold a .com .net or .org, please fax your existing provider asking them to acknowledge the transfer request we will send them on your behalf. Please be aware that transfer procedures differ from one registrar to another and that some transfers take longer than others do.

Once Demon receive delegation of the domain, there will be a delay while cached information expires before the records Demon serve will become visible.

If you have a domain other than the above, please seek information about what you need to do to facilitate the transfer from your sales person or account manager.

What is "Name Based Hosting"? Do I need an IP for each domain on my server?

Each RaQ server comes with one IP address. With name based hosting you can use one IP to host up to 50 domains on your RaQ. Name based hosting does not affect the performance or appearance of the domains hosted and is a good way to economise on IP usage. Please note that this is a recommended rather than a hard limit and this figure will increase if you choose to purchase one of our larger memory units, which will become available shortly.

Can I add additional IP addresses?

No, at the present time only one IP address is available per RaQ.

Does Demon provide DNS service?

We will run the DNS on your behalf, and we suggest that you take advantage of this service. However we will, on request, run Shadow Primary for you. Before we will agree to provide shadow primary service, we require you to read the Primary Requirements and then sign the Primary Agreement.

What is "shadow primary"?

If you wish us to run shadow primary for you, your domain is delegated to Demon's DNS servers. However the main DNS server (ns0.demon.co.uk) "shadows" or "mirrors" the information contained on your DNS server, and presents it to the Internet on your behalf. This provides you with control to make changes, while utilising the resilience and support of Demon's DNS servers.

Can I have my own DNS name servers configured?

If you choose, you can configure the RaQ to run as a DNS server, but Demon are unable to provide secondary service for you if you do this. We suggest using our shadow primary service if you wish to retain control of your DNS (except for reverse DNS, which Demon will run in all cases).

Can I use Demon as my secondary DNS?

No.

Can I direct my email to somewhere other than the RaQ?

You are free to point (or have us point) your primary MX record(s) at a mail server of your choosing (i.e. on your own leased line, or with another ISP, subject to their approval), and will still receive relay service for backup MX.

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