Domain transfer

Hi,

I'm considering hosting with HostGator. Forgive what's probably a newbie question, but I'm trying to see how to best transfer my domain name.

This looked useful: http://www.hostgator.com/moving.shtml
But it seems that is about transfer of the hosting itself rather than the domain name.

Currently I have: domain with target domain, which just forwards to my website, hosted with my ISP.

Ideally I'd like to do this:

• Set up my newly hosted website, initially without my own domain name.
• Transfer the domain name from Target Domain to HostGator, without letting it back on the open market in between.
• Switch the domain from forwarding to my old site to my newly hosted site.

So how do I do all that? Or am I going about it the wrong way?

Thanks,
Rob.

[gtgeorge]

You will need to have your account set up with the domain name. There would be no need to direct to your HG account with a forward as the dns should be changed when you are ready to direct visitors to your new account. Then if and when you want to change registrars, your can transfer the domain with the dns records intact to whichever registrar you want to manage your domain name. Be sure that if transfering a domain, to do so before getting too close to the expiration date.

[Goddess Dix]

Originally Posted by RobertWebb

Hi,

I'm considering hosting with HostGator. Forgive what's probably a newbie question, but I'm trying to see how to best transfer my domain name.

Everybody was a noob once.

• Set up my newly hosted website, initially without my own domain name.
• Transfer the domain name from Target Domain to HostGator, without letting it back on the open market in between.
• Switch the domain from forwarding to my old site to my newly hosted site.

You're making it harder than it really is. When you set up your HG account, use the domain you will be using. The internet won't point to it on HG servers until after you change the nameservers. So keep your registration active on the domain as George told you. Just set up the site here, and when you're ready, you change the nameservers on your domain to the ones HG gave you. Make sure you have a few days overlap between your old setup and HG's account.

On domain registration, it doesn't matter who it's registered with (other than, sometimes, bad webhosts will not release it nicely if they know you're leaving. so that's something to be aware of).

If it were me, I'd probably transfer the domain to a third party first, leaving the nameservers the same, do your site on HG, and then change the nameservers. While HG is a good company, in general, it's a better idea to keep your domain name and hosting seperate to avoid complications with uncoooperative hosts. For HG, I would feel fine having them both together, but I'd be remiss if I didn't mention best practice.

Originally Posted by Goddess Dix

When you set up your HG account, use the domain you will be using.

Er, OK, but the domain name will already be taken (ie by me with the other Registrar), or doesn't that matter?

While HG is a good company, in general, it's a better idea to keep your domain name and hosting seperate to avoid complications with uncoooperative hosts.

I've seen a few people say this. Could you give an example of what could happen with an uncooperative host? Since HG's hosting includes one free domain registration, it seems a shame not to use it :-)

If the domain and hosting are separate, does this mean there are more ways for my site to have downtime? That is, either if the hosting goes down, or if the domain goes down? Or doesn't it work that way?

Thanks,
Rob.

[Goddess Dix]

Originally Posted by RobertWebb

Er, OK, but the domain name will already be taken (ie by me with the other Registrar), or doesn't that matter?

No. All you have to do is change the nameservers on the domain record to HG's when you want the internet to "see" your new site at HG.

I've seen a few people say this. Could you give an example of what could happen with an uncooperative host? Since HG's hosting includes one free domain registration, it seems a shame not to use it :-)

Go ahead and take the free domain. You can always transfer it later if you want to.

If the domain and hosting are separate, does this mean there are more ways for my site to have downtime? That is, either if the hosting goes down, or if the domain goes down? Or doesn't it work that way?

No, it won't impact uptime. It's more about having all your eggs in one basket. As an example from last week...I had a client who moved her hosting to me from another company (not HG) about six months ago. She had a free domain with her old host when she signed up; she's not too tech-literate. When it was time to move hosting, I gave her the new nameserver info for her domain and she had them change it. Her domain pointed to my server and all seemed fine.

When the domain was ready to expire, however, they didn't notify her, nor would they let her renew it while in the redemption period, so it quit working. Since they had registered it for her, she was not even listed on the domain. so legally, she didn't own it. (You always need to be the registrant on your domains.) We were waiting for it to expire completely to try and get it back, but it was re-registered before I got to it by somebody who buys expiring domain names. I've emailed them, but chances are, she'll have to find a different domain for her site.

I've seen this happen more than once. In short, once they know you're leaving, some hosting companies will do whatever they can to make life difficult for you.

TVM for this and other informative threads. Can I , as another new (and not very ‘hosting service literate’) customer who is just about to go with HG, ask a very simple question.

I have several small personal / non commercial web sites. Mostly these are a few pages of HTML with some javascript menus. One is a photography site which may see a little more bandwidth traffic than the others. By commercial standards I should imagine my requirements are ‘light’.

I already have registered domain names for these sites parked elsewhere (with a UK registration service) which ‘point’ to each home using URL masking …. and would like this to continue, keeping my hosting and domain registration separate.

Is there any disadvantage to my being UK based & dealing with a US base hosting service.

I understand that I would set up in the first instance with my main domain name then add the others? Presumably this means I would place each web site in it’s own folder and point it’s URL to the home page within that folder?

When I try and order the hosting service the first selection box has the option ‘I will use My Existing Domain and update My Nameservers only’. I presume this is the option to use and place my main domain name there?

However I don’t actually want to transfer in my domain names but simply redirect from my UK registration service …. is this OK? I’m correct in thinking that I don’t actually have to transfer my UK domain names to HG?

Sorry for the very basic questions but I’m just trying to get my head around this so I get it right from the start.

Cheers, Dave B.

Oh, and, ment to mention .... I'm thinking opf going for the Shared Hosting 'Baby' service. Does that seem reasonable, at least until I get started.

Dave B.

[Goddess Dix]

Howdy, Dave. Welcome to HG.

Originally Posted by davebuk

I already have registered domain names for these sites parked elsewhere (with a UK registration service) which ‘point’ to each home using URL masking …. and would like this to continue, keeping my hosting and domain registration separate.

you don't need to use masking to keep the two separate. by using a different company for the registration than for the hosting, you've already satisfied that stipulation. when you sign up with hg (or wherever), i'd suggest you just change the nameserver info to what hg tells you to and let the domains point directly to your hosting account.

Is there any disadvantage to my being UK based & dealing with a US base hosting service.

Well, maybe one of the UK folks will chime in with an experienced opinion of somethign i didn't think of, but i doubt there should be much difference in your experience.

I understand that I would set up in the first instance with my main domain name then add the others? Presumably this means I would place each web site in it’s own folder and point it’s URL to the home page within that folder?

you'll be setting them up as addon domains, which is very easy with your control panel. you get in there, tell it what domain you want to set up, and it makes the folder for you within your root site folder and handles the redirection for you. for all intents and purposes, it works just like the main domain will, and visitors will not know the difference. you have one control panel for both the main and addon domains in this case.

When I try and order the hosting service the first selection box has the option ‘I will use My Existing Domain and update My Nameservers only’. I presume this is the option to use and place my main domain name there?

yes.

However I don’t actually want to transfer in my domain names but simply redirect from my UK registration service …. is this OK? I’m correct in thinking that I don’t actually have to transfer my UK domain names to HG?

right, you don't have to change your registar. all you'll be doing is updating your domain record with the nameservers hg assigns you, so that the internet knows where to look for your site now.

Sorry for the very basic questions but I’m just trying to get my head around this so I get it right from the start.

No need for apologies. Everybody was a noob once.

Thanks Dix for your very full & helpful response .... both a Goddess & a Royal Croc indeed

I've just signed up for the Baby package and went sweet as a dream. Received my confirmation email with all my account details, IP, etc and just visited my CPanel (blimey, that was easy)

Now off back to base to upload some pages for my main site & check out changing the DNS etc.

Thanks again ........ but please reserve me some space in your hectic daily schedule for all the other dumb Qs still to wing their way over the pond!

Dave B

[Goddess Dix]

Originally Posted by davebuk

Thanks again ........ but please reserve me some space in your hectic daily schedule for all the other dumb Qs still to wing their way over the pond!

Glad I could be of assistance.

Hey, me again.

I decided to sign up, but the first sign-up question lef tme unsure. I was given these options:

1. Register New Domain
2. I will use My Existing Domain and update My Nameservers only

I want to start off with option 2, but once my site is set up I will transfer the domain hosting too. So I have some new questions:

• If I select option 2, can I still transfer the domain at a later time for free? Will there be a domain hosting credit on my account or something?
• Until I have set up my site (ie before my current domain points to it), where can I see it? Will it have an address like www.hostgator.com/my_user_name or something?

Thanks,
Rob.

[slapshotw]

Not sure about the first question (ask sales, via a ticket, for a definite answer and written record if they say yes), but the answer to the second question is yes. You'll be able to do it by IP.

Originally Posted by RobertWebb

Since HG's hosting includes one free domain registration, it seems a shame not to use it :-)

I wrote this about a month ago. Was I imagining things? There is no mention now of hosting accounts including one free domain registration.

I just emailed them to ask if something changed. They didn't say whether it had changed but confirmed that the domain registration would
have to be purchased from them separately.

I also can't find any mention on HostGator's site of how to purchase domain name registrations.

Rob.

[Sam]

Originally Posted by RobertWebb

I also can't find any mention on HostGator's site of how to purchase domain name registrations.

www.HostGator.com/domains