Transferring a domain name?

[Messiah Khan]

Well it seems my website has just stopped working. It now just goes to the hosts website, and I can't access the ftp site. Im guessing its because I havent payed for ages, although they never asked me for money but meh. Im just wondering how you would go about transferring the domain name? The domain is www.afowler.co.uk which I really want to keep. Do I just find a new host, and get them to transfer the domain, or does the origional host have to do something? And how would I go about proving the domain is mine? Ive had it that long, I can't remember many details they sent me. Also any reccomendations for a host would be appreciated. Its going to be used as an online photography portfolio if that helps.

 

[hargi]

Hi mate
Vidahost.com are who i use and there pritty hot on support. with in a hour usually.
dunno how youd go about keeping your domain name if they just cut you off. i know if your swapping companies then you just as the old host to change a tag.

 

[stoofa]

Right, it's a co.uk domain.
First thing to note is that it is registered until 2009 - this is a good thing, means we're not facing any deadline when all this needs to get sorted.

First thing you'll probably want to do is set up some new hosting somewhere.
I can recommend who I use (www.blurstorm.com), however in such threads everyone will usually recommend whoever they use so you need to make up your own mind on that.
Anyway, get yourself some new hosting and tell them you already have a domain name you want to use - afowler.co.uk

As to actually transfering the domain name you've got a few options open to you.

1. You allow Easyspace to continue to look after the domain for you.
No real problem here.
Your new webspace hosts will tell you what to change the nameservers to on your domain, you contact Easyspace and ask them to make the changes for you.
At the same time you can ask them if you have any Control Panel access to your domain so you can make changes now and in the future yourself.

2. You transfer the domain name to either your new webspace hosts or another company where you've got access to the domain via a control panel.
Somewhere such as www.123-reg.co.uk would be as good a choice as any.
You would create yourself a free account at 123-reg.co.uk
You then would contact Easynet and ask them to transfer the domain from them to 123-reg.co.uk
They do this by changing the IPStag from "EASYSPACE" which it is currently set to "123-REG".
Once the tag has been changed you can then simply move the domain into your free account and make the changes to the nameservers (as mentioned in option 1) yourself.
It should be free to transfer the domain.

3. If Easynet prove to be a little difficult to contact then you will want to contact Nominet directly.
For a fee (£20+vat) they will change the IPStag on your domain name for you.
Again you will want a domain holding account setting up before taking this route as Nominet will want to know who's tag to use.

 

[Messiah Khan]

Thanks guys. If I was to stay with Easyspace would it simply be a case of signing up to another hosting package, then them changing the tag again, without any hassle of moving the domain etc. Alao if I wanted things like a message board, and a blog would I require any specific features in the hosting package? I know its probably impossible to answer, but what amount of traffic (in terms of hits etc) would you be looking at for 10GB per month bandwidth on photograhpy website (assuming each pic is ~300Kb)? 10Gb pm should be plenty to start with shouldn't it?

 

[stoofa]

With regards your actual domain name - by far the easiest way to proceed would be to see if they offer you Control Panel access to your domain name.
If they do, they will give you the username & password for it.

All changes to the domain (name server changes are the most important) can then be done by you without the need to contact their technical support people.
If they don't offer you Control Panel access, seriously consider a domain holding company that does.
123-reg.co.uk do and there are a few more here that different people recommend who do.

For the time being look at the company who hosts your domain name and the people who actually host your website as two entirely different companies/entertis.
Once you've got full control of your domain (via a Control Panel) it will make life so much easier for you.

 

[InvaderGIR]

With regards your actual domain name - by far the easiest way to proceed would be to see if they offer you Control Panel access to your domain name.
If they do, they will give you the username & password for it.

All changes to the domain (name server changes are the most important) can then be done by you without the need to contact their technical support people.
If they don't offer you Control Panel access, seriously consider a domain holding company that does.
123-reg.co.uk do and there are a few more here that different people recommend who do.

For the time being look at the company who hosts your domain name and the people who actually host your website as two entirely different companies/entertis.
Once you've got full control of your domain (via a Control Panel) it will make life so much easier for you.

Yup, I just set up a site for myself, went to 123reg and registerd the domain I wanted, with .com and .co.uk, and then went to a hosting company and got the nameserver info from the hosting company, and entered it into the CP on 123reg, and now I have my site set up (the .com, need to do a referal for the .co.uk).

Even if yours are the same company, they are two different departments (if you will), the payments you make once a year will be for the hosting department, and the payments you make at different intervals will be the domainname department.

You can easily transfer the hosting company solong as you have a CP for the domain (not the FTP etc. access, a different CP).

InvG