If you are transferring your domain to Alentus from another hosting company, or it is still setup to point to your domain name registrar's servers, you will need to 'point' your domain to the Alentus network.
A domain pointer update is normally done by visiting the web site of your domain name registrar and editing the technical information for your domain. You need to change the settings for the DNS host servers that manage the domain so that they point to the Alentus DNS servers. We will normally be managing the individual DNS records for the web, mail and other services of your domain so the host records at the registrar need to be pointed to our DNS (Domain Name Servers).
In general, you need to:
- Login to your registrars web site
- Locate the forms used to manage the domain host pointers
- Replace the current DNS host settings with the Alentus DNS host information.
Specifically, you need to change the host Domain Name Server (DNS) section of the name record and update the record so that the DNS host information matches the information shown below. Most registrars only require the host names, but some may require the IP addresses as well.
Alentus's Domain Name Server information:
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Primary Server Hostname:
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ns1.zabco.net
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Primary Server Netaddress:
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208.123.210.2
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Secondary Server Hostname:
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ns2.zabco.net
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Secondary Server Netaddress:
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208.123.212.2
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There should be no other entries in your domains host pointer settings other than the two Alentus servers shown above. If you have additional servers listed your domain will likely not work correctly due to conflicts among the DNS servers.
Frequently Asked Questions about Domain Transfers
How long does it take for the changes to come into effect?
Once you have entered the host record changes at your registrar, it will take normally take up to 24 hours for the change to come into effect. Most registrars update the root DNS servers once per day.
After the root servers are updated it may take another 24 to 48 hours for the change to propagate across the rest of the Internet. During this period traffic for your domain may or may not reach our servers. If you are transferring a live, busy domain you should keep your old services active until you see that all traffic is going to the Alentus network.
When all changes are complete and have propagated to the rest of the Internet, your domain name will be 'pointing' to the Alentus servers. At this point you will be able to access your site by name with FTP, FrontPage, and your web browser.
What happens to my mail during the transfer period?
As the DNS changes propagate across the Internet mail to your domain will start arriving at our mail server. If you have not set up any POP3 email accounts the messages will be saved in postmaster's inbox.
You will need to login to the admin console as the postmaster for your domain and then you can create your POP3 user accounts, forwarding addresses and make other email configuration settings.
There may also be messages going to your old mail provider during the transfer period. You may wish to check and clear old mail boxes before terminating any existing mail services.
Can I FTP/upload my content and test my site before updating my DNS?
Yes. We provide you with an alternative access URL in your Welcome Kit that can be used to upload content via FTP and to preview this content via your web browser. The alternative access URL is in the form of:
http://www.yourdomain.com.servername.alentus.com.
For example, for the domain "microsoft.com" on server "NS124.zabco.net", the access string would http://www.microsoft.com.ns124.alentus.com. For FTP access, the FTP Host ID would be:
ftp://www.microsoft.com.ns124.alentus.com.
Likewise, there is an alternative access URL listed in your Welcome Kit that can be used to access your Email Admin Console to setup and configure your POP email accounts prior to DNS being updated. See Setting Up Email for more information.
Note: These alternative access URLs are meant to be used during implementation of your hosting plan. After DNS has been updated and fully propagated, please use the regular access methods as indicated in your Welcome Kit.
What is the exact procedure to use at the registrar?
As there are over 1000 domain name registrars worldwide, we cannot provide the exact transfer procedures for each name registrar. The policies and procedures can be quite different from registrar to registrar, so you will need to consult the documentation from your registrar for exact procedures to transfer your website or edit your domain name record.
Each Domain Registrar has different procedures for validating whether the Domain Name Modification request is originating from the true owner of the domain. The Registrar may seek additional verification from you in the form of a signed letter on your letterhead authorizing the modification or transfer of your domain name.
Can Alentus perform the transfer for me?
Normally we cannot perform the transfer on your behalf. The registrar will only make changes requested by the domain owner or an assigned contact. In most cases we are not among the assigned contacts with the name registrar and therefore cannot perform any change requests made by our customers.
It is the responsibility of the domain name owner to make the DNS changes. While we can advise customers who are having trouble transferring their sites, we do not perform this service automatically, nor do we usually have authority to do so in any case.
How can I tell that my host records have been changed correctly?
You can check your domains's WHOIS record at http://whois.alentus.com. The WHOIS servers will return basic information about your domain which usually includes the host domain pointers. Note that the WHOIS system is separate from the actual root DNS servers. Information returned by WHOIS may not match the actual settings on the root DNS servers.
To see how the root servers are set up you can use the Alentus DNS Checker. The DNS Checker queries the root servers and builds a logical map of the current domain settings. From the map you can usually determine if your domain is actually pointing at our servers or not.
For your assistance, the following links will provide you with specific transfer information from the Internet's major domain name registrars.
Verisign (formerly Network Solutions )
Manage your Account
Register.com
Transfer, Changes & Escrow Services
DomainBank
https://www1.domainbank.net/domainmanager/
Namesecure
http://www.namesecure.com/customercare/index_updatecenter.cfm
NameIT.net
Account Login