What platform or operating system (OS)
does SPIKE 1 use?
Our servers run the Apache Web server over the OpenNA Linux
Operating System. [top]
Does SPIKE 1 offer dial-up access to
the Internet?
No, you will need to contact your local Internet Service Provider
(ISP) for local dial-up access to the Internet. [top]
Does SPIKE 1 also design web pages?
SPIKE 1 does not offer web designing services. However, we
do offer Instant Web Sites via our Site Builder service for
your web design needs. [top]
What is the typical SPIKE 1 server configuration?
SPIKE 1's minimum server configurations are Intel Pentium III
machines with Ultrawide 160 SCSI HDD (10,000 RPM with typical
access times of 4.2 m/s). Unlike many of our competitors who
employ inexpensive IDE drives, our Ultrawide 160 SCSI hard drives
ensure superior server performance and reliability. [top]
Can I securely accept credit card information
through my web site?
Several of our configurations offer SSL (secure socket layer)
do offer encryption. SSL encryption is also offered with our
Commerce (ecommerce) plans. This allows users of your site to
submit credit card information with confidence, knowing that
it is being transmitted safely and securely through the Internet.
[top]
What statistical package does SPIKE 1
offer?
All SPIKE 1 plans include Webalizer for (graphical) statistical
information. [top]
Do you offer any ready-to-run cgi-scripts?
Yes, SPIKE 1 offers several ready-to-run cgi-scripts with several
of our plans. These scripts include FormMail (secured version),
Guestbook, and WWWboard (bbs). We're always on the lookout for
other reliable and popular cgi-scripts to make available to
our customers. [top]
Does SPIKE 1 allow cronjobs?
No, for security reasons and to ensure our continued high level
of service and reliability, SPIKE 1 does not allow individual
(user) cronjobs to be run from our systems. [top]
Does SPIKE 1 support third-level domains
or subdomains?
SPIKE 1 supports third level domain names with any of our web
hosting packages (for a minimal fee), such as "name.yourdomain.com";
however we do not allow sub directory pointers, or subdomains.
[top]
What is a "domain name"?
A domain name is the label used to identify your Web site,
for example SPIKE1.net. It usually describes some aspect of
your site and is easier for your visitors to remember than your
Web address, also known as your IP address.
In order for visitors to access your site on the Internet,
you must select a unique domain name and register it with an
accredited domain name registrar. You can register a domain
name with SPIKE 1 for only $19.95 (per/year)! [top]
What kinds of things should I consider
when choosing a domain name?
Because your domain name will represent your business, you
should make sure that the name you choose is memorable, descriptive
and that it instills confidence, particularly if you plan on
selling goods and services on your site.
Your domain name can be up to 67 characters long and can include
any combination of letters, numbers and dashes (although it
cannot start or end with a dash). A domain name must end with
a domain extension, such as .net, .com, .org or .edu. The letters
“www” at the beginning of a name are not considered
part of the domain name. [top]
What kind of domain name extensions
can I use?
While SPIKE 1 can host any legitmit extension recongonized
on the Internet. We can assist you in registering domains with
.com, .net, .org, .info, .biz and .us extensions. [top]
Can I have more than one domain name?
Can they both point to the same Web site?
You can have as many domain names as you like. You can have
each domain name point to a different site, or you can have
multiple domain names point to the same Web site (but not to
different pages within the same Web site). Many companies register
several domain names and have them all point to the same central
Web site. This is known as a “domain alias.”
Registering multiple domain names for the same site not only
brings the largest draw to your site but it also can prevent
competitors from poaching your potential customers. When picking
multiple domain names—or aliases—for the same site,
consider variations of your name such as common misspellings
as well as both singular and plural versions of the name. [top]
I have decided on my domain name. What
is the process for registering it?
Once you have decided on a domain name and have checked that
it is available, you will need to register it. SPIKE 1 can assist
you with the process of registering your new domain name. [top]
I want to reserve my name, but I'm not
ready to post my site yet. What are my options?
You have a number of different options. If you think you may
want to get your site up and running in the near future, you
can go ahead and register your name and sign up for a hosting
plan now. You will receive an "Under Construction"
page that all your site's visitors will see until you are ready
to publish your site.
If you think it may be a while before you are ready to publish
your site, or if you want to reserve your name "just in
case," you can select a plan that offers only domain name
registration. With this plan, your domain is registered so that
no one else can use it, but you do not have to pay for a complete
Web hosting plan. This is sometimes referred to as "parking"
your domain. You can also select a domain name registration
plan that provides you with several email accounts. If you decide
you want to go ahead and publish a Web site later, you can quickly
upgrade your plan. [top]
What does it cost to register my domain
name?
Your .com, .net, .org, .info, .biz or.us domain name is only
$19.95 (per/year) with SPIKE 1! No catch, no hassle. You own
your domain name for only $19.95 (per/year) a year and included
in that, you receive free domain name forwarding, an under construction
page, a Web based control panel, nameserver management, renewal
protection service, and superior support. [top]
Why is SPIKE 1 offering such a low price
on domain name registrations?
We are committed to our customers and want to make their Web
presence experience as positive as possible, including its impact
on the pocketbook. A main mission of SPIKE 1 is to provide the
most reliable and hassle-free Web hosting at the lowest price
possible without sacrificing support. As domain name registration
is the first step in establishing Web presence, so we are simply
extending our regular way of doing business to domain name registration
service as well. [top]
How is SPIKE 1 able to do this?
First of all, we have developed very close relationships with
an accredited registrar and have negotiated low prices for ourselves
so we could pass along the savings to our customers.
Secondly, we want to remove any barriers to customers’
establishing an online presence. That’s why we are offering
the domain name registration at such a low cost to our customers.
Other registrars may charge less, but they are losing money
on the transaction... and ultimately they will not be in business
long.
Finally, SPIKE 1 runs a very efficient operation, perhaps more
efficient than anyone else in the industry. We have always been
a leader in delivering maximum value because our highly automated
internal operation allows us to reduce our operational costs.
[top]
How do I register a non-US domain name?
Although SPIKE 1 welcomes and currently hosts many international
domains we do not register international domains with the respective
foreign domain name authority. The registration of international
domains is the responsibility of our international customer.
Below is a general summary on how to begin the process of international
domain registration. It should be noted that the process is
slightly different for each country.
Check with the proper domain registration agency to verify that
your new domain name is available. Once an available name is
selected the proper forms and templates for the registration
procedures must obtained. Complete and submit the necessary
forms to the proper domain registration agency.
Because many international domain registration agencies require
an account to be created on SPIKE 1's servers before they will
proceed with the domain registration procedure, you will need
to submit an order first. If your local domain registration
agency has this requirement you should submit your order to
SPIKE 1 before requesting the registration of your domain name.
Once you submit your order to SPIKE 1 we will e-mail the account
information of your account within 4-6 hours of placement of
the order. The account information will include your new IP
address and the information regarding our nameservers and their
respective net addresses. Once you have received the account
information from SPIKE 1 you should then wait 24 hours before
requesting the registration of your domain name to ensure that
our nameserver information has been propagated.
When filling out the necessary domain registration forms and
templates for your local domain registration agency be sure
to include the IP address and nameserver information that we
included in your account information. [top]
How do I transfer an existing domain
name?
SPIKE 1 will also assist you in transferring your domain to
us. Once we receive your order and payment we will immediately
send a MODIFY DOMAIN form to InterNIC. Once InterNIC receives
the request, they will send an acknowledgment request to the
administrative contact registered with the specific domain.
Once the administrative contact acknowledges the transfer request,
InterNIC will then proceed to update their records.
The acknowledgment form that InterNIC will send to the administrative
contact requires an ACK (approve) or NAK (disapprove) in the
appropriate field. The instructions on how to respond to the
acknowledgment form and where to place the ACK or NAK is clearly
explained on the top of the message. Once complete, the form
must be sent back to InterNIC in TEXT format. When InterNIC
receives the completed acknowledgment form, the process for
the domain transfer will begin. This process will be updated
in approximately 48 hours but could take up to 72 hours to completely
propagate.
While waiting for the new nameserver information to propagate
we recommend maintaining your site at your current host so that
there will be no down time for your site. During this time you
can use the IP address given to you in your account information
to mirror your web site until the transfer is complete.
When filling out a MODIFY DOMAIN form it is essential to use
the same name and address on file with InterNIC. The correct
information can be found by doing a WHOIS query on the domain
name. If the company name differs from that which is on file,
InterNIC will treat the transfer as a delete/new (see below),
and will not allow the transfer to be completed. [top]
What if my MODIFY DOMAIN request is
refused... (because InterNIC cannot verify who I am?)
Although you may be the authorized contact for the domain,
if the e-mail address you used to send the request does not
match the e-mail address on file in the WHOIS database, the
request will be refused. This normally occurs when your e-mail
address changes, for whatever reason, and you do not update
your contact record.
NOTE: if possible, you should update your contact record
using your old e-mail address - before you switch to the new
e-mail address. Instructions on how to change your contact record
are listed below.
If InterNIC cannot recognize you as an authorized contact because
of a change in e-mail address, you will receive a message indicating
that your request has been rejected and that the other contacts
on file for the domain have been notified of the request. If
any of the other contacts confirm and respond to the request,
the update will be made within 48 hours, no further action is
required.
If none of the other contacts confirm your request you can submit
verification via fax. The fax must be on company letterhead
from the organization listed as the Registrant in the WHOIS
database (this is the organization listed at the top of the
WHOIS record), and must be signed by the legal registrant.
If you still have not heard anything after ten business days
you may want to call the Network Solutions (InterNIC) Help Desk
Monday - Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. ET at 703-742-4777.
[top]
How do I change my contact information
if I no longer have access to the e-mail account listed in the
WHOIS database?
Complete and submit a Contact Template. Send the template to
hostmaster@internic.net using your current e-mail address. InterNIC
will then send a message stating that the changes cannot be
verified. Upon receipt of this message a fax should then be
sent to hostmaster (703-42-9552) authorizing the changes. The
instructions and the templates for the fax forms are located
on the Network Solutions web site (starting link below):
http://www.networksolutions.com/
IMPORTANT: Record the date, time and the fax number that was
used to send the verification fax. InterNIC will use this information
to verify the fax and to follow up on any other problems that
could arise. [top]
What is propagation?
Information regarding site locations are recorded on DNS tables
or nameservers. These records are updated by Internet Presence
Providers to reflect the addition and changes of site locations.
When a web surfer types your domain name into their Web browser,
their request is passed to a nameserver which tells the browser
of the physical location (the IP address) of your domain on
the Internet. When your site location changes, or changes are
made to your domain registration records, nameservers around
the world must be notified of the new change. This process is
referred to as propagation.
Propagation normally lasts 48-72 hours. During this period,
if you are transferring your domain, some nameservers will refer
to the old location of your site and some to the new location.
Therefore, a visitor accessing your site may be directed to
either the old or new location. It is usually best to keep your
previous hosting company until your transfer has had time to
take place (typically 3-4 days). After the propagation period
is over you should contact your previous provider and request
them to delete your domain from their servers. Once this has
been done and the new information has been completely propagated
the transfer is complete. [top]
Whom shall I contact regarding InterNIC
billing?
All questions regarding InterNIC's billing and payments should
be directed to (703)742-4777 or you may email them at hostmaster@rs.internic.net.
To make credit card payments over the phone please call (888)771-3000
or (402)496-9788 for international calls. [top]
What is a NIC handle?
Every entity registered with InterNIC has a NIC handle. You
can use the same NIC handle as contacts for several domains.
This way, if you make a change to the NIC handle (i.e., the
e-mail address), all domains using that NIC handle will be updated
as well. [top]
