Domain Name FAQ's

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1. Why should I buy a domain name?

2. How can I find out if a domain name is available?

3. Are there any other domain name extensions besides .com, .net and .org?

4. I already have a domain name, how do I transfer it to you?

5. What does 'parking' a domain name mean?

6. Can I use more than one domain name on the same site?

7. What is the longest term that I can register a domain name?

8. What are the guidelines for a domain name?

9. How much does it cost to register a domain name?

10. Who owns the domain name I register?

11. How do I register a domain name?

12. What is a domain name?

13. How do I choose the best domain name?

14. What if I misspell my domain name?

15. What happens when my domain name expires?

16. How do I change the contact information associated with my domain name?

17. Is my domain contact information available to others?

18. How can I find out whom a domain name has been registered to?

19. What is URL Forwarding?

20. For just $12 a year we can set up URL forwarding for your domain

21. How do I transfer my domain name from Network Solutions or Register.com?

22. How to transfer your website (domain) if you used a registrar other than Network Solutions.

23. What is DNS and how does it work?

24. Do I have to change my IP address when editing my name servers?

25. What is included in your Domain Name + E-mail plan?

1. Why should I buy a domain name?

Whether you are a business or an individual, there are several important reasons for buying a domain name. These reasons include:
Exposure. Your domain name means that anyone in the world can find information about you, your products or your services 24 hours a day.
Protection. Securing a domain name protects your name, your company name or your product name(s) on the Internet.
Profitability. Domain names help to establish the Internet's "points of contact." This is where online buyers, suppliers and partners conduct electronic commerce.
If you have anything to communicate "say" or sell, or if you just want to be more accessible, then securing your unique domain name is a smart move.

2. How can I find out if a domain name is available?
To search for a domain name, simply type the name in the search box on the itsgroup.org home page and click "GO!". Within seconds we will tell you if your selection is available! Keep in mind that your name is not registered until your payment has been processed, and there is no obligation to buy.

3. Are there any other domain name extensions besides .com, .net and .org?

Yes. There are several and we can provide hosting service for all of them, including the new .info and .biz domains. The .com, .net, .org, .info, .biz are known as gTLDs, which stands for 'generic Top Level Domain's. There are no restrictions on who can register these types of domains. There are other gTLDs, such as .mil for military use, .gov for government and .edu for educational institutes, all of which require proof of organization type for registration. There are also ccTLDs, which stands for 'country code Top Level Domain's. Examples include .cc(Cocos Keeling Islands ), .ws (Samoa) .tv, etc. Recent efforts are trying to make these ccTLDs be representative of a more generic function (such as .ws for 'WebSite'). Although these ccTLDs function the same, they do not convey the same universal nature of the gTLDs.

4. I already have a domain name, how do I transfer it to you?

You can easily transfer your domain name to us, and enjoy our discount domain name rates by using our Domain Name Transfer Form.

Enter Here for more detailed information about the transfer process.

5. What does 'parking' a domain name mean?

Domain Name Parking means we will host your domain name with a 'coming soon' web page. Domain parking is a free service at ITS Group Information Technology and is a great way to secure your own domain name (they are going fast!) even if you are not quite ready to publish content. The domain will sit in this 'parked' condition until you are ready to activate one of our hosting packages.

6. Can I use more than one domain name on the same site?

Yes. You can point multiple domain names to the same web site. This is called domain forwarding and is included with all our domain name registrations!

7. What is the longest term that I can register a domain name?

You can register a new domain name from 1 to 10 years. Please note that there are no refunds available on domain name registrations.

8. What are the guidelines for a domain name?
Your domain name may include any letters in the English alphabet, any numbers, the dash (-) and the underscore* (_). No spaces or other characters are allowed. domain names must be less than 64 characters in length (including the extension portion), and must begin and end with a letter or a number. We also offer the following helpful hints:
Be careful using a zero, as it may get confused with the letter "O". To separate words, use the dash (-). Spaces are not allowed. Domain names are not case sensitive, most users enter in all lower-case letters. Try to select a domain name that is a maximum of 15 characters. *Note: The underscore (_) is not allowed in (itsgroup.org) sub-domains.

9. How much does it cost to register a domain name?

$25.00 per year.

10. Who owns the domain name I register?

You become the master of your own domain! Domain name ownership is similar to owning a telephone number; as long as you maintain proper use and payment for the service, you will keep your right to use your domain name. We process the domain name registration with you as the owner.

However, we cannot and do not check to see whether the domain name you select, or the use you make of the domain name, infringes legal rights of others. We urge you to investigate to see whether the domain name you select or its use infringes legal rights of others, and in particular we suggest you seek advice of competent counsel. You may wish to consider seeking one or more trademark registrations in connection with your domain name. You should be aware that there is the possibility we might be ordered by a court to cancel, modify, or transfer your domain name. You should be aware that if we are sued or threatened with lawsuit in connection with your domain name, we may turn to you to hold us harmless and indemnify us.

11. How do I register a domain name?

Start Here. If you want to secure a domain name now, but are not quite ready for our hosting services, you may sign-up for our Domain Name Registration services. This will reserve your domain with a 'coming soon' page until you are ready to begin with a web hosting package. This service is typically referred to as "parking" your domain name. Domain name parking is free at ITS Group Information Technology.

12. What is a domain name?

A domain name is your unique Internet address, the location of your website. Equally important, it also is your e-mail address (you@yourdomain.com, you@yourbusiness.com). Register your domain to distinguish yourself and promote your business. Your domain name and domain e-mail address can always stay with you, even if you change Internet sevice Providers (ISPs). Y

13. How do I choose the best domain name?
Generally, the best names are those that are easy to remember, easy to type, and easy to spell. Short names are usually preferable to long names. For instance, the domain name "johnsgarage.com" is easier to remember than "johnsgarageonseventh.com", even though the longer name is more descriptive. A good domain name will convey a unique sense of what your web site has to offer.

You can register any domain name that is available. In practice, however, there are some restrictions. Our policy states that you cannot register a name which you know to be the registered trademark, service mark, or copyrighted property of another (i.e. cocacola.itsgroup.org). In doing so, this is a violation of the itsgroup.org Terms of Service, and may also violate the copyright or patent laws of the United States and other countries.

14. What if I misspell my domain name?
Unfortunately, once a domain name has been registered, it cannot be changed. Please type your domain name carefully when placing an order! You will be given a chance to review your information before your order is submitted.

16. What happens when my domain name expires?
You will always have the option of renewing your domain name before it expires. You will receive an e-mail giving you the option to renew 30 days before your domain name expires.

17. How do I change the contact information associated with my domain name?
You can change your contact information by logging into your domain manager with your username and password. You will receive this information in an e-mail when your domain name is registered. If you have lost this information, simply call us at 1-800-761-2468 or e-mail support@ITsGroup.org. For your protection, we will not give your password to anyone on the phone. However, we will be happy to email your password to the email address we have on file for you.

18. Is my domain contact information available to others?
Your domain contact information is available to anyone who performs a whois search on the Internet. This rule is set by ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers).

19. How can I find out whom a domain name has been registered to?
Enter the domain name you wish to research in the search box on the itsgroup.org Home Page. If the name is registered, it will be displayed as a link to the public information of the registrant.

20. What is URL Forwarding?
If you currently have a website, itsgroup.org URL Forwarding can make it appear when a visitor types in your domain name. Using our proprietary URL Forwarding technology, we "point" your domain name to your existing site on the Internet. For instance, if you register "www.example.com", you may use itsgroup.org URL Forwarding to "point" to "www.geocities.com/members/neighborhood/joepizz334.html".

21. For just $12 a year we can set up URL forwarding for your domain
- just call customer service at 1-780-669-1548

22. How do I transfer my domain name from Network Solutions or Register.com?

If you have already registered your domain name elsewhere, ITS Group Information Technology will try to assist you in transferring your domain to us. The transfer process depends on the registrar with whom you registered your domain name.

You may transfer of your domain name to ITS Group Information Technology by completing the online order form here and selecting the option, "Transfer Your Existing Domain Name."

To move your domain DNS (or register a new one) to our servers (for hosting, parking, email, etc.) you will need to log in to that "Registrars" web site and update the DNS name servers that they have listed for your domain. For new registrations, they will generally allow you to specify our DNS name servers during the sign up process.

Here is our DNS name server information:   

Please contact other registrars directly to ask about their domain transfer procedures. Inform them that you wish to transfer your domain to ITS Group Information Technology, and provide them with the nameserver information listed above.

While waiting for the new nameserver information to propagate around the Internet, we recommend maintaining your site at your current host to avoid down time for your site. During this time, you can use the IP address that we gave you to mirror your web site on ITS Group Information Technology's servers until the transfer is complete.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us by phone at 1-780-669-1548 Monday through Friday, 9am to 6:30pm EST or by emailing us at support@ITsGroup.org 24 hours per day! 

23. How to transfer your web site (domain) if you used a registrar other than Network Solutions, Inc.

Use our sign up form to register a new domain or use our transfer form to transfer your domain from our home page at

If your transferred (or new) domain was not registered with Network Solutions (internic) then you'll need to transfer your DNS to our server as well as using our transfer/sign up form.

To move your domain DNS (or register a new one) to our servers (for hosting, parking, email, etc.) you will need to log in to that "Registrars" web site and update the DNS name servers that they have listed for your domain.  For new registrations, they will generally allow you to specify our DNS name servers during the sign up process. 

Here is our DNS name server information:

Primary name server: NS1.OILFIELDDIRCTORY.COM -- IP: 216.194.102.226
Secondary name server: NS2.OILFIELDDIRCTORY.COM -- IP: 216.194.102.126
Our Technical NIC Handle: 

For the easiest sign up process, we recommend you use our sign up form on our home page for new domains.  If the domain you want to transfer was registered with Network Solutions (or Internic) then you can simply use the Transfer option from our home page.

24. What is DNS and how does it work?
DNS stands for Domain Name System. It is the system that the Internet uses to convert numerical IP (Internet Protocol) addresses to mnemonic form (eg, www.itsgroup.org). Domain names are registered with a central organization in each country and are also associated with two DNS servers: a primary server and a secondary server.

When someone types a domain name into a web browser, his or her Internet Service Provider's DNS server looks to its cache for an IP address associated with that domain name. If the ISP does not have an entry cached, it sends a "lookup query" to other DNS servers, which then return the IP address associated with the requested domain name back to the ISP. Once the ISP's server has that information, the user can access the web site.

IP addresses are typically 12 digit numbers that identify a computer on the Internet, much like a street addresses. They refer to specific servers and their physical location on the network. Domain names are like the names on the mailboxes - they are associated with people and content.

25. Do I have to change my IP address when editing my name servers?
No. Our system will automatically resolve your IP addresses once the name servers are edited.

26. What is included in your Domain Name + E-mail plan?
Our Domain Name + E-mail plan is for those customers who want to start their web presence by securing their domain name and receiving e-mail at that domain name. For example, you could register www.johnsgarage.com and receive e-mail at info@johnsgarage.com. You will have the option of retrieving and sending your e-mail on the web or by using an e-mail client such as Microsoft Outlook. Please note this plan does not include any server space for a website.

Go Back  If you have any questions: support@ITsGroup.org or Phone 1-780-669-1548.