Domain

[peekaboo]

i'd like to register a domain name.
i've read that faulkner132 strongly recommends registering a domain name with a different company than the one you intend to host it with.
i went to godaddy and they don't have the option of searching for .ca domain names (or i'm not seeing it at least).

is there a way to make sure that i own the domain and not the company i bought it through?

is there a way to buy it myself?

does it make any difference if i'm in canada and i register a domain name or host with a US (or any other country) company?
can anyone recommend a good company for registering a domain and one for hosting?

if i intend to use the domain as a "face" for my company (no company yet but i'd like to set it up) so that i can direct people to the company website (to view the regular "who we are", "what we do", "contact us" pages), what kind of package is sufficient?
i have no idea how much storage space or bandwidth (or any of the other features) is necessary.

[Statica]

To register a .ca domain , the procedure is different from that for a .com etc. Check out : http://www.cira.ca/en/register.html for the steps you can go through. A .ca can only be regged through a CIRA certified Registrar.

is there a way to make sure that i own the domain and not the company i bought it through? is there a way to buy it myself?

Most CIRA certified registrars will allow you to buy the domain for yourself. Usually it's only the discount packages that come with domain names that you dont own (stuff like free domain registration with hosting is usually got a lot of fine print)

does it make any difference if i'm in canada and i register a domain name or host with a US (or any other country) company?

None whatsoever. In fact, you'll find that prices for hosting with a US firm is way more reasonable than most in Canada. Once you register your .ca domain, it's just a matter of pointing the DNS to the hosting company's.

can anyone recommend a good company for registering a domain and one for hosting?

For registering a domain, go by pricing from the CIRA website. It's been a few years since I've done a .ca registration but I have used Canadian Domain Name Services and they have been reliable.
For hosting .. it really depends on the level of service for the $ you want to spend. www.hstingmatters.com has been very reliable for me with exceptional service .. for personal domains, surpasshosting.com has been fine.
There are more hosting recommendations here: http://forum.pcmech.com/showthread.php?t=143762

[AndrewLee]

You should check REGISTRAR LOCK option before purchasing domain registration.

[faulkner132]

Originally Posted by peekaboo i've read that faulkner132 strongly recommends registering a domain name with a different company than the one you intend to host it with.

I should clarify.
You should not purchase hosting where they say the domain is free as long as you remain a customer. Once you are no longer a customer, you most likely will never get control of the domain. By registering the domain separately, you are not bound by your hosting to keep control of your domain.

[peekaboo]

Thanks for the replies.

i've purchased a mylastname.ca domain.
i went to the cira website and chose one of their certified registrars.
the price was 10.50 (canadian) per year.
some registrars charge 2-4 times that. what's going on? how can a business that charges 4 times what another business charges for the same product stay in business?

anyway, any guidelines on what kind of package is suitable for a "company face" website?
in the future i intend on setting up additional websites for services that my company will offer and those will require the ability to accept payments (and hopefully lots of visitors). what kind of package is suitable for that?
should i first worry about setting up the simplest website and later, if i actually do offer services, upgrade to a package (whatever that means)?

[peekaboo]

has anyone heard of this site?
they claim to host for free. why would they do that?

[peekaboo]

never mind.
i tried to register for free and if you didn't buy a domain through them, there's a 35 dollar (or something like that) charge.

[DynamicTech]

Godaddy offers reasonable hosting packages AND reliable service. So does Incognito Networks.

[Ob1]

i prefer godaddy.

[beyondthegrave]

I use Sibername.com for .CA domains. No problems so far.

[etownguy]

if you are still interested in registering a domain, I would suggest namespro.ca I have several with them, they also give you a free email address if you are just looking to use the domain for emails, you can also re-direct the domain and their tech support is great.

[peekaboo]

thanks. i already have a registrar which is a little cheaper than namespro (but doesn't give any extras).

i'm going to stick with one registrar unless it gives me trouble.
i've got so many different accounts and passwords floating around that it's become almost impossible to manage.
it used to be ok when i was younger (and smarter i guess) but now i'm starting to sacrifice security and use the same username and password everywhere.

anyway, .ca domains are still available but i challenge you to find a .com one that's not taken (other than kjdliusdfneli5ljksdfl1239034ui2.com). it's crazy.