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What information needs to modified on a domain record in order to host it at Laughing Squid? #
In order for Laughing Squid to host a domain, the primary and secondary name servers associated with the domain record need to be changed to the following (you will need to contact your domain registrar regarding their process for updating your domain record):
Primary Nameserver:
dns1.stabletransit.com
Secondary Nameserver:
dns2.stabletransit.com
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Do you offer domain registration services? #
Laughing Squid does not offer any kind of domain registration services and we do not own or control any of the domains that are hosted by our customers. Our focus is hosting only.
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Do you recommend any domain registrars? #
You are free to choose any domain registrar that you would like to use.
If you are looking for a good domain registrar, we recommend our friends at Hover, a really easy to use domain registration service with an uncluttered interface and amazing customer support.
Once you choose a domain registrar and begin your registration process, be sure to update your domain’s primary and secondary name servers.
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How can you find out if a domain name is available to register? #
You can look up the availability of a domain name using a WHOIS service. Once you choose the domain registrar you want to use, just use their WHOIS lookup form to see if your domain is available for registration.
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How do you look up a domain record? #
A domain record can be looked-up a using a public WHOIS such as InterNIC and Geektools. Also, all domain registrars have this feature located somewhere on their website (usually on their top menu).
Your domain record will show who the various contacts are for the domain (owner, billing, admin, tech) including their email address, which is used when renewal notices are sent out (it’s very important to keep this email address current or else you may not receive your renewal notices before your domain expires). With your domain record, you can also find out who your domain registrar is and when your domain was created, last updated and when it is due to expire.
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Is it possible to request an addition or modification of the DNS entries for my domain? #
Yes, just enter support ticket through the Help Desk to request the setup of an additional A record for a subdomain referencing an outside ip address, a CNAME to redirect to another domain name or to modify your MX records to point to an outside mailserver.
For security reasons, any request to modify a domain record must come from the owner of the account.
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How long does it take to setup a new domain? #
Once you register any new domain(s) and fill out our Web Hosting Order Form, your website(s) should be live within 24-48 hours.
Changes to domain records for domains that were previously hosted with another company may take longer to propagate through the internet. Sometimes you’ll need to wait for your ISP and/or the original host of the domain to clear their DNS server caches.
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How do I change the domain I am hosting to a different domain name? #
To change the domain name that you are hosting with us, it is a three-step process:
- sign up for hosting for the new domain using our order form.
- transfer (via SFTP) your files from your old domain to your new domain, migrate database content, create any needed email accounts, etc. If you use a blog script like WordPress, then you will need to follow their official documentation for Moving WordPress.
- **AFTER** you have COMPLETED the first two steps, cancel hosting for your old domain using our Web Hosting Cancellation form.
DO NOT SUBMIT A CANCEL REQUEST UNTIL YOU HAVE COMPETED THE FIRST TWO STEPS. If you submit the cancel form before you have completely moved over, all data from the original website will be deleted. You will then need to obtain any original files from your own local backup.
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Is it possible to host a subdomain (name.yourdomain.com) at Laughing Squid? #
Yes, as long as you are hosting your primary domain with us, we can setup a subdomain for your account. The price to host the subdomain will depend on how you want to setup hosting.
If we will be hosting the content of the subdomain on our server, then the pricing and features would be based on our hosting plan. Since you will already own the primary domain, you would not need to pay a domain registration fee for the subdomain.
If the content of the subdomain will be hosted on an outside server, then you will need to request that we add an A record to your DNS entries. There is no charge for us to do this.
Another option would be to set up a sub-directory, ie. domain.com/directory/. You can setup unlimited sub-directories and there are no extra charges to do this.
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Is it possible to have a domain forwarded to an existing website or directory of a website? #
Yes, you can do that through our Forwarding Squid plan. Domain forwarding automatically redirects traffic to any other domain or sub-directory of a domain. Our Forwarding Squid plan also includes email.
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Can Laughing Squid host foreign domains? #
Yes, we can host any top level domain except for .is or .de, you just need to update your domain’s primary and secondary name servers as you would with any other domain.
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Is it possible to transfer to a different (less expensive/better) registrar? #
Yes, you should be able to transfer your domain to a new domain registrar from your existing registrar. You’ll need to contact both the old and new domain registrars concerning their transfer policies.
If your domain renewal is currently due, it is best to renew your domain first before trying to transfer it to another registrar, or else your current domain registrar may put a hold on your account, preventing the transfer.