Vocabulary and Frequently Asked Questions about domain names

Procédure

Domain name vocabulary

This documentation will give you definitions of domain name terms. At the end, you will find a Frequently Asked Questions section.

What is a domain name?

A domain name is an Internet address that is similar to your postal address. This is how your contacts and customers will find your website on the Internet. A domain name is essential when creating your website or personalising your email address.

What is a ccTLD?

Country Code Top Level Domain. This is a top-level domain with national extensions. Example: .FR, .EU, .BE

What is a gTLD?

Generic Top Level Domain. A top-level domain with international extensions. Example: .COM, .NET, and .ORG

What is an IDN?

Internationalized Domain Name, international/multilingual domain names. This allows more characters than just letters and numbers to be used in a domain name. This includes characters from non-English alphabets, such as accents.

What is a HOSTNAME?

The host name. This is the name of a device in a network. Hostname is used to distinguish devices within a local network. Example: ftp.mydomain.com.

What is a subdomain?

This is the part that comes before the domain name. A sub-domain is used to divide a site into several distinct sections, each with a clearly defined address. For example, "actu" in actu.monsite.com is the subdomain.

What isa domain name extension?

This is the suffix to the right of the domain name after the dot. For example, the domain name extension for www.lws.fr is .fr. There are several types of extension: Generic extensions (.COM, .INFO, .ORG...), geographical extensions (.FR, .BE, .LU...), new domain name extensions that can have several designations (.PHOTO, .IMMO, .PIZZA...).

What isa DNS server?

Domain Name Server links a sub-domain or domain name to your server. The DNS server will therefore make it possible to link, for example, mydomain.com and the IP 1.1.1.1.

What isa DNS Zone?

This is a file located on the DNS servers specific to your domain name. It is the link file for your domain and contains the various text records. Each record corresponds to a link.

What isan MX field?

(Mail eXchange) This is a record in the DNS zone that allows you to define a mail server for reception and its priority.

What isa CNAME field?

Canonical Name. This is a record in the DNS zone used to match a domain name to an alias of another domain name.

What isan A field?

A record in the DNS zone used to match a domain name with a V4 IP address.

What isan AAAA field?

This is a record in the DNS zone that matches a domain name with a V6 IP address.

What is an SPF field?

Sender Policy Framework. This is a record in the DNS zone that defines which mail server is authorised to send mail from the domain itself.

What isDKIM?

DomainKeys Identified Mail. This is an authentication standard that uses a signature to verify the sender of the email and its content.

What isa transfer?

This is the action of moving a domain from one registrar to another without changing the owner.

What isa transfer?

This is the action of transferring a domain from one owner to another, without necessarily changing registrar.

What isa multi-domain?

A multi-domain is the placement of several sites on the same hosting zone.

What isa web redirect?

A web redirect is when you enter an internet address in your search bar and are redirected to another internet address.

Who are the domain contacts?

• Owner : The person who owns the domain,
• Administrative : The person who manages the domain other than the technical staff,
• Technical : The person who looks after the technical aspects,
• Billing : The person who manages billing.

What isa DNS glue record?

When a domain is delegated to a name server (DNS) that belongs to this sub-domain.

What isan AUTH code / Transfer code / EPP code?

This code is used to protect the domain against transfer. It is required if you wish to transfer or transfer your domain.

Whatis AFNIC/EURID/DNS.BE/ICANN/VERISIGN?

These are the parent companies of the domain name extensions. Each extension generally has its own parent company, although some provide several extensions.

What is a domain redemption/quarantine?

When a domain has not been renewed in time, it is placed in quarantine for a period defined by the registry and can be restored at an additional cost imposed by the registry.

What is aRegistrar?

This is the company (Distributor) that sells domain names via the registry (Parent company). For example, LWS is a domain name registrar accredited by Afnic, Verisign, Afilias, Icann, Nominet etc.

What isa Registrant / Domain Owner?

This is the person who owns a domain name, often the person who buys it.

What isa HOLD status on a domain?

A status indicating that the domain name has been suspended by the registry or registrar, either to check the owner or in the event of a dispute.

What isan anonymous Whois?

Anonymous Whois makes it possible to hide information about the owner of the domain name in the domain name directories (Whois).

What isWhois?

Whois tools are directories of domain name owners. Whois tools can be accessed by anyone using a simple Internet browser, and make it possible to find all the contact details declared by each domain name holder: surname, first name, postal address, e-mail address, telephone number, etc. The contact details could be used by certain malicious companies to send offers to buy your domain name, or even unwanted advertising.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do I change the owner of a domain name?

To change the owner of a domain name, you need to contact the registry directly. You will need to create a new customer ID in the new owner's name via your customer area (drop-down menu in the top right-hand corner of your customer panel). Then, in the current client space of the domain you wish to change, simply go to domain management. Then click on Transfer domain.

2. How do I transfer my domain name to LWS?

To transfer your domain name with or without a hosting package, simply place the order on our site, specifying the exact name of your domain. You will be told when you place the order that it is a transfer. For all incoming transfers, the domain will be transferred from your previous provider to our services in just a few days if you do not follow the transfer steps (the transfer is not automatic. You will need to contact your previous provider to finalise the transfer). During these few days, all you have to do is publish your site on our servers, create your emails, etc. from your customer area to avoid any interruptions). Then, to follow the progress of your transfer, go to your customer area where you'll see an information window showing you the stages of your transfer in real time. The price of the service depends on the domain extension and its hosting. You can do a simulation via our site.

3. How do I redirect my domain name? There are different ways of redirecting your domain name?

• You can associate your domain name with other DNS servers in order to delegate management of the site and emails to them: Find out how to manage the DNS of a domain name
• You can link your domain name to other DNS zones in order to delegate the management of the site or emails to this zone: Find out how to manage the DNS zones of a domain name
• You can create a simple web redirect to redirect your domain name to another website: Find out how to create a web redirect

4. How can I obtain the auth code and unlock my domain?

To prepare your domain for transfer to another provider (obtain the transfer code, unlock the domain, change the administrative contact), follow the procedure described here :

1. Go to the "Admin" button, then "Domain management".
2. On "Domain protection", click on "deactivate", then validate (Some domain extensions will not need this step).
3. You will need to wait 24 hours.
4. Go back to the "admin" button and then to the "domain management" icon to request that your transfer code be sent by email from "Code auth".