Back to Workshop Selecting a Java IDE Problem playing DTMF tones (source :code) Installing Cloudscape/Derby with Tomcat and ODBC Free, heavy duty, databases Accessing GET data from JSF and Studio Creator/NetBeans VWP A Web Presence at Minimum Cost RAD Web Development Tools HTML/CSS Multi column layout
How to obtain an exclusive and permanent web presence at minimum cost
Understanding this page
If you are unfamiliar with the world of domain names and the way traffic is routed on the Internet this page, by itself, will be incomprehensible. It is intended as a practical guide and you will need to follow the links on the page. The links either point to a more detailed explanation of a term or to an example site. In the latter case you can explore the site and browse detailed documentation without subscribing to the services they provide. Follow the text by actually buying a domain name, at least to the point just before they ask you to pay for it, then obtain a free account from a domain name manager and see what you need to do.
Obtain a domain name
Suppose you want to give everyone in your family, business or club an exclusive email address but you don't want to provide any other Internet services. For this purpose you need a domain name which you obtain from a domain name registrar. The cost varies from $US10.00 to $US100.00 per year depending on the name you want. I live in Australia so I went to Enetica to register a name. Like most registrars Enetica will perform a search to see if the name is available. The price for the same name varies between registrars and there are plenty of choices; just Google for "domain name registrar". Make sure the registrar does not insist you buy any other services from them unless they offer the free services outlined below. The cost of domain name registration is the only fee you need to pay. Everything else on this page is free. Let's assume that you have managed to register the name example.net.
Appoint a domain name manager
The next step is to appoint a domain name manager. The domain name manager is responsible for translating everything sent to your registered domain name to a real Internet address. The computer that does this is provided by your domain name manager and is called a name server. Some domain name registrars, for example Domainmonster, provide a free domain name manager service and make setting up your web and email forwarding easier. I chose ZoneEdit as my domain name manager. After I registered at ZoneEdit I specified my first domain name as example net. Then I had to return to the domain name registrar's site, in my case Enetica, and enter the names of the name servers that ZoneEdit had given me.
Tell the domain name manager how to deal with mail for your domain
You can use the Mail Forward form at ZoneEdit to forward the mail to Edward Gough Example who you have given the email address eg@example.net to his real email address which is
eg.example@hotmail.com. You can also forward mail to edward@example.net and ted@example.net to the same address. Many people use the email address provided by their employer but, by using Mail Forward, you can give all the members of the Example family a fixed email address no matter how often they change jobs. If Edward decides to receive all his email at the address his new employer provides it only takes a minute on ZoneEdit to change the Mail Forward for eg@example.net from eg.example@hotmail.com to eg.example@profectus.com.au.
Tell the domain name manager how to deal with web access for your domain
You may want to have your own web site instead of, or in addition to, your own email addresses. I use the free hosting by 000webhost.com and they also provide free domain name management for your site. Alternatively you probably already have a free web site as part of your agreement with your Internet Service Provider. If someone enters http://www.example.net or http://example.net into a Web Browser such as Internet Explorer or Firefox you can use ZoneEdit's Web Forward to yield the web page(s) that you have uploaded to your free web site. You are not limited to a single Web Forward. You could, for example, forward a request for http://photos.example.net to your free photo upload site at JAlbum. If you use Web Forwarding you will be asked whether or not to use "Cloaking". Cloaking disguises the fact that you have used web forwarding but has the disadvantage that if someone bookmarks a page they will always be bookmarking the first page.
Be a good Netizen
Once you register a domain name you become a citizen of the Internet and there are conventions about expected email addresses. You should ensure that, at least, postmaster@example.net is forwarded to someone who will respond if you use Mail Forward. You should add webmaster@example.net if you use Web Forward.
You may want more
I have mentioned my domain name registrars and my domain name managers on this page because I know they work as described. There may well be better and/or cheaper providers of the same services.
If you want more disk space or you want to provide enhanced services then you can host the web site on your home or office computer at no extra cost. There are even some routers such as my D-Link 624S that, with a plug in disk drive, will allow you to host a web site and which will update your domain name manager when necessary.
You may want less
There are a number of providers that will give you a mail or web forward without needing your own domain name. You will be restricted to a subdomain of one of the domains they own but you will have a permanent email or web address even if you change your Internet Service Provider.
