DNS Service Information

The Domain Name System (DNS) handles translations between hostnames and Internet addresses. In order to have your domain name included in the system, you require two services:

1. A pair of Name Servers that maintain the information necessary to convert the names of hosts in your domain into Internet addresses, and vice versa.
2. Registering your domain name with a registrar so that the rest of the world knows the Internet addresses of your Name Servers.

DCN offers DNS service (Item 1) to its subscribers, and will assist subscribers in domain-name registration (Item 2).

Once your domain name is established, you will, for example, be able to receive e-mail addressed to your domain.

joeuser@MYDOMAIN.COM

Your organization's Web pages can be accessed with the URL

http://www.MYDOMAIN.COM/go/myname

In order to have your Web pages accessed directly via your domain name, for example

http://www.MYDOMAIN.COM/

you will also require DCN's Virtual Host Service.

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If you are ready to apply for DNS service, you should complete the following steps:

1. Select a domain name.
   • The total length of the domain name may be up to 26 characters. The only characters allowed are letters, numerals, and "-".
     A domain name CAN NOT begin or end with a "-".
     Example: 5-guys-from-davis.com

   • The top-level domains are:

     COM - commercial, for-profit organizations

     ORG - for non-profit organizations

     NET - for network infrastructure machines and organizations

     EDU - for 4-year, degree granting instututions

     GOV - for US federal government agencies

     BIZ - for businesses

     TV - for television organizations

     COOP - for cooperatives

     NAME - for individuals

     KIDS - for individual children

     INFO - for general, unrestricted information

   • For geographic domains, e.g. my-group.davis.ca.us, please review the information about the U.S. Domain Registry.

2. For a geographic domain,e.g.my-group.davis.ca.us, proceed to the DAVIS.CA.US domain application.

3. For a .COM, .ORG, .EDU, .NET, .BIZ, .TV, .COOP, .INFO, .NAME, or .KIDS domain,
   • Check the whois database to be certain that the name is available and not already in use by someone else.

   • Register your domain with an accredited registrar. check these guidelines for information abour registrars and the information they will require.

   • Complete and submit the information in the DCN DNS Service Application form.

4. To register domain names under .GOV, send email to registration@fed.gov or retrieve information from http://www.nic.gov.

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Technical questions about DNS Service should be addressed to netadmin@dcn.davis.ca.us.

Questions about fees and billing should be sent to help@dcn.davis.ca.us.