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Hosting Your Domain

Domain name questions received from
FastVirtual hosting customers.

  1. How do I change my the contacts for my domain name?
  2. How can I tell if the domain name I want is available?
  3. Can all domain name extensions be hosted by FastVirtual?
  4. What letters, numbers and characters can my domain name contain?
  5. How long does it take to register my domain name?
  6. When I register a domain name with FastVirtual, do I still own it?
  7. How long does it take for new "myname.com" domains to be visible on the Internet?
  8. How long does it take for new "myname.fastvirtual.com" subdomains to be visible on the Internet?
  9. Can I point domain names to subwebs on my account?
  10. I can visit my site using my IP address, but not with my domain name. Why?
  11. My web site and domain name are currently hosted/registered elsewhere. How can I move to to FastVirtual without causing any downtime?
  12. I want to transfer my domain name to FastVirtual. I am the legal owner, but I am unable to acknowledge the transfer request. What should I do?
  13. What are FastVirtual's name servers?
  14. What is the difference between a web alias and a subdomain?
  15. Can I use mailboxes, CGI scripts and web tools on subdomains?
  16. I want to add a subdomain to my existing domain. Must I register a new domain name?
  17. What are HTTP redirects? Can I use a HTTP redirects?

How do I change the contacts for my domain name?

If you registered your domain name through FastVirtual, simply log in to your account control panel, enter the "Domains" area and select the domain name (or group of domain names) you wish to edit. Select "Change Contact Information" and choose the contact you would like to change. You can update update one contact at a time, or change all your contacts at once. Changes to contact information are applied immediately.

For domain names registered elsewhere, you will need to contact contact your registrar for assistance with updating your domain contacts.

How can I tell if the domain name I want is available?

To search for a domain name, access the "Domains" area of your account control panel, select "Search for & register domains" and enter the domain name you are interested in. This will will return all available extensions for the name you enter (com, biz, info, etc.) and allows you to immediately register the domain name(s) you choose.

You must have a FastVirtual account to access your control panel. Creating your account is free. You pay only for domain names and other services you choose to add to your account. Create a New Account.

You can also use our WHOIS Search to search for a specific domain name.

Can all domain name extensions be hosted by FastVirtual?

Yes. Only certain domains can be registered directly through FastVirtual, but we can host most global or country-specific domain. You just need to update your domain name record (DNS) to point to FastVirtual's name servers.

What letters, numbers and characters can my domain name contain?

Domain names may include alphanumeric characters (a-z, 0-9) and hyphens (-), but they cannot start or end with a hyphen. No other types of character are permitted.

Domain names are also limited to 67 characters, including the period and domain extension. For example, ".com" is four characters, leaving a maximum of 63 characters for the domain name.

How long does it take to register my domain name?

Domain names registered through FastVirtual are immediately processed, and are usually fully active within 24 hours.

When I register a domain name with FastVirtual, do I still own it?

Yes. When FastVirtual registers your domain name, you are specified as the  administrative and billing contact, as well as the registrant. The registrant is the legal owner of the domain name.

How long does it take for new "myname.com" domains to be visible in the Internet?

When you register your domain name through FastVirtual, most of the web will see your new domain within 24 hours. The domain name will work its way through to the rest of the world within a few days.

How long does it take for new "myname.fastvirtual.com" subdomains to be visible on the Internet?

Most of the web will see your new subdomain in about an hour.

Can I point domain names to subwebs on my account?

Yes. Subwebs can have one or more domain names pointing to them. Please remember that those domain names also need to be registered, so would be subject to domain name registration fees.

For further information, please see the Additional Domains Overview.

I can visit my site using my IP address, but not with my domain name. Why?

Your domain name is not resolving to your IP address. There are several possible causes:

The account setup procedure has not yet completed. This takes about 5 minutes.

Your domain name registration or domain name transfer has not yet completed. Depending on your previous registrar, it can sometimes take up to 5 days for your domain name transfer to complete. The "Domains" area of your control panel will include the current status of your transfer. For new domain names registered through FastVirtual, changes are usually visible across the Internet within 24 hours.

Your domain transfer has been completed, but has not yet filtered through to the various name servers around the world. Depending on your location, it can take up to 48 hours for various DNS servers to update themselves.

You have transferred your domain to FastVirtual, but your previous ISP has not removed your domain name from their DNS. Contact your previous ISP to have them remove your domain name from their DNS.

My web site and domain name are currently hosted/registered elsewhere. How can I move to FastVirtual without causing any downtime?

If you only wish to transfer your domain name to FastVirtual from your current registrar, simply access the "Domains" area of your account control panel, select "Transfer domains", and specify the domain name you wish to transfer. The transfer process will not cause any downtime for your web site.

If you wish to transfer your domain name to FastVirtual from your current registrar and move your web site to FastVirtual from your current hosting provider, follow the above instructions to transfer your domain name, then see our 3-Step Transfer Guide to seamlessly move your web site from your current hosting provider to FastVirtual.

I want to transfer my domain name to FastVirtual. I am the legal owner, but I am unable to acknowledge the transfer request. What should I do?

If the current administrative contact specified for your domain name is not being cooperative, your contact details are incorrect, or you cannot acknowledge the domain name transfer, please download and complete the applicable template below.

For Domains Owned by an Organization

This template is intended for organizations who are attempting to transfer their domain name to FastVirtual, but who do not have access to the administrative contact email account for that domain, as shown in WHOIS Search results.

Please copy the following template and print this on your company letterhead. Your letterhead must exactly match the company name and address specified on the first line of your domain name record, otherwise InterNIC will reject your request. You may use the WHOIS Search to confirm your domain name record information. If an individual's name appears on the first line of your domain name record, please download the template for individuals below. Your request should be signed by the owner, President, Vice President or CEO.

Please ensure all fields are filled out correctly and completely. If you do not know your InterNIC tracking number, leave the field blank. Fax your completed form to FastVirtual Customer Care. Your domain will usually be transferred within 72 hours of FastVirtual receiving your complete and correct form.

For Domains Owned by an Individual

This template is intended for individuals who are attempting to transfer their domain name to FastVirtual, but who do not have access to the administrative contact email account for that domain, as shown in WHOIS Search results.

Please copy and print the following template. Your name, driver's license and signature must exactly match the name specified on the first line of your domain name record, otherwise InterNIC will reject your request. You may use the WHOIS Search to confirm your domain name record information. If an organization name appears on the first line of your domain name record, please download the template for organizations above.

Please ensure all fields are filled out correctly and completely. If you do not know your InterNIC tracking number, leave the field blank. Fax your completed form to FastVirtual Customer Care. Your domain will usually be transferred within 72 hours of FastVirtual receiving your complete and correct form.

What are FastVirtual's name servers?

DNS Type Host Name Host IP Address
Primary NS1.FASTVIRTUAL.COM 72.1.32.185
Secondary NS2.FASTVIRTUAL.COM 54.82.141.168

What's the difference between a web alias and a subdomain?

A subdomain is a directory on a domain that has its own unique IP address. As such, domain names can be mapped to subdomains, so they appear to be completely independent from the domain on which they reside. Visitors will not know they are visiting a subdomain.

Web aliases are domain names that point to the IP address of an existing domain. This simply provides access to the same web site through an alternate domain name.

Subdomains and web aliases are easily added from your account control panel.

Note: Web aliases require an additional domain name. Subdomains can work at the third level (yoursubdomain.yourname.com), or with an additional domain name. If a domain name is required, this will be subject to registration fees.

Can I use mailboxes, CGI scripts and web tools on subdomains?

Subdomains may have their own mailboxes. Although some of our web tools and complementary scripts will work on subdomains, others will not. Custom CGI scripts and MySQL databases will not function.

Subdomains are intended for basic hosting requirements at low cost. They do not provide the same functionality or features as a full domain hosting plan.

I want to add a subdomain to my existing domain. Must I register a new domain name?

If you want to use a separate domain name (i.e. "anotherdomain.com") then yes, the domain name needs to be registered, and domain registration fees will apply. Please visit our Domain Registration Services FAQ for further information.

If you want to use a third-level name (i.e. "mychoice.mydomain.com"), then this does not need to be registered, so is not subject to domain registration fees.

What are HTTP redirects? Can I use HTTP redirects?

Yes, you can add HTTP redirects via the DNS management system in your account control panel.

An HTTP redirect simply redirects a domain name to another URL. This can be a domain, a directory on a domain, or any other qualified URL.

Unlike subdomains, HTTP redirects do not retain the name of the domain being redirected. Once the redirect is complete, the visitor will see the actual domain they are viewing, not the name of the domain that was redirected.

For example, if "myredirect.com" was being redirected to "mysite.com/myfiles/", once the redirect was complete, the visitor would see "mysite.com/myfiles/" in their browser address bar. If a subweb was used in this instance, it would still display "myredirect.com".

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