Registration with NameCheap

I currently use NameCheap (www.NameCheap.com) as my domain registrar and for my email forwarding.

Because I was helping so many people use NameCheap for domain name registration and for URL and email forwarding, I decided to create this page to explain the process, to make it easier for me.

(If you are curious about email forwarding, I have a page on my site that explains the concept of email forwarding. Just click here to open that page in a new window.)

Domain Name Registration

NameCheap is a registration "reseller". They are not actually the registrar. The "real" registrar is eNom (www.eNom.com).

So, why use NameCheap instead of eNom? Simple: price. eNom will charge you more.

I point this out because if you go to a "whois" server (like BetterWhoIs) and check on your domain, it will show that eNom is the registrar. I don't want you to be concerned. That is the way it should be.

Dealing with NameCheap you get all the advantages of dealing with eNom (a fully accredited domain name registrar) plus one of the very best prices on the net and free URL forwarding and free email forwarding.

Creating Your NameCheap Account

If it is your first time using NameCheap, you should create a new account. To create your new account:

1. Go to NameCheap
    
2. Click on "Signup"
    
3. Enter your user information. (Note: when you click "Submit" the system may tell you that some required fields were not completed. If this occurs, just type something in the boxes (e.g., "n/a"). Also, note that if you have an error and have to reenter fields, you must also reenter your passwords.)

You will use the ID and password you created to login in the future and to view and manage your domain names.

Registering a Domain Name

After you have logged in, perform a search for the domain name you want.

Even though you choose ".com" or ".net" or ".org", the system will actually search to find all the possibilities that are available and will give you a list that you can register.

Some Top Level Domains (TLDs) can register for 1 year. For example, ".com", ".net" and ".org" can register for one year.

Other TLDs require a 2 year registration minimum. For example, ".biz", ".info", ".bz" and ".nu" require 2 year registrations.

Click the names you wish to register to add them to your "cart".

After you have added the names to your "cart", you can "Checkout". The first time you "Checkout", I recommend using the "Checkout" button. After that, you can use the "Express Checkout" button. The "Express Checkout" will use the values you have previously set up in Checkout and will go a bit faster.

The system will guide you through the process, will ask for your credit card information and will register your names.

Managing Your Domain Name

There are two things that most people will need to do with their domain name:

1. Control what happens when someone tries to browse it
    
2. Control what happens to email sent to it.

To perform either of these functions, click on "Modify Domains", then, for the domain you wish to manage, click on the "Edit" button.

URL Forwarding

If you have a website that cannot "use" your domain name, you might want to "forward" your domain name to that site.

For example, if you were Gaspar Aluzo and you had registered GasparAluzo.com, you could forward www.GasparAluzo.com to www.Geocities.com/gasparaluzo.  

To do this,

1. Click to "Edit" the domain name
    
2. You will go to the page for "Modifying Hosts"
    
3. In Row #1, type "www" for HostName,
    
4. Also in Row #1, type the full URL of your "real" website including the http:// part (e.g., http://www.Geocities.com/gasparaluzo).
    
5. Also in Row #1, Select "URL Redirect" for RecordType
    
6. Also in Row #1, ignore the column labeled "MX Pref".
    
7. In Row #2 type "@" for HostName,
    
8. Also in Row #2, make the rest of the row exactly like Row #1.
    
9. Click "Save Changes"

In the example of Gaspar Aluzo forwarding GasparAluzo.com this would forward both http://www.GasparAluzo.com and http://GasparAluzo.com (without the www) to the same place.

Changing URL Nameservers

If you are using URL "forwarding", then you are using the NameCheap nameservers.

However, if you want to not use URL "forwarding", but want to actually have the URL point to your website, then you would change the nameservers.

Note: You do not need to do this if all you are doing is URL forwarding. Also, you must obtain the nameserver information from your web host before doing this.

To modify nameservers:

1. Click on "Modify Nameservers"
    
2. Change the selection from "Use NameCheap's NameServers" to "Use your own NameServers"
    
3. Place into the NameServer "boxes", the server names or IP addresses of the NameServers given to you by your web host.

Forwarding Email

To set email forwarding,

1. Click on "Modify eMail Forwarding"
    
2. In Row #1, type an asterisk ("*") for "UserName"
    
3. In Row #1, type your "real" email address in "Forwarded To"
    
4. Click "Save Changes"

This will cause all usernames at your domain name to forward to this one email address. The asterisk ("*") stands for "all".

In our example with Gaspar Aluzo, this would cause GAluzo@GasparAluzo.com, and GA@GasparAluzo.com and also TheBigGuy@GasparAluzo.com to all forward to exactly the same place.

This can be very useful. It effectively lets you have an "almost unlimited" number of email addresses that will all go to the same place.

This means that you could give out one email address to your friends and use another when you have to sign up for stuff on the net. Using multiple addresses is an easy way to "segregate" your email into the important stuff (the email that is coming to your "primary" email address) and the "other stuff" (the email coming to any other address).

You can also set different user names to go different places. This would let you have a family domain name and to have one user ID for each member of the family and to forward each one to its own, separate email address.

To do this, follow the same procedure, except, place the user name to be forwarded in the UserName box and the email to be forwarded to in the "Fowarded To" box.

If you do this, I recommend that you also have a line with an asterisk ("*") that is forwarded to some email address. This will cause email that is for a specified user to go to a specified address, and for "all other" email to go to the asterisk address.

Using Your Domain Name

Depending on the day, the weather and the mood of the gods, it can take 24-72 hours for your new domain name to propagate across the net to the various Domain Name Servers so that your forwarding address will work.

Be sure to wait until it actually works before beginning to use it.

(In the future, when you need to change it, changes will become effective in minutes or maybe hours. The reason is that changes do not require any propagation of the domain name, only a change to the forwarding address.)

Your Reply Address

In order for this technique of email forwarding to work you also need to change the "reply address" in your email program.

If you are using either Outlook or Outlook Express, I have a page on my site that explains how to change your reply address so that when you send an email it will show your "forwarding" email address instead of your "real" email address.

For example, Gaspar, in our example above, would change his email reply address to show "GAluzo@GasparAluzo.com" instead of "GAluzo@Earthlink.net".

Just click here to open that page in a new window.

A Note About NameCheap

Note: I use NameCheap for all my domain name registrations. And I use them for my email forwarding and also URL forwarding. I receive no commissions or fees if you use them. I recommend them only because I use them and find their services to be excellent.

Other Related Pages On My Site

Changing Your Email Reply Address: How to change your email reply address in Outlook or Outlook Express to make the best use of email forwarding services. This page provides click by click instructions.  ««»»

Creating Another Email Address:  How to create a second (or third or fourth . . .) email address in Outlook or Outlook Express. This page explains why you might need to and provides click by click instructions.  ««»»

Own Your Own Email Address: Today, it costs less than three cents per day to own your own email address. If you own your own email address, then the next time you change ISPs, you will not have to change addresses and will not have to send out notices about your new address. ««»»

Last updated:
18:17, Thu, 27.Mar.2008