Domain Name Search Guide

Domain Names are Web site addresses (e.g. "www.mywebsite.com") and the part of an e-mail address that follows the "@" sign (e.g., "hotmail.com"). Domain names can be owned by businesses, schools, individuals, governments, or others. Background information on domain names is available from InterNIC .

Basic information about Top Level Domains (or TLD, the part of the domain name that follows the last dot, such as ".com" ".edu" and ".gov") can be found at ICANN's Introduction to Top Level Domains.

Information about Country Code Top Level Domains (or ccTLD) is available from Root-Zone Whois Index. For example, if you need to know which country owns the .cn top level domain, this page will tell you. (It's China.) The same list, in alphabetic order by country, can be found at Uninett's Domain Name Registries Around the World. This list also includes the general TLDs (".com" ".biz" etc.).

Unfortunately, there is no single database that lists the owners of all domain names, and you may have to search a number of databases.

Domain name ownership search tools:

• InterNIC Registry Whois--search Search the database of registered domain names on the site of Network Solutions.
• Network Solutions Whois--search A VeriSign company and foundational registrar for dot-com and dot-net. Offers a simple Whois query function limited to searches by exact domain name.
• Register.Com's Whois Search--provides a Whois search function that will check a domain name with or without specifying the TLD simultaneously across a range of popular TLDs and a few dozen country codes.
• Allwhois
• Better-Whois
• easyWHOIS--covers .com, .net, .org, .info, .biz and most country-level TLDs.
• smartwhois--find the holder of a domain or IP address across all registries and registrars. This database searches all available domain registries, including country codes, IP number block assignments, and autonomous system numbers.
• Educause Whois Database--Search this database for .edu addresses.
• WHOIS.BIZ--search the .biz domain registry for businesses.

Need to know what URL, DNS, TLD, ISP &etc. mean? Try one of the following:

• hyperdictionary's computer dictionary
• Webopedia
• also try the U.C. Berkeley Glossary of Internet & Web Jargon
  

Useful articles:

• "WHO WAS, WHOIS, AND WHO WILL BE: Domain Name Ownership Research Tools --Background information with links.
• Invalid WHOIS Data: Who Is Responsible? --In many cases the WHOIS data just isn't accurate.

Interested in owning your own domain?

• A list of accredited registrars is at www.internic.net/regist.html
• dot-biz (restricted to businesses): NewLevel Inc. at www.nic.biz
• dot-name (restricted to individual names): Global Name Registry Ltd. at www.nic.name
• dot-pro (restricted to professionals, initially doctors, lawyers, and accountants): RegistryPro Inc. www.nic.pro
• dot-us (intended for any U.S. resident, business, organization, or government agency): NeuStar Inc. at www.nic.us
• For additional information, contact InterNIC at www.internic.com