How to add a new domain name to your Opus One account

If you want to change a domain name, we need less information, but you must at least answer (4) through (8).

1. The domain name. Hopefully you've checked with WHOIS to make sure that it is not taken. Some folks think that if they just point their browser at the domain name and nothing shows up, this means that it's available. Not so. Use the WHOIS database.

2. The purpose for the domain name. One or two sentences about the purpose of the domain name.

3. Information about the organization the domain is for. This includes:
   • the official business name
   • the complete street address of the business
   • the phone and FAX numbers of the business

   You should be aware that this information is considered "public" information by the InterNIC, and it will generate a certain amount of junk email and paper mail.

4. Information about the administrative contact. This is normally someone at the business who will be "responsible" for owning the domain. This is the person who has the ultimate authority for changes, deletions, etc. It should not be you, unless you are in charge of the organization yourself.
   • name
   • company name
   • complete mailing address
   • phone and FAX numbers
   • email address

   If the email address you're using doesn't exist yet, that's OK. (For example, if the user is currently jms@aol.com and after the domain is set up will turn into jms@opus1.com, then use the newer address)

   Be aware that the administrative contact is the person who holds the keys to the domain and it is very important that this information be kept accurate! Let us update the InterNIC records if anything changes.

5. Information about billing. Each domain name has two fees: the NIC fee (usually the US InterNIC for .COM/.ORG/.NET names, although we can also set up names in other countries if appropriate) and a possible Opus One installation fee. In this question, we're just asking about the NIC fees.

   The InterNIC maintains a "billing contact" for each domain (just as it does an administrative contact). This contact will receive email and hardcopy bills.

   You can have all the bills go directly to you. In that case, you're going to be responsible for getting them, paying them, and when they come due in future years, making sure that the address and email information on the bills is accurate. If you want to have the bills go directly to you, then provide information for a billing contact, including:

   • name
   • company name
   • complete mailing address
   • phone and FAX numbers
   • email address

   If you would like, we can list ourselves as the billing contact, pay the bills, and simply rebill them to you on your next bill. There is no additional fee for this. However: if you list us as the billing contact for a domain, we will AUTOMATICALLY pay the initial bill ($70) and after the first two years are up, all additional bills. If you ever want us to stop paying these bills, then you MUST contact us and tell us. (Please note: if you are a web designer, and we are setting this domain up for you on behalf of one of your clients, we still will send the bill to you, not to the client.)

   Note that any Opus One setup fees will be billed directly to you by us no matter what option you choose for the domain name fees.

6. What names you want in the domain. Just getting a domain name doesn't imply that there will be any names in the domain. For each name in the domain (i.e., domain.com, www.domain.com, ftp.domain.com) you need to tell us what the name will point to and what to do with mail (see item (7) below as well). If you don't understand the technical details, make sure that you answer these questions:
   1. do you want "domain.com" to exist?
   2. do you want "www.domain.com" to exist?
   3. do you want "ftp.domain.com" to exist?
   4. are there any other names you want?
   5. which of the names above will point to WWW servers? If any of them are, then answer item (8)
   6. which of the names above will be capable of receiving mail? If any of them are, then answer item (7)

7. Mail information. If you want mail to the domain name (or any subdomain) to work, you need to tell us how you want that handled. Most organizations say something like "all mail sent to anyone at that domain should be delivered to AOL mailbox Snyder12345." If you want the mail sent to a mailbox on Opus One, that's fine too, but we need to know where. IMPORTANT: if you don't tell us what to do with mail, then, by default, you won't be able to mail to that domain!

8. WWW information. If you want "www.domain.com," then you have to tell us that you want it AND where you want it pointed. If you are pointing it to an Opus One-run WWW server, then you need to tell us which server and what directory. If you want a software virtual server, you need to tell us that as well.

   Generally, people want "domain.com" and "www.domain.com" to both point to the same WWW server.

   Typical answers to the last three questions are:

   	(6a) yes, point to my www server
   	(6b) yes, point to my www server
   	(6c) no
   	(6d) no
   	(6e) (a) and (b)
   	(6f) domain.com and www.domain.com can receive mail
   	(7)  all mail sent to any user goes to joeblow@opus1.com
   	(8)  (6a) and (6b) point to the www files in the joeblow account