domain names, and IP addresses

W3U Customer Support

Virtual Domain, Domain Names, IP Addresses, etc..

What is a virtual domain, a domain name, and an IP address?
A Virtual Domain allows your URL (Uniform Resource Locator) to be http://www.yourcompany.com, where your Domain Name is 'yourname.com' (or .net, or .org, or .etc...).  The main purpose of obtaining a Virtual Domain is to register (or reserve) 'yourname' with the Internet, and of course, establish your business presence on the Internet.  The domain is considered 'virtual' because your web site (and web pages) will reside on one of our web servers and not your own.

When you set up a web hosting account your domain name is assigned an IP address.  The IP Address is a number (not much unlike a telephone number) that for all practical purposes is synonymous with your domain name.  A typical IP address has the form, ###.###.###.###, where # is some digit from 0 to 9.  For example the IP address that is assigned to w3u.net is 209.132.113.106.  If I go to http://209.196.50.229 or http://www.w3u.com with my web browser, I end up at the same place on the Internet.  You can use W3U's NSLookup utility to find out what your IP address is by typing in your domain name.  You can also use NSLookup to find a domain name by entering an IP address.

Note that if you ever have to change your web hosting service provider (not likely if your with W3U), your domain name will be assigned a new IP address.   A virtual domain fixes your email address at any_name_you_like@your_domain_name.com.  Hence, your domain name and your domain name email address are never changing.

Tip:  Once you set up your web hosting, market yourself with your domain name email address e.g. you@yourname.com  It's much more effective than using your Internet access email address e.g. yournamexyz0@somebodyelse.com  Besides, when you change Internet access providers, your email address will also change (unlike when you change Internet presence providers).

How do I register my domain name?
W3U registers your domain name for you as part of your new W3U web hosting account setup, at no additional charge.  Alternatively, if you're not ready for web hosting, but you want to protect your domain name, you can register it via W3U for a one time service charge of $35.  The Internic registration fee of $35, which covers registration for the first year, will also be applied to the total cost. The $35 service charge will be completely refunded at the time you sign up for a W3U Virtual Hosting account.

How do I Order a Virtual Domain Account from W3U?
Simple! Just place your order.

What can I, and what can I not, do with my Web Account?
Well, you can do just about anything. However, we will not tolerate the following:

  • Obscene or pornographic anything
  • Illegal activities in the United States or Internet
  • Threatening or slanderous material
  • Any material deemed by W3U to be degrading to our Network and/or our other customers
  • Also see W3U's Acceptable Use Policy

If you're interested in reselling your Server Space, please read our Reseller's Page.  W3U also appreciates any referrals you send our way.

If you still have questions regarding these policies, please contact us. It would be unfortunate if you set up your web site only to find that it contained material not acceptable to our Server. Point is, one bad egg could shut-down our Server. We have immense responsibilities to our other businesses who's livelihood may depend on W3U.

Find out more about our virtual domain hosting packages and the standard features that come with our Virtual Domain Hosting accounts.

Order Your Hosting Account Now! or Register Your Domain Name Now!

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