Buying domain help

[petachok]

Hi.

I'm a real beginner at buying domains, so bear with me. :)

I need a domain for my website. Right now I'm using a free subdomain of my hosting company. I'm not sure where to buy one from since I've never done this before.

Can someone guide me through the domain buying process?

<edit>What makes one domain registrar better than any other?</edit>

I also need a domain which would allow me to have e-mail addresses of this form: admin or [e-mail]. Would I need to pay extra for that?

Also when I do buy a domain, how would I go about linking it to my site (assuming I don't buy it from my hosting company)?

<snip - we don't permit webhost recommendation threads - spammer's heaven>

Thanks in advance.

[edited by: Webwork at 4:02 am (utc) on Jan. 12, 2006]
[edit reason] Charter [webmasterworld.com] [/edit]

[Webwork]

Hi petachok.

First, shop domains by price. You can easily find all the major registrars and check their prices.

One registrar is pretty much as good as any other if you are just buying a few domains.

Registration typically requires 2 steps or processes: Step 1 = set up an account with all of your information about yourself. Step 2 = picking a domain and using the registrar's automated system to guide you through the set up and payment process. It's all pretty well automated, fill in the blanks stuff.

You can host your domains anywhere you wish unless you sign up for a domain+hosting deal. Don't do it. Search for the 2 separately. Most package deals have hidden costs.

You "link" your domain name to your website by pointing the domain name servers associated with the domain name to the domain name servers of your hosting company. The host can help you further with this.

[petachok]

Thanks you,
I have noticed the e-mail option in many registrars... What exactly does that mean? Can I setup as many e-mails as I want with my host + domain even without buying the additional e-mail option from the registrar. As far as I understand, that option is for people that don't have hosting and need space to store their messages, right?

[jtara]

You have a wide choice of how to handle email.

The basis for it all is where you point your "MX" records in DNS. You have control over this either through your registrar (if they provide free DNS service, as most registrar's do) or third-party DNS provider.

You could run an email server on your own machine or shared server. (Not recommended unless you really know what you are doing.)

Your hosting company may provide an email server that you can use, either at no additional cost or at some fee.

You could go through a third-party email provider. There are many, which target different market segments - individuals, small business, mid-sized business, large enterprises, specific industries, etc. You do not have to get your email service form the same company that provides your web hosting.

The email options from the registrar really have no connection with your registration whatsoever. They are just selling you a service that you could get from many other sources. They'd like you to think of it as a "feature" of their registration service, but in fact it's a completely different service, and you should shop price and features.