Domain & hosting transfer questions. Will there be any downtime?

Please help. Very urgent.

[hulahoop]

Hi,

I am about to buy a new domain and incidentally the current owner's hosting package ends 31st this month and cannot be renewed.

They domain is parked with Network Solutions and I want to transfer to <another registrar>. It will take 5-7 days to transfer.

My questions is, if I move all the files to the new server and point the domain there as well as transfer the domain to me under the new registrar, will there be enough time to ensure nothing goes down. Or even if the site is not reacheable, there won't be much effect to the rankings?

Please help. It is very urgent.

[edited by: Webwork at 2:44 am (utc) on Jan. 30, 2006]
[edit reason] Charter [webmasterworld.com] [/edit]

[LeChuck]

You'll likely have some trouble. The first thing you should do (if you have access to do so) is shorten the DNS TTL for the domain so you can change where the domains points and have it propagate fast.

Googlebot DNS info: [webmasterworld.com...]

If the site is just plain html you're lucky, otherwise it might take some time to create all the databases etc. If you're relying on your new host to help you transfer remember they can't do it if the other site's hosting has expired.

Step by step emergency transfer:
- Change TTL ASAP.
- Set up site at new host and test it.
- When you're satisfied it works, change DNS to point to new host.
- Hope for the best.

Good luck.

[hulahoop]

How many days do you think it will take?

[Marcia]

I am about to buy a new domain and incidentally the current owner's hosting package ends 31st this month and cannot be renewed.

They domain is parked with Network Solutions and I want to transfer to <a new registrar>. According to <the new registrar>, it will take 5-7 days to transfer.

Which is it? Is the domain on hosting or is it parked?

[edited by: Webwork at 2:42 am (utc) on Jan. 30, 2006]

[LeChuck]

I think there may be some confusion on what park means. He/she probably meant registered with, looking at the entire post.

[hulahoop]

The Domain is registered with Network Solutions and I want to transfer to GoDaddy where I have an account.

Do you know if it will hurt us too much if the site is down for 1-3 days?

[Woz]

hulahoop, I assume you mean you are buying a domain, currently registered with Network Solutions, along with the accompanying site for which the current hosting package runs out on the 31st. You wish to a) transfer the domain and b) move the hosting to a new host. Correct?

If so, then you need to get priorities in order, that is, fix the hosting and then worry about transferring the domain. I would therefore suggest:-

1) Pay for and take possession of the domain and all associated code and content. You could transfer the domain as part of the sale process, but given the close proximity of your hosting problem I would suggest doing a transfer within Network Solutions to you. Some registrars allow a push to another account within the registrar at no cost, I am not sure (doubt) NS would allow this, you may need to open an account with them and pay some fees.

2) Find a new host, upload the site and test.

3) Log in to your Network Solutions account and change the DNS entries for the domain to point to the new host.

4) When the DNS has propagated and the site is running smoothly at the new host, THEN you can worry about transferring the domain to wherever you want. If the domain expires soon, you may have to pay for another year at Network Solutions to ensure continuity whilst the hosting is being worked out, but better that than losing connectivity and SE listings.

Good Luck.

Onya
Woz

[hulahoop]

You got it Woz!
A) I've got my new hosting prep already.
B) I have paid for the domain transfer. Don't know if it will take longer if it is not with Network Solutions? Looks like since I've paid I can't do anything about it already.
C) Waiting for the current domain owner to authorize and accept transfer of domain request.

The current domain does not have much on it but has good PR. DOn't know if it is down for a couple of days would it hurt it. If yes, it would only have wasted my time to purchase it.

Also how many days does it take for DNS to propogate and update? Also how many days does it take for domain to transfer?

[edited by: Webwork at 2:43 am (utc) on Jan. 30, 2006]

[Woz]

DNS propagation is pretty fast these days, sometimes a matter of only a few hours or even less, depending on location.

If the site is up and running with your new host, could the current owner change the DNS for you now so it will be in place whilst the trnsfer is going through? That would lessen the chance of the site going off the air in the process.

Onya
Woz

[davezan]

No domain record changes and/or renewals will be accepted once a registrar transfer has begun, and it can only be done before or after the transfer request has been concluded whether successfully or not.

Ditto what Woz said: plan ahead of time what you want to accomplish more urgently first. Then do it.

[hulahoop]

Sorry Devazan. I don't really get it. Means if a domain transfer is in process, you cannot point to a new server until it has been concluded?

[davezan]

Means if a domain transfer is in process, you cannot point to a new server until it has been concluded?

Yup.

[tr95]

I have requested a transfer of a domain set to expire on Feb. 3. Because of obstacles I didn't know about, including that the current register would refuse the transfer if I had privacy turned on, it took 17 days from the time I started trying to transfer until the registrar accepted the request to transfer. On Jan. 29, they sent me an email stating that the transfer will proceed if they don't hear from me by Feb. 2. I contacted customer service to ask if I they could start the transfer sooner, but they said they couldn't.

Is there any risk of losing my domain? Should I protect myself my paying to renew it, then reinitiating the transfer after a few days?

[edited by: Webwork at 2:22 am (utc) on Jan. 31, 2006]
[edit reason] Charter [webmasterworld.com] [/edit]

[hulahoop]

I am having a follow up problem too...

I have initiate the transfer and the current owner of the domain has received an email to complete transfer. GoDaddy sent an email stating that he needs an account to accept the transfer. So he sent me the email and I logged on to my account to accept the transfer.

I then got an email stating that the Domain cannot be transfered because and the current status of the above domain name(s) is: REGISTRAR-LOCK,

What should I do? Please help.

[davezan]

tr95 - as long as it's confirmed with the gaining registrar, confirming it with the losing registrar will expedite the process. But if they really said they can't and the name's unlocked, it should push thru nevertheless.

hulahoop - your domain's locked up. Contact the losing registrar and ask how to unlock it, then restart the transfer.

[tr95]

Here are the steps you need to follow if you want to transfer a domaian:

1. If you have paid for privacy, go to your control panel, click on each domain and insert disposable email addresses for each of the four contacts per domain. You need to do this because <the registrar may> require that privacy be turned off before they will approve a transfer. Thus, your personal information will be public on whois for a week or so prior to transfer. Email addresses may be captured by spammers.

2. Go to your control and unlock each domain and turn off privacy and auto-renew on each domain if you had them on.

3. If you had privacy turned on, wait at least 12 hours, then start checking whois to see if your contact information appears. You won't be able to transfer so long as domainsbyproxy.com email addresses show up in whois.

4. Request the transfer from your new domain name registrar. They will send an email to the administrative contact on each domain. Once the administrative contact approves the transfer, the new domain name registrar will request the transfer from your current domain name registrar. In my case, it took six days from the time when transfer was requested until it was complete.

5. Check the status of the transfer in the control panel in your new domain registrar regularly. In the case of 1and1, you can't input your DNS information until the transfer has come through. As soon the status is "Ready", enter the DNS information of your web host. If you delay more than a few hours, a default screen from your new registrar probably will appear on your domains until you enter the DNS information. I spotted the transfer completion soon enough to avoid any downtime on my websites.

[edited by: Webwork at 5:58 pm (utc) on Feb. 5, 2006]
[edit reason] Great post. Made more general per Charter. [/edit]

[Webwork]

Good work folks. Very helpful replies. Thank you.

For future reference please keep the dialogue about domain transfer procedures "in general terms".

In other words, state the general steps that need to be taken, procedures to be followed while avoiding naming the "winning" and "losing" registrars, registrar prices and similar information.

There are reasons for this policy that are valid. The new age of marketing is one of those reasons.

Thanks for your cooperation and assistance making the forum work whilst keeping it free of promotional posts.

This thread has now run its course and therefore I'm turning off further posts to this thread.