Complex Whois Search

[Jon_King]

This must have been asked quite a few times... Are there ways to search the whois database by fields other than domain name? (i.e. contact info fields)

The only service I can locate chages $100 for each search.

Suggestions or help with this topic in general appreciated.

[Webwork]

I'm not certain why but it appears search engines often index quite a bit of info from WhoIs records . . SO . . if I'm able to find one WhoIs record I can oftimes do an exact match search that will throw up lots of data about ~related domains.

There there's also things you can do playing with DailyChanges / DNS searches, especially when there are bulk reassignments of DNS. Of course, this requires a bit of vigilence, obsessiveness, etc AND, sometimes, lucky timing (i.e., where some party decides to mass reassign their DNS records).

Any other ideas?

[phranque]

i would also consider other methods of search that may more easily expose commonalities in a set of domains that may have some overlap with contact info.
for example it is easier to find domains sharing a host, an IP address, a vanity-named DNS server, etc.

[Jon_King]

Thank you for your replies. These suggestions are essentially what I have been doing for a long time... your basic sleuthing from available domain data and taking it where it leads me.

I still would very much like to know how some have access to the whole of domain contact data and provide the information to us bit by bit at a hefty price.

It seems there is a kind of "insider trading" going on, but hey what do I know...