Email support@alldomainsusa.com if you have other questions.
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I've
got my domain name, now what?
There are many things you can do with your new domain. Some
people want to build a website for their corporate or personal
use. If that is the case, you must contact a web design/ hosting
company- RWM.net
does recommend Perfect Presence. Once they have a website ready for
you, we can have your new domain hosted by their servers. Contact
your web host, and get their Domain Name Server Info (DNS Info).
You can have the new DNS info put into your domain by clicking
on the "Domain Manager" link. The domain will then transfer
to your new web host in 24-48 hours.
Others want to do email addresses. Again, get the DNS info of
your ISP. You can have them set up mailboxes to route from your
domain being hosted on their web servers.
Some just want to resell their domain
name. In that case, you may certainly sell your new domain to
whomever you like. You may transfer your domain to a new buyer
by using our "Transfer of Ownership" form in the "Manage
Your Domain" section.
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I
own a new domain, but when I type it into my browser, nothing
comes up.
Again, a domain name is not a website, just a web address
for a website. If you want your new domain to be a web address
for a website for your corporate or personal use, you must contact
a web design/ hosting company i.e. Perfect Presence. Once they have a website ready for you,
we can have your new domain hosted by their servers. Contact your
web host, and get their Domain Name Server Info (DNS Info). You
can have the new DNS info put into your domain by clicking on
the "Domain Manager" link. The domain will then transfer
to your new web host in 24-48 hours.
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Once I have registered my domain name, how long will I own it for?
Provided that there are no trademark disputes, and that the annual fees are maintained, your registered domain name will be yours indefinitely. You can register or renew your domain name for periods of up to 10 years.
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Why does my name I just registered show up as available in a search?
Names are registered within minutes, however it takes 24-48 hours for the shared registry database to be updated with newly registered names. You will get an email confirmation for your domain name within minutes of registration. If someone were to attempt to register your name after you have registered it would not go through.
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REGISTRATION
The cost to register a domain name is $19.95 per year. As long as you pay the yearly fee, the domain is yours.
If there's a domain you'd like to check availability for, you should enter it into the searchbox on our homepage. If it's available, click the checkout button and go through the registration process.
The first time you register a name with RWM.net, you'll need to set up an account with a username and password. This is how you will get access to your domains later. You may specify whatever username and password you'd like, as long as it has not been taken by another applicant. If your username has been taken, you will have to specify another username.
Continue on through the registration process, and your name will be submitted. You will get a confirmation email at the email address you've chosen. You will also receive all email correspondence through that email address, as well.
If you have any other questions, just let me know.
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RECEIPT
In order to keep our costs low, RWM.net does not do any paper billing. All of our transactions are conducted online.
Therefore, we cannot send you a receipt, as we have no capabilities for such. You can, however, log in to our management section to get a listing of your domains and when they were purchased, and use in combination with your credit card statement, which will have a charge from us- "Domain Registration" as your proof of purchase.
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PAYMENT METHODS
Sorry, but credit card payment is the only means we have available for purchasing domain names.
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BILLING- AUTHORIZATIONS
When you attempt to make a purchase in our credit card system, we
"authorize" funds on your credit card. This is not a charge, but a
test to see if you have the funds available for the purchase. After the
authorization returns a result of sufficient funds, we attempt to register the
domain(s). If the domain registration fails for any reason, there will be a void
that accompanies the attempted charge. The net result is that there will be no
charge that posts to your account.
There is still, though, that authorization on your credit card. This
authorization looks like a charge, and will reduce your available credit, but
will expire on its own within a few days on most cards. Some card systems,
notably debit cards and PayPal cards (because they both deal with your bank
account) hang on to authorizations longer. You should contact your credit
provider for the specific authorization policy.
It is for this reason that we recommend contacting technical support if you
are having trouble registering a domain. If you continue to submit time after
time, you will rack up a large number of authorizations, and may run out of
available credit or freeze your account funds. You may even cause your credit
card company to suspect fraud, and they will put a hold on your card.
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BILLING- CVV2
CVV2 is a security measure we require for all transactions. Since a CVV2 number
is listed on your credit card, but is not stored anywhere, the only way to know
the correct CVV2 number for your credit card is to physically have possession of
the card itself. All VISA, MasterCard and American Express cards made in America
in the past 5 years or so have a CVV2 number, while those in Europe and Asia
will be joining the CVV2 program shortly.
For a complete explanation of the CVV2 number, and how to locate it on your
credit card, click here:
CVV2 Explanation
If you have any other questions about your CVV2 number, please contact your
bank or credit card issuer.
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HOSTING - no hosting
RWM.net does not do any web hosting or web design, just domain registration only.
You will need to contract out for separate web hosting. We recommend Perfect Presence due to the features, help they offer new users, and competitive pricing, or you can do a web search for hosting, and get thousands of results to choose from. Once you have hosting, obtain your new host's DNS (Domain Name Server) Information. Once you have their DNS info, you can return to the RWM.net website and update your DNS records online, gaining access to our Member Login area with your username and password.
Or, if you have a free site (such as a members site with AOL or Geocities), you can point your domain there by using our URL-forwarding option.
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HOSTING II - changing hosting
You have several options to change the hosting of your domain.
The first option is the most direct. You can contact your host, and obtain your new host's DNS (Domain Name Server) Information. Once you have their DNS info, you can return to the RWM.net website and update your DNS records online, gaining access to our Member Login area with your username and password. Choose the Change DNS Info link, then select the domain you wish to change the hosting for and enter your new DNS information.
Some hosts, though, will not allow unique domains to point to your site. In that case, you'll need the second option. That is our URL-forwarding service. URL-forwarding is a function of the management control panel. Access the Manage section through our Member Login with your username and password, and select the URL-forwarding link. For URL forwarding you pay the nominal fee of just $9.95 per name per year to receive banner-free forwarding to the URL of your choice.
You can use a www URL- http : //www.yourcompany.com/yourexamplesite.html, or a host URL- http : //12.34.56.789.
Both options will take 24-48 hours to take effect.
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HOSTING III - changing DNS
Your host should have given you the primary and secondary DNS information. This information will usually take this form:
Primary Hostname- ns1.examplehostname.com
Primary IP- 123.45.67.8
Secondary Hostname- ns2.examplehostname.com
Secondary IP- 123.45.67.9
You can log on to our website at RWM.net, and click the "Member Login" link in our "Manage" section. Enter the username and password you chose at the time of registration. If you have forgotten the username and password you chose, you may enter the email address you entered at the time of registration to have your username and password emailed to you.
After you log in, you will see links to the actions you can perform. Click the "Change DNS Info" link. You will be able to see the current nameserver info listed. Select the
domain(s) whose hosting you wish to alter, and click the "Continue" button.
On the next screen, you will be able to enter the hosting information your host has given to you. Replace the current servers with the new server info (you may omit the IP addresses, as they are optional), and click the "Continue" button. Your new DNS information will be automatically entered, if it is verified to be valid.
It will take a couple of days (24 - 48 hours) for your change to propagate Internet-wide.
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URL-FORWARDING
URL-forwarding is available as a service from RWM.net. URL-forwarding is a function of the management control panel.
Access the Manage section through our Member Login with your username and password, and select the URL-forwarding link. There is a fee of just $9.95 per name per year to receive banner-free forwarding to the URL of your choice.
You can use a www URL- http : //www.yourcompany.com/yourexamplesite.html, or a host URL- http : //12.34.56.789.
It will take a couple of days for your change to propagate Internet-wide. Your domain will be hosted on our servers, and will pull up the webpage you specify. Therefore, you cannot specify meta tags or other domain information. Your name will be in the address bar of the browser window at all times- your "real" web address will be hidden.
You may change your forwarding destination at any time through the management
control panel. Simply log back in to the Enable URL-forwarding section, and
update your web address. Click the Enable URL-forwarding to update the address.
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EMAIL FORWARDING
Email forwarding is available as a service of RWM.net. You can
have "anymailrecipient @ yourdomain.com" mail forwarded to any existing
email address.
To activate email forwarding, log on to the Manage section via the
Member Login link on the left-hand side of our website. Enter your
username and password. If you have forgotten your username and password,
enter the email address you used at the time of registration, and we
will email you your username and password.
Once you've logged on, click the Enable Email Forwarding link. Select
what email address you'd like to set up for your domain, as well as the
email address you'd like to forward that email to. If your real email
address changes, no problem. Just return to the Control Panel and the
email forwarding section and update your email address.
The cost for email forwarding is $9.95 per year for up to 10 addresses.
You may purchase an additional 10 addresses for $9.95. It will take
24-48 hours for your email to begin forwarding.
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TRANSFERS
If your domain was registered with another registrar, you can transfer it to
RWM.net, and choose RWM.net as your new registrar.
The cost to transfer a domain is just $14.95, and this adds one year on to your registration term. For example, if your name expires in November of 2002, you can transfer it to us and once the transfer is complete, the new expiration date will be November of 2003.
To begin, click on the Transfer Registrars link at RWM.net. If you have an existing account with us, enter your username and password. If you have never used our services before, click on the New Users button, and set up an account with a username and password. This is how you will get access to your domain once the transfer is complete.
You will receive confirmation of your request immediately. Also, within 24 hours, the administrative contact listed in the WHOIS record will be asked to verify the transfer request. Please make sure that the admin contact's email is up-to-date before submitting a name for transfer.
In the admin approval email, there will be a link to click on, and a code to cut and paste. Once you've approved the transfer, your prior registrar may email you their own confirmation letter. Read it carefully and follow the instructions. Once you've approved the transfer with them, your name should migrate to our system within 5-7 days.
FOR THIS REASON, WE RECOMMEND THAT YOU BEGIN THE TRANSFER PROCEDURE AT LEAST 30 DAYS PRIOR TO THE EXPIRATION DATE.
The information currently contained in your domain will remain the same prior to, during and after the transfer. Once the domain has successfully transferred to our system, you may begin using the online management system to make any changes you like.
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TRANSFERS IV - Verisign (formerly Network Solutions)
If your domain will not transfer because it has expired, or if your registry has
it locked until you renew it, you do have a couple of options. One is to pay the
registrar their fee to renew it for a year, and then continue the transfer. The
other is to allow the name to be released, and then try to re-register it. We
don't recommend the second option under any circumstances.
It's entirely possible that someone else will get your domain before you have
a chance to reserve it. Additionally, it is the policy of some registrars (most
notably Verisign) not to release the domain no matter how long it has
been expired. If you want the domain at all, you'll have to pay them at some
point, sooner or later.
Therefore, we recommend that you do renew the name with your prior registrar
for one additional year. Then, you can continue the transfer process to our
system. You lose nothing by doing both. You'll get a one year renewal from your
prior registrar, and then we will add one MORE year on to the end of your term.
If you have already paid for a domain transfer, and it has been denied by
your registrar, you can keep the transfer active, and, as previously mentioned,
continue the transfer after you have cleared your hold status at your prior
registrar. Should you choose to cancel the transfer, however, we'll be happy to
refund your money. All we need is the domain you're trying to transfer.
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TRANSFERS V- email link
If your link returns a value of "invalid key" after you paste the
approval code in, this is most likely a result of multiple emails being sent
out. The latest version of your admin approval email makes all older versions
obsolete, and any key off these old emails will not function properly. If you
receive an invalid key warning, check for a later email in your inbox. If it's
not there, contact support to have a newer one sent.
If the link you're clicking on for transfers returns this response-
"Warning, your ID is invalid. Contact technical support", then the
remedy is to have the entire link contained in the browser window.
Some email programs have a "page-wrap" feature that breaks our link
into two parts, like this:
If you wish to verify and approve the transfer(s), visit the following link:
https://secure.onlineaccess.net/trans.php?
email=email@domain.com&key=ti&FID=&IYD=1&secID=
For conveniences' sake, let's break this down like this:
If you wish to verify and approve the transfer(s), visit the following link:
linkpart1
linkpart2
You will have to copy (CTRL + C) the first part of the link (which begins
with "https:" and ends with "?" in the case above) and paste
(CTRL + V) into the address bar your browser window. Do not hit GO or hit the
Enter key yet. Return to the email and copy the second part of the link on the
line below the first one (which begins with "email" and ends with
"=" in the case above) and copy it into the address bar of your
browser window, after the first part of the link you pasted there earlier.
In your browser window then, the address you need to go to is:
linkpart1linkpart2
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TRANSFERS VI- check transfer status
You can use the Check Transfer Status tool to manage your domain transfer away
from your previous registrar to our system.
Access the Manage section through our Member Login with your username and
password, and select the Check Transfer Status link. Your domain transfers will
appear. Some will require no intervention from you (marked in green). Others
(marked in yellow) may require you to resubmit an admin approval email if the
domain has not been approved for transfer with us. Or, you may resubmit a domain
for transfer to your prior registrar if it has been approved on our end, but
your prior registrar denied the transfer.
If a domain appears in red, it's status cannot be determined automatically.
Please contact us for help with these domains.
A domain that has successfully completed transfer will appear in blue.
Some of the most common reasons for your prior registrar denying the transfer
include:
Not answering their confirmation email in time.
Not answering their confirmation email in the proper format.
The domain is expired or otherwise locked due to nonpayment.
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LOST USERNAME/ PASSWORD
If you have forgotten your username and/or password for the domain you registered, you can request it via email.
Log on to RWM.net, and click on the Member Login link in the Manage section. There is a "Forgot Your Password?" section, where you can enter your email address. We will email your username and password immediately.
IMPORTANT- Depending on your mail system, it may take some time to receive, usually no longer than 15 minutes. You must enter the email address you used at the time of registration.
If you have forgotten the username and password, AND your email address is
incorrect or out of date, you will have to provide the last 4 digits of the
credit card used to register the name. Also provide the new, correct email
address so that we can update your info and send your username and password.
If you have forgotten your username and password, AND your email address is
incorrect or out of date, AND you cannot verify your credit card information,
you will be asked to provide proof of ownership and identity.
We will first need a written request to provide access to the domain.
Accompany this request with a valid photo ID (passport, drivers license, etc.)
If the domain is registered to a company, we will need the signatory page of the
articles of incorporation for that company. All of this information is required
for security reasons. If you cannot provide any or all of this information, you
will not be able to get access to this domain. Please fax all of this
information to (847) 895-4123. Include your contact information (email and
phone), so that we may verify the information's validity.
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NAMESERVER MANAGEMENT
Go to our website at RWM.net and access the Member Login link in the the Management section with the username and password of the account containing the domain you wish to specify as the hostname of your new
nameservers.
Click the Nameserver Management link. You will be able to create new nameservers,
edit current nameservers, or delete current nameservers. The nameserver you wish
to create must be a domain in this account. Click the New button to create new
nameservers. Then, you will choose your new server hostnames- i.e. NS1.YOURNEWSERVERHOSTNAME.COM & NS2.YOURNEWSERVERHOSTNAME.COM. You must also fill in the IP addresses that you wish to associate with your new hostnames. You must use 2 unique static IP addresses- no other servers may already use the
IPs. After each nameserver submission, click the Continue button.
If your information is valid, your nameservers will be sent to the central database. It will take 24-48 hours for your nameservers to propagate.
Please note, this is the limit of our tech support- if you need support on how to configure your server or any other issue, you must get outside support.
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RENEWALS
You can renew your domain you registered at, or transferred to, RWM.net for up to 10 years.
Simply log on to our website at RWM.net, and click the "Member Login" link in our "Manage" section. Enter the username and password you chose at the time of registration. If you have forgotten the username and password you chose, you may enter the email address you entered at the time of registration to have your username and password emailed to you.
You will see links to all of the actions that you can perform. One of the links is to "Renew Your Domains". Click that link, and check the box next to each domain you wish to renew. Click the Continue button.
Choose the length of time you wish to renew each domain for. (Remember, you can renew for up to 10 years- if your domain will expire in 3 + years, you will only be able to renew 6 additional years.) Click the Continue button.
You will then be asked about your payment information. Click the Continue button to finalize the renewal.
IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO RENEW YOUR NAMES- use the "Disable Renewal
Notices" link in the manager. You will not receive further reminders to
renew your names, and they will be released on the expiration date.
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DISABLING RENEWALS
If you do not wish to renew any of your domains, and you do not want to receive
renewal emails, you can stop the emails from being sent, and your domain will
expire at the end of it's term.
Simply log on to our website at www.RWM.net and click the "Member Login" link in our "Manage" section. Enter the username and password you chose at the time of registration. If you have forgotten the username and password you chose, you may enter the email address you entered at the time of registration to have your username and password emailed to you.
You will see links to all of the actions that you can perform. One of the links is to
"Disable Renewal Notices". Click that link, and check the box next to each domain you wish
not to renew. Click the Continue button.
You will be prompted for confirmation, as this action means your domains will be
released at the end of their term. Click the "Yes" button to finalize
the disabling of your chosen domains.
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DOMAIN REDEMPTION
If your domain has been released from our system, you have two options.
The first is to wait and re-register it as new after it has been dropped from the central registry. The second is to recover it under the "Redemption" program.
The central registry has adopted the new "Redemption" program in order to try and help in cases like yours. They keep deleted domains on "Registry Redemption" status for up to 30 days. If, during that time, the registrar who deleted the domain wants it back, they can have it- FOR A FEE.
If you want to wait and re-register your domain, it will take up to 30 days until the central registry drops the domain. If you want to recover it before then, the fee is $100.00 plus the cost of your renewal for at least one year. You can pay cashier's check or money order, or by the default credit card in your account. Please go into your member login area to redeem your name now.
We STRONGLY recommend you do not wait to try and re-register your domain after it is dropped. There are cybersquatters running automated programs that are much more likely to re-register your domain first. You will either lose your domain forever, or you will have to spend many times more to get it back in that event. This is exactly the type of commonly seen scenario that prompted the central registry to adopt this Redemption Period policy.
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REGISTRANT INFO CHANGES
We often receive requests to casually change the registrant information, since it is the only aspect of a domain that cannot be accessed through our online management system.
Some people wish to update their address that has changed, or the company name, which has been bought out. Others want to remove their ownership information for security purposes.
Changing the registrant information requires a higher level of security, since it affects the ownership of a domain. You should also be aware that it may affect your ownership adversely. For example, should someone file a WIPO claim to this domain, one of the ways ICANN will resolve the dispute is to immediately terminate a disputed domain if the information provided is known to be false.
Should you wish to go ahead with your change of ownership, we will require some actions on your part, in order to assure good faith on your part, and reflect security concerns on our part.
The steps for changing the registrant are as follows:
1. You should change your administrative, technical or billing contacts (at least one of these) over to the information you wish us to use, in order for the change to be accurate. We will cut-and-paste your information directly from the contact you specify.
2. Make a request to support to change the registrant information. Provide the domain, your username and password, and the contact info we are to use.
We may ask for verification from the registered contact for this domain.
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OWNERSHIP CHANGE
To begin, click the domain manager login. Enter your username and password. If you have forgotten your username and password, you can enter the email address you used at the time of registration to receive your username and password via email.
Once you're in the Management system, if you wish to change the registrant info for a domain, click the "Ownership Change" link in the Change/Update Information section.
If this is your first visit to the Ownership Change section, you'll be prompted to set up a security password for your own protection. You must choose a question and provide the answer. You will be prompted for this answer every time you return to this section. PLEASE NOTE: Please choose something memorable. If you forget your answer, you will not be able to change it without contacting support.
Once you are in the section, you may click on the domain you wish to alter the ownership of. If you have a large number of domains, you can browse through your list 50 at a time, or you can search for a specific domain. Once you have clicked on the domain, the current information will be displayed. Please make any changes necessary, and then click the Continue button. Your changes will be finalized (if there are no errors) immediately, reflecting the new owner right away. We will keep a log of all the old information, for future reference, if there is ever any question.
PLEASE NOTE: You may use contact info of your choice for a domain registrant. Many people are reluctant to use their personal information, especially if a domain may be objectionable to some. That is understandable, however, ICANN policy is that contact information must be valid, as is laid out in our Terms of Service. We encourage you to use business-related (or other, more secure) contact information, rather than your home contact info. Should you use totally invalid contact information, and someone objects, that can be used against you to terminate your domain.
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CHANGING CONTACT INFO
Changing the admin, billing and technical contact information can be accomplished via the Management control panel.
To begin, click the Member Login link on the left-hand side of our website at
RWM.net. Enter your username and password. If you have forgotten your username and password, you can enter the email address you used at the time of registration to receive your username and password via email.
Once you're in the Management system, click the "Edit/ Manage Contact Handles" link. A contact handle is a shorthand version of all of your contact information. You can edit any of your contact handles here (click the "Edit" button next to the handle), or create new ones (click the "Create New Handle" link at the top of the page). Once you have the contact handle information the way you want it, return to the main screen of the Manager.
Next, click the "Assign Domain Contacts" link. A list of your domains, as well as the current IYD contact handle associated with the domains, will show. Choose the domain you'd like to change information for, and click the Continue button.
Choose what information you'd like to update- admin, billing and/or technical, and click the Continue button. You may choose any of the IYD contact handles you have set up in our system.
Click the Continue button to finalize the change. Our system will update immediately, however, it will take 24-48 hours for the information to propagate Internet-wide.
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SECURE CONTACT INFO
You may use contact info of your choice for a domain. Many people are reluctant to use their personal information, especially if a domain may be objectionable to some.
This is technically a violation of the Terms of Service, which state that correct contact information must be provided.
RWM.net, however, will not take action against you solely for that reason. We appreciate security concerns, and allow you to provide whatever information you like.
Should your site be objected to, though, RWM.net will attempt to contact you. If your contact information is false, and we cannot contact you to respond to any complaint, your domain may be deactivated.
If you need to change registrant info to something more secure, follow this procedure:
We often receive requests to casually change the registrant information, since it is the only aspect of a domain that cannot be accessed through our online management system.
Some people wish to update their address that has changed, or the company name, which has been bought out. Others want to remove their ownership information for security purposes.
Changing the registrant information requires a higher level of security, since it affects the ownership of a domain. You should also be aware that it may affect your ownership adversely. For example, should someone file a WIPO claim to this domain, one of the ways ICANN will resolve the dispute is to immediately terminate a disputed domain if the information provided is known to be false.
Should you wish to go ahead with your change of ownership, we will require some actions on your part, in order to assure good faith on your part, and reflect security concerns on our part.
The steps for changing the registrant are as follows:
1. You should change your administrative, technical or billing contacts (at least one of these) over to the information you wish us to use, in order for the change to be accurate. We will cut-and-paste your information directly from the contact you specify.
2. Make a request to support@RWM.net to change the registrant information. Provide the domain, your username and password, and the contact info we are to use.
We may ask for verification from the registered contact for this domain.
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CHANGING ACCOUNT INFO
Changing your default account information can be accomplished via the Management control panel.
To begin, click the Member Login link on the left-hand side of our website at
RWM.net. Enter your username and password. If you have forgotten your username and password, you can enter the email address you used at the time of registration to receive your username and password via email.
Once you're in the Management system, if you wish to change your password, click the "Change Your Password" link. You'll be asked for your current password, as well as your new password twice. PLEASE NOTE: Once you hit the "Change Password" button, your change is finalized.
If you wish to change the default account information click the "Update Account Information" link. You'll be able to update
the email address for your account, your default registrant & contact info, your default nameservers and your default credit card information.
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NEW ACCOUNTS
If you have domains under a username and password, you can create a new account and move a domain in your current account to that new account.
The best way to create a new account is to go to our home page and search for a domain that does not exist, such as asdgsdfgwtertgrteqagsdfbdswtwfafvasdfweragdasfvasfasfwfasfwe.com.
When that comes up as available, click the Checkout button and then enter the New User section. Fill out the default information for the new account, and click Continue. (If you like, you may enter default credit card info as the following- VISA 4444444444444444 03/03 This is a "dummy" credit card account.)
After your new account has been verified, click the Cancel button to stop the registration. You will not be charged, and the domain will not be registered if you click the Cancel button, but the account will still be valid.
Once you have the new account set up, you can contact support@RWM.net. Give us the domain, as well as the username and password for the current account, and the username of the account you want us to transfer the name to.
We may contact you via email to confirm.
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MERGING ACCOUNTS
If you have created more than one account with RWM.net, you can merge all of your domains into one account.
Simply provide the username and password of all the accounts you have, as well as the username of the account you want to be the single account for all of your domains.
We will transfer all of your domains into the account with the name you've specified.
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INTERNIC UPDATES
It usually takes two business days for updates made online at RWM.net to be seen elsewhere on the web, including
hosting information.
This is standard Internet propagation time.
Additionally, some registrars whois databases are not compatible with others. You may wish to use a central whois lookup, as one registrar may not carry another's info.
Your best bet is always to look up a domain at the registrar of record. To find out who the registrar is for a name, go to
http://www.internic.net/whois.html.
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WHOIS DATABASES
WHOIS databases are specific to each registrar. If you registered the name properly, it will show in our WHOIS database immediately. It will show in the InterNIC central database 24-48 hours later, but might not ever display in another registrar's
database. That doesn't mean someone else can register the name, the name record is still taken, but it might not show you as the
owner.
Your best bet is always to look up a domain at the registrar of record. To find out who the registrar is for a name, go to
http://www.internic.net/whois.html.
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EXPIRED DOMAINS
Domains that expire at RWM.net are released after their term expires. Please remember when looking at a domain's expiration date that the format is Month/Day/Year- MM/DD/YEAR.
Domains that expire at another registrar are subject to their own policies. They do vary from registrar to registrar, however, there are some consistencies.
There is usually a grace period, and then a period when the domain is "on hold"- where nobody can do anything with it.
Generally, you will need to give a domain at least 30 days from the time of expiration to be released. You cannot put in any kind of "pre-claim" on the name. You'll have to wait until it is released by the registrar, and then register it manually. Lately, Network Solutions has adopted the policy of not releasing domain names. If a name expires at Network Solutions, they will require it to be re-registered at
NSI.
For a registrar's specific release policy, you should contact the registrar that owns the name. You can find out who is the registrar for a specific name by entering the name into the central database search engine at
http://www.internic.net/whois.html.
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