General Enquiries About Domain Services

Included with freedom2surf's basic domain hosting

• Top Level Domain registration or renewal.
• Web Interface control for your domain.
• DNS entry panel for A, MX, TXT records and CNAMES.
• Web-redirect.
• Nameserver changes.
• @f2s.com email addresses.
  
  For dedicated webspaces and f2s hosted email please see the web and email packages.
  
  nb International Domain hosting does not include registration or renewal.
  
  

Choosing a domain to register

Use our domain checker to search for an available domain.
The most commonly used domain endings in the uk are .com and .co.uk. If you are registering domains for a British business it may be worth trying to secure both of these.
Having said that, plenty of businesses manage well with different endings, eg .biz
There are some restricted use domains, eg .me.uk domains are intended for individuals, not businesses.
Unless you are going to advertise your domain name independently, it is wise to choose an obvious and unambiguous name that matches your company name, so customers can find your website easily. A long domain name can be better than a short but obscure abbreviation.
We can also register .ltd.uk and .plc.uk domains for limited and public limited companies if the domain matches the company name exactly.



Who is the domain name registered to?

If you register a domain with us it will belong to you and so you will be registered as the owner of your domain name. Top level domains require registrants to submit complete and accurate Whois data. Although there is an option for non-company registrants of Nominet .uk domains to opt out their address details from public display.

The older practice of companies owning domain names on behalf of the customer is being phased out by Icann.

There is no extra charge if you decide to transfer your domain away.



Ordering a company .ltd.uk or .plc.uk domain

These can be ordered by fax or post. We will need your company registration number.
Our hosting order form can be downloaded from here.
F2S Hosting order form
Note that registration applications that are not considered to accurately reflect your company name will be rejected by the .uk domain regulators.



Ordering a .ac.uk or .gov.uk domain

These can be ordered by fax or post.
Our hosting order form can be downloaded from here.
F2S Hosting .ac.uk order form
F2S Hosting .gov.uk order form
Note that registration applications need to be accompanied by a description of the institution applying for the domain.



Ordering a .tv or .cn domain

These can be ordered by fax or post.
Our hosting order form can be downloaded from here.
F2S Hosting order form
.com.cn and .cc domains are also available.




Ordering a French .fr domain

These can be ordered by fax or post. The registrant will need to supply at least one French address for the admin contact for the domain.
Our hosting order form can be downloaded from here.
F2S Hosting order form
We can also register .de, .cn and .tv domains.
Registrant restrictions do not apply to .cn and .tv domains.



Ordering a .eu domain

We can summit orders for .eu domains. These can be ordered by fax, post or phone.
F2S Domain Order form



Ordering hosting for international country domains

If you have already registered a domain we can provide hosting for it.
eg .de, .nl, .it, .ie, .com.au domains
• £12/year dns with web-redirection.
• £36/year dns with webhosting.
• £36/year dns with web-redirection and emails.
• £60/year dns with a website and emails.

Our hosting order form can be downloaded from here.
F2S Hosting order form
We can register a few international domains, including .tv, .fr, .de, and .nl. Prices and conditions are available from sales.



Who is Nominet?

Freedom2surf is a Nominet member and tagholder. This gives us the ability to register, renew and administer a .uk domain for you.
In 1996, due to the growing number of .uk domains, Nominet was created as a private not-for-profit company to be the official and sole regulators for .co.uk, .org.uk, and .sch.uk domains. This is how Nominet describe themselves..
.."Nominet UK is the registry for .uk internet names. We manage the authoritative database of .uk domain name registrations. We are a not-for-profit company and have members instead of shareholders. Nominet is officially recognised as the .uk domain name registry by the internet industry, users and the UK Government. We do not proactively sell domain name registrations, but provide neutral advice on registering and maintaining your name."



In which scenarios will I encounter Nominet?

• If you register a .uk domain with freedom2surf Nominet should send you an official domain ownership document. There is no equivalent certificate for .com, .net, .info, or .biz domains.
• If you want to change the registrant name for your domain, eg you are selling it, this has to be done directly with Nominet. They charge an admin fee and this can be managed from their website. See http://www.nominet.org.uk/MakingChangesToYourDomainName/Transfer/

If you simply want to change or withdraw the registrant address for your freedom2surf .uk domain, this is free of charge and this can be done with freedom2surf.



Who is OpenSRS?

OpenSRS are our registrars for gTLD names. They are part of Tucows. We act as agents for them.
If you need changes making to your domain, or you are trying to transfer your domain away contact freedom2surf. Most things can be done online from your members area, https://secure.freedom2surf.net otherwise email or call us and we will be pleased to help.

General Enquiries About Domain Transfers

How to transfer a domain name to freedom2surf

• Register your domain with us for domain hosting. You can either use our online domain registration box or do this from your Members Area.
• Contact your other isp and follow their procedures for transferring a domain away.
• Once successfully transferred, we can renew and host the domain for you.
Prices are the same as for new registrations.

The transfer process has 2 aspects to it
• the transfer/change of registrar(for .com domains)
  or tag holder(for .uk domains)
  to freedom2surf
• the transfer of hosting services to freedom2surf
The time taken to transfer a domain and hosting varies. The registrars transfer can take up to 7 days, whereas a tag change takes seconds.
The transfer of hosting services is dependent on when your domain's nameservers are changed. This can be done before or after but not while a registrar's transfer is in progress.
To avoid downtime it is vital that your old isp continues to host your email, web, etc. for 2 or 3 days after the nameservers have been changed.



Our domain nameservers

Our nameservers are:
primary:
ns0.freedom2surf.net
ip: 212.139.132.230
secondary:
ns1.freedom2surf.net
ip: 212.139.132.231

Our old nameservers are currently being phased out and should not be used for new updates:
server0004.freedom2surf.net
ip 194.106.56.34
server0001.freedom2surf.net
ip 194.106.56.46



IPS Nominet tag

Our IPS tag is FREEDOM. You will need this when transferring Nominet names to freedom2surf.



Registering a detagged domain

If you own a detagged domain you can transfer it to f2s. You will need to register it as a transfer with us and then contact www.nominet.org.uk and ask them to change the tag to FREEDOM. They will charge you from £10+vat admin fees which you need to pay. If there is an outstanding renewal fee (Nominet direct rate is £80+vat), don't pay this, give them our f2s order authorisation code instead and then we can pay the outstanding renewal fee at Nominet members rate when the domain is retagged to FREEDOM.
You will find full details of what to do after you order a domain transfer in your f2s Members Area.



How to minimise email loss during a transfer

Email loss in transfer usually occurs if your old host shuts down your service before the DNS part of the transfer completes.
After the dns change is made it takes a few hours to a couple of days before any email traffic arrives via freedom2surf. During this time it is essential that your old ISP keeps their email hosting active or emails will be lost. You will also, obviously, need to continue to download emails from them using your old settings as well as adding your new f2s settings until you are confident that you are receiving all your email via our servers. Then it will be safe to close your old email service.
• Place domain and email transfer order with f2s.
• Create the email addresses that you are transferring in your f2s Members Area.
• Check with your old email hosts that they will continue your email service until you are receiving all your emails from us.
• Transfer domain.




How do I transfer my website?

You'll need to order a domain transfer and web hosting from us.
To get a smooth transition you can ftp your website files to ftp host address i-194-106-33-49.freedom2surf.net before the dns changes take place.
If you don't have a copy of your website files, then get a copy from its present web location or your web designer before you order the transfer.
If your website is in Frontpage please note that you cannot use http protocol in advance of the transfer completing.
As with email services, ensure your current webspace provider continues hosting until the transfer is complete.

Information About Website and Email Hosting Services

Can I get email hosting for my domain?

Yes. Order our email package for your domain. This will give you full email support:
• web interface for full customer control
• up to 20 email addresses of your choice
• individual passwords
• pop3 and imap supported
• excellent webmail with many features
• holiday messages
• rules for forwarding and filtering
• anti-spam and virus protection control
• aliases
• use Outlook, webmail, you choose!




Can I purchase webspace for my domain?

Yes. You can choose from a linux apache or a Microsoft IIS webspace for a domain name that you have registered wth us, or are registering with us, or are transferring to us.
Our standard linux apache webspace is
• 200Mbytes
• supports php4
• perl cgi scripts
• 10Mbytes mysql database,
• webstats(downloadable)
• Frontpage 2002 extensions support
• a separate webmaster ftp password for security
Our new Microsoft WIndows IIS webspaces are
• 200Mbytes
• support ASP
• ASP.NET
• 10Mbytes mysql database,
• webstats(downloadable with FTP)
• Frontpage 2003 extensions
• Access databases




Can you supply an SMTP delivery back up?

Yes, we can offer a virus-checked SMTP feed. These can be ordered from your members area after you have purchased domain hosting. https://secure.freedom2surf.net.



Do you support secure sites?

Yes. https://secure.yoursite.com with SSL and an internationally recognised secure certificate for your domain and business are available. We can supply secure sites compatible with our PHP webspace types.
You would use secure ftp to upload your site and be able to use the same kind of files as a normal site. The difference will be that web data is transferred in encrypted form and the site will be secured with an official SSL certificate to validate your web business.
Our hosting order form can be downloaded from here.
F2S Hosting order form

Payment and Contract Terms

Domain and hosting terms and conditions

Domain hosting is subject to our own hosting terms and conditions.
http://www.freedom2surf.net/domains/terms
In addition different Domain Names are subject to their own terms and conditions as specified below. For registration of .uk names please also refer to Nominet's terms: http://www.nic.uk/ref/terms.html
For registration of .com, .org, .net, .biz, .name or .info names please also refer to Icann's terms: http://www.icann.org/dndr/udrp/policy.htm
For registration of .com, .net, .org, .info, .biz, .name, .cc, .tv, .us, .cn, and .de names please also refer to: Exhibit A Domain Registration Agreement




How is my domain renewed?

After initial registration with freedom2surf, your domain name is renewed automatically by us when it comes up for renewal providing your domain hosting with freedom2surf is paid for and current and uncancelled. Payment data is available in your freedom2surf members area.
We do not send letters about domain renewals so if you receive a letter it may be a sales letter from another company. Examples of companies who do this are: the Domain Registry of America, and EU Registry Services, these are not registries and it is ok to discard their letters. Please check with us before paying third parties for your domains.



Payment methods

You can make a payment for your domain with a credit or a debit card and you can pay by direct debit if you have an established account.
Refer to your Members Area for payments, card changes and direct debit forms.

We also accept cheques. Please make them payable to Freedom to Surf plc



Our domain name prices

Our domain, web and email hosting prices can be viewed at http://www.freedom2surf.net/domains.



Where do I find copies of my invoices?

You can find copies of your invoices, or VAT receipts, in your Members Area. https://secure.freedom2surf.net



How do I cancel my domain hosting?

You can cancel your email service from the billing section of your Members Area.
Cancelling online stops your service being renewed. If you have just paid a renewal and want to cancel and the hosting year it relates to has not yet started it is not too late to cancel and get a refund.