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Free Domain Name Resources

“Free” is one of those misleading terms that gets thrown around quite a bit these days.  By the time you read the terms and conditions of the product or service in question, more often than not, you find that is it not free at all.  You may assume that free domain names is just another trick designed to toy with your emotions but believe it or not, they do exist.  We have compiled a list of services that can help you establish a web presence with your very own domain without paying a single penny.

Dot TK

Dot TK is a domain registrar that offers free domain names in the .TK extension.  Millions of users have being using this TLD since 2001, which makes it more recognizable and powerful than you might think.  There are some advantages to having a .TK domain name, especially if you plan to use it with a short secondary domain.  In addition, it can be used with any type of website you may have, whether it is a blog or e-commerce site.

.CO.NR Free Domain Name

This is another service that offers free domains with a variety of extra features to boot.  Your name comes with the .CO.NR extension, a project designed to help those who are strapped for cash obtain a unqiue domain that can establish a degree independence similar to premium domains.  Some of the features that come along with the service include domain forwarding, URL cloaking and meta tag support, all of which are free with your domain name.

Afraid.org

Afraid.org offers a host of free services.  On the menu are domain names with the .afraid.org extension and several more, sub-domains, URL cloaking, dynamic DNS support and full DNS management.  In order to reap the benefits of Afraid.org, you must first sign up as a member, which can be done for free.  There are also paid packages that provide a greater level of flexibility as more capacity is available to you.

UNI.CC Network

Here you have one of the most popular free domain name services available today. UNI.CC Network allows you to build your web presence with the unique .uni.cc extension.  The service provides a variety of domain registration tools along with a DNS Setup Wizard that makes managing your identity a breeze.  This service is provided at absolutely no cost.  All you are required to do is keep your contact information up to date and abide by the site’s terms and conditions.

Fadlan

Fadlan is another great site that offers a free URL redirection and DNS service.  Domain forwarding is free, so you get a domain such as mysite.fadlan.com as well as path forwarding and three types of directs.  Because it also specializes in free DNS services, if you have dedicated IP address, you have the ability to run your own web server on a sub-domain.  Fadlan isn’t the best looking site, but it has come become very popular and offers a few services you may find useful.

Beware of Drop Catchers: Secure Your Domain

While the general concept may seem trivial, domain names are more highly sought after than one would ever imagine.  Because they can be so valuable, people of lower morals devise ways to steal them right from under your nose.  Domains are also lost everyday through a legitimate practice that has been coined as drop catching.  This process involves savvy domain traders who quickly snatch up names that have been expired and either try to sell them, or capitalize off the links associated with the site.  Though domain owners are victimized quite frequently, knowing how the domain registration process works can help you avoid drop catching and keep your precious name safe.

How Names are Lost

As you probably know, domain names can easily be registered with a service such as GoDaddy.  Although they are in great demand, a domain name can be purchased for around $10 a per.  You generally have the option of registering the name for anywhere from one to ten years.  Nearing the end of the registration period, the registrar sends a renewal notice to the domain owner via email.  If the owner doesn’t respond in a certain amount of time, the name is eventually placed back on the market and can then be purchased by anyone else.  Thousands of domains become available each day because the owners fail to renew them.  Others lose their domain names simply because they didn’t realize they were up for renewal.

Domain Registrars Aid the Process

Per the rules set forth by the ICANN, domain registrars are required to notify the domain owner that their name will be removed from the registry 45 days after the expiration date.  Once the name is dropped, the owner generally has a 30 day grace period to reclaim their domain.  After the time has expired, there is another five day period before the name is dropped entirely and goes back on the market.

Over the past few years, domain registrars have used an auction to sell expired domain names.  These auctions bypass the original process by making domains available within a thirty day period.  GoDaddy is one service that starts an auction before the domain names have officially expired.  The company does however, warn bidders that the domain owner still has the option to renew their name.

Domain service providers that aid in the registering of expired domain names offer tools to make these products much easier to find.  For example, many provide frequent updates on available names, recommend auction services, customized searches and tools for those looking to snag expired domain names.  Some offer free software to help you dig deeper for domains on the brink of expiration.

Get Proactive

Drop catching will continue to be a widely used practice as good domains become more scarce and people look to leach traffic from established links.  You can secure the identity of your website and business by knowing the status of your domain name.  The best way to do this is staying aware of the expiration date or selecting an auto-renewal option.  Relying on a registrar presents the risk of never receiving the notification due to a tricky spam filter and losing everything you worked so hard to build.