AmericanUnions.Com

Frequently Asked Questions

Every day, americanunions.com helps many people start and grow their online presence with intuitive products and first rate support. If you don't find the answer to your question please email us at support@americanunions.com or call us at 206-920-6345. The AmericanUnions.Com customer support team is ready to help.

What is FTP?

FTP stands for file transfer protocol, which is an application that allows you to transfer your files to your web site.

Where can I find FTP software?

Here are some helpful links:
http://www.tucows.com/
http://www.ipswitch.com/

What is americanunions.com's DNS information?

Primary Name Server: NS1.AMERICANUNIONS.COM
Secondary Name Server: NS2.AMERICANUNIONS.COM

What is Disk Space?

Disk space is the amount of hard drive space available for storing your web site and files on our servers.

What is Monthly Data Transfer?

Whenever someone visits your site, data is sent from our servers to your visitor's system. This data include web pages, images, sound files, programs, compressed files, or anything else on your web site that can be downloaded or viewed by visitors. Each americanunions.com hosting plan includes generous data transfer limits. Choose the plan that is best for your needs based on the content of and traffic to your website.

What is a domain name?
	A domain name is your unique address on the Internet. The domain name functions as an alias for the numerical IP (Internet Protocol) address assigned by your host provider. Since people remember names better than numbers, domain name helps visitors find your web site simply by entering the web name (e.g. www.americanunions.com) instead of hard-to-remember IP address.

Why should I buy a domain name?
	Whether you are a business or an individual, there are several important reasons for buying a domain name. These reasons include: Exposure. Your domain name means that anyone in the world can find information about you, your products or your services 24 hours a day. Protection. Securing a domain name protects your name, your company name or your product name(s) on the Internet. Profitability. Domain names help to establish the Internet's "points of contact." This is where online buyers, suppliers and partners conduct electronic commerce. If you have anything to communicate "say" or sell, or if you just want to be more accessible, then securing your unique domain name is a smart move.

How can I find out if a domain name is available?
	To search for a domain name, simply type the name in the search box on the americanunions.com home page and click "GO!". Within seconds we will tell you if your selection is available! Keep in mind that your name is not registered until your payment has been processed, and there is no obligation to buy.

How much does a domain name cost?
	You may register a americanunions.com sub-domain name (e.g. me.americanunions.com) for a yearly fee of $14.95. Domain names ending in .com, .net, and .org are available for $19.95. This covers a one-year term, after which we will contact you with renewal options. Names ending in .biz and .info are priced at $24.95 per year* (*two year term required).

How do I choose the best domain name?
	Generally, the best names are those that are easy to remember, easy to type, and easy to spell. Short names are usually preferable to long names. For instance, the domain name "joespizza.com" is easier to remember than "joespizzastoreonfifth.com", even though the longer name is more descriptive. A good domain name will convey a unique sense of what your web site has to offer.

What are the guidelines for a domain name?
	Your domain name may include any letters in the English alphabet, any numbers, the dash (-) and the underscore* (_). No spaces or other characters are allowed. domain names must be less than 64 characters in length (including the extension portion), and must begin and end with a letter or a number. We also offer the following helpful hints: Be careful using a zero, as it may get confused with the letter "O". To separate words, use the dash (-). Spaces are not allowed. Domain names are not case sensitive, most users enter in all lower-case letters. Try to select a domain name that is a maximum of 15 characters. *Note: The underscore (_) is not allowed in (americanunions.com) sub-domains.

Can I choose any domain name?
	Good question. In theory, you can register any domain name that is available. In practice, however, there are some restrictions. Our policy states that you cannot register a name which you know to be the registered trademark, service mark, or copyrighted property of another (i.e. cocacola.americanunions.com). In doing so, this is a violation of the americanunions.com Terms of Service, and may also violate the copyright or patent laws of the United States and other countries.

How can I find out whom a domain name has been registered to?
	Enter the domain name you wish to research in the search box on the americanunions.com Home Page. If the name is registered, it will be displayed as a link to the public information of the registrant.

What is DNS and how does it work?
	DNS stands for Domain Name System. It is the system that the Internet uses to convert numerical IP (Internet Protocol) addresses to mnemonic form (eg, www.americanunions.com). Domain names are registered with a central organization in each country and are also associated with two DNS servers: a primary server and a secondary server. When someone types a domain name into a web browser, his or her Internet Service Provider's DNS server looks to its cache for an IP address associated with that domain name. If the ISP does not have an entry cached, it sends a "lookup query" to other DNS servers, which then return the IP address associated with the requested domain name back to the ISP. Once the ISP's server has that information, the user can access the web site. IP addresses are typically 12 digit numbers that identify a computer on the Internet, much like a street addresses. They refer to specific servers and their physical location on the network. Domain names are like the names on the mailboxes - they are associated with people and content.