Home / server / Questions / 675666
In Process
makerofthings7
Asked: 2015-03-16 10:13:49 +0800 CST

What criteria should I use when choosing a registrar?

  • 772

I'm re-evaluating my choice of domain registrar, and need name registration services for 200+ .com, .net, and .org TLDs. There are a few .biz and newer TLDs.

In general, when evaluating a registrar for many DNS domains, what factors should be taken into account to make the right choice for my organization?

Some things that come to mind include:

  • 2 factor auth
  • Some kind of ISO process to ensure no one can hijack my domain
  • Supports domain locking and transfer codes
  • DNS services (not important)
  • additional named accounts (for other co administrators to be independently audited)
  • financial viability

What else should I look for or what questions should I ask to help determine what registrar to use?

domain-name-system

1 Answers

  1. Here is my personal list of considerations:

    I) Price
II) Features
  1) Security
    a) Authenitcation (Two Factor)
    b) DNSSEC
    c) High profile intrusions?
  2) Interface usability
  3) Multiple users and permissions
  4) API
  5) Support for the TLDs you are interested in
  6) Whois privacy (email proxy)
III) Corporate Practices
  1) Customer service
  2) Political alignment (ex: support for SOPA, Net Neutrality)
  3) Advertising practices (spam in interfaces?)
IV) Reliability
  1) Historic service performance
V) Billing
  1) Bitcoin accepted

    To me the priorities are technical reliability and organizational reliability, with price coming in last. Call customer service, see if they answer phones and queries quickly. Can you see any signs of technical and community leadership? Does the interface react slowly, use old technoligies or just seem kind of janky? Are their politics in line with your own?

    • 1