Chose your color

Frequently visited

Frequently asked questions

  • I am looking for a domain name registrant. Where can I look it up?

    The Whois is an easy-to-use tool for checking the availability of a .nl domain name. If the domain name is already taken, you can see who has registered it.

    On the page looking up a domain name you will find more information about what a domain name is, how the Whois works and how the privacy of personal data is protected. Alternatively, you can go straight to look for a domain name via the Whois.

  • I would like to transfer my domain name to another registrar. What is the procedure?

    To get your domain name transferred, you need the token (unique ID number) for your domain name. Your existing registrar has the token and is obliged to give it to you within five days, if you ask for it. The procedure for changing your registrar is described on the page transferring your domain name.

  • The details registered about me/my company are incorrect or out of date. How can I get them updated?

    To update the contact details associated with your domain name, you need to contact your registrar. Read more about updating contact details.

  • Why is my domain name in quarantine?

    When a domain name is cancelled, we aren't told the reason, so we can't tell you. You'll need to ask your registrar. The advantage of quarantine is that, if a name's cancelled by mistake, you can always get it back.

    One common reason is that the contract between you and your registrar says you've got to renew the registration every year. If you haven't set up automatic renewal and you don't renew manually, the registration will expire.

  • Ik heb een klacht over mijn provider/registrar. Kan ik daarvoor bij SIDN terecht?

    Wanneer je een klacht hebt over of een geschil met je registrar dan zijn er verschillende mogelijkheden om tot een oplossing te komen. Hierover lees je meer op pagina klacht over registrar. SIDN heeft geen formele klachtenprocedure voor het behandelen van een klacht over jouw registrar.

  • What conditions do I have to meet as a registrar?

    Would you like to be able to register domain names for customers or for your own organisation by dealing directly with SIDN? If so, you can become a .nl registrar. Read more about the conditions and how to apply for registrar status on the page becoming a registrar.

More frequently asked questions

KSK Key Roll Last Call

As highlighted in our recent news item, the root zone's KSK rollover is going ahead very soon, on 11 October 2018. The rollover involves ICANN changing the DNS's master key, known as the KSK ('key-signing key'). The KSK has an important function in DNSSEC, the extension to the DNS that makes it possible to securely translate domain names into IP addresses (and vice versa). However, the existing KSK has been in use since 2010 and now needs replacing. Any resolver that doesn't install the new KSK is liable to cause problems once the rollover has gone through. 

Second attempt

The upcoming rollover is the first ever KSK rollover in the root zone, so tech-watchers are holding their breath. Originally, the rollover was going to happen a year ago, before being postponed amidst concerns about possible hitches. Since then, confidence in a smooth changeover has risen and ICANN has decided to push ahead with this important change to the DNS.

Last year's postponement decision was taken after research revealed that many DNSSEC-enabled validating resolvers didn't appear to have installed the new KSK, meaning that they were liable to malfunction after the rollover. With the rollover process on hold, a big push was made to raise awareness amongst the relevant resolver operators. The awareness campaign sought to explain the underlying issue and how to identify and prevent potential problems.

Outreach

SIDN believes that DNSSEC is very important for the security of the internet. We have therefore been working hard to draw attention to the upcoming KSK change via social media and other channels. We've also been providing information directly to our registrars, the government and other stakeholders, and working with them to ensure that everything goes smoothly.

In addition, we've been making direct contact with Dutch ISPs who operate validating resolvers (see this graph on stats.sidnlabs.nl) to remind them that the rollover is getting close and to explain how it could affect them. Using ICANN's research data, we drew up several lists of resolvers that didn't seem to be configured for the change. We then got in touch with their operators to spell out the potential problems and help fix them.

Reassuringly, we found that most knew all about the upcoming rollover and were fully prepared. Where that wasn't the case, we provided the advice and practical assistance needed to head off potential problems. And, of course, we remain available in the period ahead to answer questions relating to the rollover.

SIDN Labs' contribution

At SIDN Labs too, we've been contributing on various fronts. First, together with our research partners in the Root Canary project, we developed a tool for sharp-focus monitoring of the KSK rollover process. Once the rollover's gone through, we'll publish a blog setting out the findings of our monitoring activities. The tool is also being used for TLD-level rollovers, including those for .se (Sweden) and .br (Brazil).

We additionally carried out internal checks to make sure that our own resolvers were ready for the switch and that the automatic rollover mechanism (RFC5011) was working properly in all cases. The checks took in various internally produced software products, which were using the old KSK. One of the products in question was the DNSSEC validation monitor: the tool that's used for daily scanning of all DNSSEC-enabled .nl domain names, so that registrars can be alerted to DNSSEC errors linked to their domain name portfolios. (The aggregated output from the validation monitor is available from our stats page.)

Final call!

All things considered, we're very confident that the rollover will go well. Nevertheless, we'd like to give one last piece of advice to everyone who runs one or more DNSSEC-validating resolvers. Do double-check that each of your resolvers is ready for the KSK rollover!

In particular, make sure that your AS numbers and/or IP addresses aren't on the special list that ICANN keeps. It's a continuously updated list identifying all the resolvers that are suspected of not having installed the new KSK.

Finally, mark 11 October on the calendar as a date when you need to be on the lookout for DNS problems.

Then, together, we're sure to make the first ever root zone KSK rollover a resounding success.

Article by:

Marco Davids

Marco Davids

Research engineer