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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  • The details registered about me/my company are incorrect or out of date.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

Registry of the future

Late last year, we submitted an article to IEEE Communications Magazine, describing our vision of how the registry of the future will function at the technical level. The vision had been developed on the basis of work carried out by SIDN Labs and its research partners.

Accepted

We're very pleased to report that the article was accepted and appears in the January 2017 issue of IEEE ComMag. The magazine is a global leader in its field with a wide readership. It publishes carefully selected tutorial-style articles based on research by universities and enterprises. Our article has been included under the theme Network and Service Management.

Control plane

At the heart of our vision is the concept of a ‘control plane’: an intelligent system for use by TLD registries, i.e. the registries that run top-level domains, such as PIR for .org and SIDN for .nl. (In the article, we refer to TLD registries as 'TLD operators'.)

We envisage a control plane being central to the way the registry of the future functions. A control plane is essentially an extension to the traditional registry functions of DNS management and domain name registration. It will automatically flag up potential threats in the TLD by continuously analysing the registry's two key datasets: the typically large amounts of DNS traffic that the registry handles and its database of registered domain names. Early awareness of threats in the TLD will enable the registry to share intelligence with registrars, ISPs and others. So the plane will support a system of collaborative security, with the various stakeholders working together to enhance the security and stability of the TLD. Used in combination with DNS anycast, the control plane will also allow the registry to dynamically scale its DNS infrastructure, and thus to head off DDoS attacks, for example.

Prototype under development

With the help of research partners such as the University of Twente, SIDN Labs is currently developing a prototype of the control plane. Our implementation is based on ENTRADA, a series of open-source modules built on top of a Hadoop data storage cluster. Using the modules, a registry or DNS operator can develop and run threat-detection software, such as the New Domains Early Warning System (NDEWS) created by SIDN Labs. The set-up also makes it easy for the registry to import DNS traffic to the control plane.

The control plane additionally provides a technical, legal and organisational framework for protecting the privacy of the TLD's users. SIDN has already developed such a framework, which is now in use for .nl.

Expert recognition

Publication in IEEE ComMag is an important form of recognition for us. It shows that the research community recognises that we are engaged in innovative and relevant research.

Our article was originally submitted in June, after which it was reviewed by three anonymous experts in the field. We then produced a final version reflecting the reviewers' feedback.

In the period ahead, we plan to refine the TLD control plane concept in tandem with our research partners.

Article by:

Cristian Hesselman

Cristian Hesselman

Director SIDN Labs