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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?

makerofthings7
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    Number of high profile outages, price, features. NetSol is always going to lose on the pricing criteria. – Andrew B Mar 15 '15 at 18:18
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    Don't forget the ability to wipe the dust off your ancient fax machine and get some use out of it! And not being contacted before renewal time, so that they can charge you a reinstatement fee when the domains invariably expire. And the most obnoxious sales droids you'll ever run into, who won't even buy you lunch. – Michael Hampton Mar 15 '15 at 19:09
  • @Michael Good point, the fourth criteria for selecting a registrar should be "do you have masochistic tendencies". – Andrew B Mar 15 '15 at 19:26
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    Some more suggestions: DNSSEC support (allowing you to add `DS` records to the delegation) and them having a decent API – Håkan Lindqvist Mar 15 '15 at 20:49
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    IPv6 glue records support. – ab77 Mar 18 '15 at 16:12
  • I made a Google Docs spreadsheet here - Feel free to make edits or updates https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1GsRQtaML-ihdNZwCnlIZP9dVFafXzAl3yLOE1QAKSWE/edit?usp=sharing – makerofthings7 Mar 21 '15 at 14:45
  • Ability to resell domains. Godaddy has a good markeplace for selling domains. – simplfuzz Mar 24 '15 at 08:38

1 Answers1

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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?

Antonius Bloch
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