Hi all

I am sorry if this is in the wrong forum - this seemed most appropriate to my query, but I am not 100% sure. Please mods, move it if necessary!

I am about to begin a round of registrar transfers of domain names on behalf of a client. I can't see that they have any email/websites configured with the registrars with whom the domains are held - the domains mainly seem to be hosted on different nameservers - and even if they did my understanding is that the DNS will transfer with the domain name, so there would be no interruption in any services associated with the domain name just by changing to a new registrar. Am I right on this?

I have noticed one of the domain names (let's call it munkeybusiness.co.uk) is, according to the Whois, being hosted on the registrar's nameservers though there is no hosting package on the registrar account. I checked the DNS for the domain via the registrar's control panel and it gives an A record which is the IP address of client's main website (hosted by a third party) and a CNAME record of www.munkeybusiness.co.uk. (fully qualified). PLEASE NOTE THIS IS NOT THE ACTUAL DOMAIN! When I type the domain name into the browser, up pops the website and does not appear to have redirected (though it may be cloaked? but if so why is the domain not showing in the Whois as having the nameservers of the main client site? how could I tell?)

I have got totally confused now. Can someone please explain in plain language what is going on with this domain? Or if that is too difficult to explain, advise whether performing a registrar transfer will cause any issues with the domain?

I may be over-thinking this and I hope I am making my problem clear but please help!!!

I am about to begin a round of registrar transfers of domain names on behalf of a client. I can't see that they have any email/websites configured with the registrars with whom the domains are held - the domains mainly seem to be hosted on different nameservers - and even if they did my understanding is that the DNS will transfer with the domain name, so there would be no interruption in any services associated with the domain name just by changing to a new registrar. Am I right on this?

Assuming you don't alter the nameservers, yes. Domain registrar transfers do just that...they transfer the domain to a new registrar.

I have noticed one of the domain names (let's call it munkeybusiness.co.uk) is, according to the Whois, being hosted on the registrar's nameservers though there is no hosting package on the registrar account. I checked the DNS for the domain via the registrar's control panel and it gives an A record which is the IP address of client's main website (hosted by a third party) and a CNAME record of www.munkeybusiness.co.uk. (fully qualified). PLEASE NOTE THIS IS NOT THE ACTUAL DOMAIN! When I type the domain name into the browser, up pops the website and does not appear to have redirected (though it may be cloaked? but if so why is the domain not showing in the Whois as having the nameservers of the main client site? how could I tell?)

My hunch is that they're frame forwarding. Click on other pages within the site and see if the address bar changes to www.munkeybusiness.co.uk/page-name . If not, then it's being frame forwarded (in other words, the site is in a frame provided by the registrar and is likely being hosted for free). If not, it's misconfigured.

Thanks so much for your reply.

I checked the website again, and the page DOES change to www.munkeybusiness.co.uk/pagename.php when I click on other pages in the site. I am really confused by it all!

Can you just confirm that this won't cause a problem so long as when I transfer it I keep the nameservers? It is crucial I don't mess this up!

Many thanks!

What do yu mean? How long does it take DNS completed? As far as know arond 48 hours

Hiya

Thanks for the reply.

My query relates to the odd (to me!) DNS records that this domain has. The domain shows in the Whois as being hosted on the nameservers of, say, Registrar A and the domain is also currently held in an account with Registrar A. However, the A record for the domain is the IP address of a website hosted by, say, Registrar B with a CNAME record which is the domain I wish to transfer to Registrar C.

It is just the domain name I want to transfer, not the hosting of the site, so I am not worried about DNS propagation.

Really, all I want to know for 100% sure is that I can transfer this domain to a new registrar, maintaining the current DNS, without in any way affecting the live site or any email which may or may not be set up on the domain.

Thanks!