Domain registration question?

[svrmet]

What's difference between buying a domain from general registrar(like godaddy.com) and buying a domain from a web hosting plan(the plan includes the domain name, maybe free)?

If I buy a web hosting plan which includes a domain name offer, can I use free DNS after I want to point the domain to my own machine later?

Or What if I get a better hosting plan and want to move the domain to the new plan?

Thanks!

[thewitt]

Sometimes there is no difference, and you own the domain name outright. You are the admin and owner contact, and you have full control over the domain through the Domain Manager control panel at the domain registrar used by your host.

More often though, you have no access to the domain to control it's information and you are at the mercy of the web host to make any changes to your domain - and even to take your domain with you when you leave.

I would ask the host you are considering using before signing up.

-t

[jmiller]

Yea, I would never purchase a domain name with a hosting package, unless I was completely certain that I had complete control over the domain in case I wanted to say, switch hosts. I'd hate to get a hosting package with a domain, have the hosting be substandard, go to switch hosts, and not be able to switch my DNS.

[svrmet]

Thanks thewitt and Miller, another question:

If I buy a domain from registrars (say godaddy) and then find a good hosting plan, I need to modify my DNS info (like NS record)at godaddy in order to join the hosting plan, is that right?

Then if I want switch my host, just go back to godaddy and modify DNS record using new host's DNS servers. Thus, the old host can't hold you with them. Am I right?

[thewitt]

Your DNS configuration is the only thing that ties a domain to a server.

You can either maintain your DNS entries yourself somewhere (Zoneedit or mydomain.com for example) and change them to change hosting companies, or you can change your nameservers to your hosts nameservers. Either way works fine.

Just make sure your regsitrar does not charge you for nameserver changes...

-t