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Your own Domain and Website – Part 1 and 2

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Free Website with Domain Preamble

In this multi-part post, I will go through a step by step process for setting up a low cost or free website. The only cost in this process is the registration of the domain through the registrar. There are domains that are free like za.net, as long as their is no commercial interest.

Before starting this process you need to have created an email from a free email provider like GMail, and a set up a website from a free website provider like Google Sites. In the parts that are coming we will assume that these are the providers you are using. If I get a request to use other providers I will look at them as an option.

Part 1: Finding a Domain.

The first thing you need to do is find a domain name that is available. Depending on the domain you need to go to the source of those domains. For this exercise I will be using the co.za domains.
  1. So go to http://co.za
  2. Click on Whois (Registration Details)
  3. Enter in a name you would want (no co.za), and click [Enter]
  4. If you get a No Matches result then that domain is available, if you get a list like below:
    Search on quaffee (.co.za)
    Match: One

    Domain: quaffee.co.za
    Then try another one, until you find the domain you want
  5. Let us assume you found one, lets say it is onecoolname.co.za
  6. Now go back to the home back right click on http://www.coza.net.za/coza_reg.txt, and download the form
  7. You are ready to move on to Part 2

Part 2: Setting up DNS Host

Now you have a name you need to register it. To do this you need to have someone host the DNS, which essentially links an IP number to a word based name, almost like a phone book. There are a number of free DNS hosting services; in this exercise I will use zoneedit.com. For more detail read Simplified example of how DNS works.

At this point I assume that you have set up a GMail or something similar account, since you need an email account to register at Zone Edit.
  1. Go to http://www.zoneedit.com
  2. Read the terms and conditions first
  3. Click on Free Sign Up
  4. Fill in the form that is displayed, and click on [Sign Up Now]
  5. Go to your email and you should receive a confirmation email
  6. In the email they will send you your username, and password, click on http://www.zoneedit.com/auth/
  7. And then you will be taken to a page that is titled "Choose Zone"
  8. Click on Add Zones
  9. Next to Enter Domain Name, add in the domain name you found, so in our case it is onecoolname.co.za, then click [Add Zone]
  10. This takes you to a page that gives you the name servers you need these, for security purposes I have place xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx, save these IP addresses
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