Domain Names

• What is a domain name?
  
  A domain name is the label used to identify your web site; for example: MyCompany.com. It usually describes some aspect of your site and is easier for your visitors to remember than your Web address, also known as your IP address.

  In order for visitors to access your site on the Internet, you must select a unique domain name and register it with an accredited domain name registrar. VirtualReality can register your domain name for you.

• What kind of domain name extensions can I use? Can I use international domains such as .tr, .ch, .ca, .us or .au?
  
  You can use common domain extensions such as .com, .net and .org as well as international domain extensions such as .fr, .ch, .us and .au. VirtualReality can provide hosting for any of these domain types.

  VirtualReality can register domains with .com, .net, .org, .info and .biz extensions, as well as a number of international domains.

• What kinds of things should I consider when choosing a domain name?
  
  Because your domain name will represent your business, you should make sure that the name you choose is memorable, descriptive and that it instills confidence, particularly if you plan on selling goods and services on your site.

  Your domain name can be up to 67 characters long and can include any combination of letters, numbers and dashes (although it cannot start or end with a dash). A domain name must end with a domain extension, such as .net, .com, .org or .edu. The letters "www" at the beginning of a name are not considered part of the domain name.

• I picked out a domain name. How can I find out if it is available?

  You can quickly check to see if a domain name is available using the WhoIs database at VirtualReality's WhoIs System. Type in the domain name you are interested in and then click Search. The database will be searched to see if that name is currently available. If the domain name is already registered, you may want to try variations of the name or you can select from the list of available domains provided there.

  Remember, the domain extension is part of the domain name -- mycompany.com is not the same as mycompany.net.

• Someone else is already using the domain name I want. Is there anything I can do?
  
  Once a domain name is registered, it belongs to the person or company that registered it. If you are really interested in having a domain name that is already registered to someone else, you can contact the owner of the domain name to find out if the name is for sale or you can wait for the registration to expire.
• Can I have more than one domain name? Can they both point to the same web site?
  
  You can have as many domain names as you like. You can have each domain name point to a different site, or you can have multiple domain names point to the same web site (but not to different pages within the same web site). Many companies register several domain names and have them all point to the same central web site. This is known as a "domain alias."

  Registering multiple domain names for the same site not only brings the largest draw to your site, but it also can prevent competitors from poaching your potential customers. When picking multiple domain names -- or aliases -- for the same site, consider variations of your name such as common misspellings, as well as both singular and plural versions of the name.

• I want to reserve my name, but I'm not ready to post my site yet. What are my options?
  
  You have a number of different options. If you think you may want to get your site up and running in the near future, you can go ahead and register your name and sign up for a hosting plan now. VirtualReality will create an "Under Construction" page that all your site's visitors will see until you are ready to publish your site.

  If you think it may be a while before you are ready to publish your site, or if you want to reserve your name "just in case," you can select a plan that offers only domain name registration. With this plan, your domain is registered so that no one else can use it, but you do not have to pay for web site design or hosting yet. This is sometimes referred to as "parking" your domain. If you decide you want to go ahead and publish a web site later, you can quickly upgrade your plan.

• I have decided on my domain name. What is the process for registering it?
  
  Once you have decided on a domain name and have checked that it is available, you will need to register it. VirtualReality can register your domain name for you at very comeptitive cost per year (for most extensions). You may register it yourself, but you'll need to record your registrar username and password for later use in configuring your domain name to work with your web site.
• How do I register my domain name?

  Once you have decided on a domain name and have checked that it is available, VirtualReality can register your new domain name for you. The domain name propagation process normally requires 48 to 72 hours.

• How long will it take to register my new domain name?

  VirtualReality registers your domain name immediately after receiving your request. The propagation process normally requires 48 to 72 hours.

• What does it cost to register my domain name?
  
  The costs for registering your domain vary depending upon the domain name extension. Most domain names are $15-18 per year.
• I already have a registered domain name. How do I transfer it to VirtualReality?
  
  The transfer process depends on the registrar with whom you registered your domain name. VirtualReality can transfer your domain name for you, but will probably need your username and password to log in to your current registrar's system. The transfer process typically takes several days.
• I don't remember who my registrar is. What can I do?

  You can go to the WhoIs database at VirtualReality. Type in your domain name  and then click Search. Click the link 'WhoIs' beside the domain result. The resulting page will include your registrar's name, domain name expiration date, etc.

• How long will it take to transfer my domain name to VirtualReality's registrar?
  
  Typically the transfer should be completed within about 48 to 72 hours. You may want to check with your registrar to see exactly how long it should take to complete the transfer.
• How long will it take for my domain to be active?

  There may be a brief delay between the time your domain name registration or transfer is completed and the time when your domain is active and can be accessed by everyone over the Internet. This is due to the propagation process.

• What is propagation?
  
  When visitors type your domain name into their Web browsers, their request is referred to a nameserver that indicates the physical location (the IP address) of your domain on the Internet. When your site location changes to a new IP address, or when you deploy a new site with a new domain name, nameservers around the world must be notified of the change. This process of notification is referred to as propagation.

  Propagation typically takes 48 to 72 hours. During this time, if you are transferring your domain, some nameservers will still refer to your site's old location while nameservers that have already been notified of the change will refer to the new location. As a result, visitors accessing your site may be directed to either the old or new location, depending upon which nameserver they connect to.

  If some visitors are still being directed to your old site location after 72 hours have elapsed, you should contact your previous Internet Presence Provider and request that they update their DNS and delete your domain from their servers. Once this has been done, and this change has been completely propagated, the transfer to your new location will be complete.

  If your site is new, your site may not be recognized by all nameservers until the propagation period has completed.

• How can I avoid downtime while I wait for the new information to propagate throughout the Internet?

  While waiting for the new nameserver information to propagate throughout the Internet, we recommend maintaining your site at your current host to avoid down time for your site. During this time, you can use the temporary Web address (URL) that we gave you to mirror your web site on VirtualReality's servers until the transfer is complete.

  If your site is new, you can use your temporary URL to view your web site while you wait for the propagation period to complete.

• My site is not showing up when I type in my domain name. What's wrong?
  
  If you have recently set up your account, this probably means that your domain name has not been propagated to all of the possible domain nameservers.

  Test your domain by typing your temporary web address in a web browser. If you can access your site using the temporary web address (URL), wait a day or two for the propagation period to complete. If after 72 hours the domain name still does not resolve correctly, contact VirtualReality.

• Can I keep my domain name if I switch my web hosting over to your servers?

  Absolutely! Although each registrar has it's own policy for releasing domains and some may charge you a release fee.

• What are Autoresponders?

  Autoresponders reply to an incoming e-mail automatically. An autoresponder could be used to send a standard pre written text e-mail to persons requesting information, or confirming receipt of a request, etc. If you have ever received a response to an e-mail which suggests that the recipient is away from the office, you have received an automated response.

• What is the difference between Shared and Dedicated Hosting - how can I decide which I need?

  Shared Hosting simply means that there are more than one website on a particular server. We never put more accounts on a server than will utilize 50% of it's resources to ensure optimal performance. Dedicated Hosting means that you control a whole server, configuring one or as many websites as you choose on it. Access to Dedicated Servers is gained by either Web Host Manager, a browser based contol panel, or Telnet/SSH. Unless you have a large company with a high traffic website or are a web developer wanting to host multiple websites, a Shared Plan will probably fit your needs.

Web Design & Development

• What is Website Design?

  While this may sound like quite a simple question, people often interpret the term website design in different ways. For us, design refers to the look and feel of the website and how all the visual elements of a website are brought together. Design does not refer to the development of a website through the coding of HTML. A good website design incorporates the organisation’s corporate identity with navigation, text and image content to present the overall information in a concise and attractive manner.

  VirtualReality is proficient in graphic design to produce design work. The design concepts are completed by our designers and approved by the client before any HTML work commences. One of the challenges a graphic designer faces in designing for the web is the restrictions that exist in HTML to enable browser compatibility and general accessibility. We only work with graphic designers who are experienced in designing for the web and all our design concepts are run through a quality assurance process with our senior web developers to ensure their compatibility for the web.

• What is Website Usability?

  Website usability can cover a number of different factors within a website, however it can be most accurately summed up as the effectiveness of a website to provide users with the most logical, clear and intuitive way to access the information contained within.

  The measure of usability is based on the quality of a user’s experience when interacting with the website and the following factors are taken in to account.

  • Ease of learning – is the website navigation clear or does it require a learning process to access information?
  • Efficiency of use – when the user has become familiar with the interface, can they quickly access the information they require?
  • Memorability – on return use, can the user retain the basic functions of the website or are they required to learn again?
  • Error frequency – does the user make errors in accessing the information they require?
  • User Satisfaction – is the user satisfied with the interface and do they enjoy using the website?
• I don't think a website will do anything for me, am I right?

  No, many people overlook the various products, services, or business processes they can include on a website. Any communication or interactions that happen within your business can be made easier and more effecient by the web. Your business will save money and time while appealing to a much greater audience, the world.

• What can a website do for me?

  The answer to this question is neither short nor easy. With a little research and thought you can find hundreds of reasons, but there are a few general statements that may help you realize your needs.

  1. First a website can reach millions of people that might not otherwise be available.
  2. Second, customers can view products, services, or whatever you want to share from the comfort of their own home.
  3. No matter what type of business you are in, their are ways to grow and make money on the web for you.
• I need a website, where do I start?

  Initiating your first website does not need to be a difficult task. The most important thing is to consider the purpose of your website. Do you simply want to give out your contact details? Or, do you have a more complicated purpose in mind, such as selling products and services through a sophisticated eCommerce system?

  Once you have an idea of what you would like to achieve from your website, it is time to think about content. What sort of information would you like to display and how would you like to display it?

  At this point, you are ready to talk to a company like VirtualReality about how they might assist you in finding solutions that meet your needs in relation to both your budget and timeframe.

  If you are unsure of any of the above, or would like help in determining a strategy for your website, VirtualReality can provide a range of services that will assist you.

  While determining your communication strategy for your website, it is important to think about the technical aspects of the website as well. Do you have a domain name registered? Do you need to arrange hosting for your website? Are there any special requirements that you need to keep in mind for the website?

• I know nothing about setting up a website. Can you provide and advise me on everything I need?

  Yes! We can provide a full ecommerce service, including: domain name registration, email mailboxes, website hosting, web design, website development, web maintainance and custom application required.

• What information do you need from me to get started?

  What ever you need on your website. Website content e.g. Products, Prices, Examples, Contact details. We can work with printed materials such as your company brochures but this will take longer than using electronic text as we will have to retype all the text.

• What should I put on my website?

  When determining website content, the most important thing to consider is why your users are visiting your site. Would they access it to find out prices, the services you offer, your contact details, information relevant to them or to purchase a product or service?

  For each of the user’s wants or needs, you need to consider how you will fulfil that need through the information architecture and content within your site. You will also need to think about what information you may consider sensitive (eg. prices) and incorporate alternative solutions for providing that information (eg. Quote request form).

• How long will it take you to complete my website?

  After we conduct the web site assessment process, we will have a fairly good idea of a production schedule. Certain conditions will apply to make this estimation: How many pages in your web site, the amount of interaction and scripting needed, graphic production and placement, site testing and analysis by you and your staff, and how many jobs that may be ahead of you. Generally, we will be able to give a very good estimate and timeline within the budget that should satisfy your needs.

• Do you charge on a per hour or per project basis?

  We always provide prices on a per project basis, this gives you a greater ability to plan your finances. The price for the project we give you will always remain fixed as long as your requirements remain unchanged. If your requirements change significantly we will always provide details of additional costs before proceeding.

Web Hosting

• What is Web Hosting?

  Web hosting is an allocated amount of disk space for your domain name on a computer that serves the information stored on it to the internet. It is where all the files that make up your web site can be found. Hosting removes the need of you having to provide and maintain expensive and complicated servers.

• How long does it take for a hosting account to be set up?

  As soon as we recieve payment in full you can expect to have your hosting account completely setup in 24-hours.

• What operating system is availabe on your servers?

  On our servers we offer Unix (Linux) operating systems.

• How do I set up an email account in Outlook Express?

  1. Open Outlook Express by double-clicking the Outlook Express icon on your desktop.

  2. The first time you start Outlook Express the Internet Connection Wizard will run. Select Create a new Internet mail account and click Next to continue.

  3. On the Your Name screen type in your name as you would like it to appear on your outgoing e-mail messages and click Next to continue.

  4. Type in your @yourdomain.com e-mail address on the Internet E-mail Address screen. Click Next to continue.

  5. On the E-mail Server Names screen, select POP3 from the drop down list. In the space provided below Incoming mail (POP3, IMAP or HTTP) server:, enter mail.yourdomain.com. Type in mail.yourdomain.com as your Outgoing mail (SMTP) server: and click Next to continue.

  6. On the Internet Mail Logon screen, type in your Comcast user name in the field titled Account name:. Your user name is everything leading up to, but not including the @yourdomain.com part of your e-mail address. For example, if your e-mail address is This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , you would enter This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it   as your Account name:. In the Password: field, enter in your assigned password. If you do not wish to enter your password every time you check your e-mail, put a check in the box labeled Remember password. Click Next to continue.

  7. You have now set up Outlook Express as your e-mail program. Click Finish to begin sending and receiving e-mail.

• What is Anonymous FTP?

  Enabling anonymous FTP(File Transport Protocol) allows visitors to access your web site to upload and/or download files without a unique id and password. By controllable anonymous FTP, we are referring to an environment whereby anonymous access can be limited to specific files and directories.

• What is Data Transfer?

  In general, any outward bound traffic from a web site, with the exception of e-mail, is considered to be data transfer. Every time a person visits your site every web page, image, midi file, quicktime video, etc. is viewed, data transfer is generated. VirtualReality offer plans that include a generous amount of free data transfer which should be more than enough for most sites. Additional data transfer beyond the threshold of most sites can be purchased at a relativly small charge to support the increased traffic.

• What is Disk Storage Space?

  Disk Storage Space refers to the amount of server disk storage specifically allocated to your account. This space is used to store your web site files, the html, graphics, audio clips, POP mail messages, pdfs, software and any other files that make up your web site. Each of our hosting plans include a generous allotment of disk storage space, but additional space can be purchased for any account as is necessary.

• Will I have FTP Access?

  Yes, all of our plan includes FTP Access.

• Can I get Microsoft's FrontPage Extensions?

  We can install Microsoft FrontPage extensions for your account. You may request that FrontPage extensions be installed within your web site when placing an order for domain web hosting services or contact our support department directly. Microsoft provides direct support for all FrontPage users.

• Can I utilize Streaming Audio/Video?

  Streaming audio and video is available on most commercial grade hosting plans. VirtualReality's Host Manager can work with you to deliver an audio/video-based streaming multimedia content through your website.

• Can I upgrade my hosting plan at any time?

  Yes, you can upgrade your account at anytime.

• What is an SSL Secure Server?

  The Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is a commonly used protocol for managing the security of a message transmission on the Internet. SSL uses a program layer located between the Internet's Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) and Transport Control Protocol (TCP) layers. The "sockets" part of the term refers to the sockets method of passing data back and forth between a client and a server program in a network or between program layers in the same computer. SSL uses the public-and-private key encryption system from RSA.SSL is an integral part of most Web browsers (clients) and Web servers. If a Web site is on a server that supports SSL, SSL can be enabled and specific Web pages can be identified as requiring SSL access. So in simpler terms, with an SSL Web Server Certificate on your website, any information sent to your web server is encrypted or scrambled, making it impossible to intercept or steal.

• Can I obtain Statistical Data?

  Web-based access to Webalizer statistics is available on all hosting plans. Webalizer gives you the ability to track what domains are accessing your web site, how many "visitors" you are getting, search terms used, how much data is being transferred and much more.

• Does VirtualReality host adult content websites?

  No. Hosting companies that host adult content websites are not good choices for your hosting needs as they require a lot of bandwidth and will considerably slow down your site's response time. Pornographic content is also in violation of our acceptable use policy and our service agreement. There are legal and ethical issues involved in hosting of sites containing pornographic material. Any user of our services who is found to have pornographic content on their site, or links to pornographic sites, will have their account closed and deleted within 24 hours.

• Will someone else on the server be able to access my website files if I have a Shared Hosting Plan?

  No. Your website will physically be on a server with other websites but only your specific login info will access your website files.

• What platform or operating system (OS) does VirtualReality use?

  Our servers run the Apache Web server on a Linux/UNIX platform.

• Does VirtualReality support Microsoft FrontPage?

  VirtualReality will install the necessary extensions for you to use FrontPage on our servers. FrontPage extensions are needed to enable you to publish your site with FrontPage. We do not support problems and questions directly related to the use of FrontPage itself. Instead, we will direct you to Microsoft's FrontPage Technical Support.

• Does VirtualReality support subdomains?

  VirtualReality supports subdomain names with most of our web hosting packages, such as "name.yourdomain.com".

• Aren't my domain renewal and my hosting account renewal the same thing? Why separate charges?

  Domain name renewals and hosting account renewals are separate services and are billed separately. You may have registered your domain name with one of many domain name registrars. If your domain name is registered with another registrar, you will receive your domain name renewal from that registrar. If your domain name is registered with VirtualReality, you will receive your domain name renewal notice from us. If VirtualReality hosts your website, you will receive your hosting account renewal notice from us. If you let your domain name expire (no matter the registrar), your website will not be accessable, even if the hosting account is still active (no matter the hosting company). Domain names are recorded through the main domain registry (so no 2 parties can register the same domain name worldwide) but your web hosting account can only be active at 1 webhosting company. We will not have records of your domain name account's username and password if you created your own domain account with other company.