Comment by Animats
2 years ago
1. How can you tell if a DNS server is already defined in the root anycast clusters?
2. What's a good domain registry for an important domain? One where you own the domain, like Gandi, rather than just renting it from the domain registry, as with current NetSol terms?
> One where you own the domain, like Gandi, rather than just renting it from the domain registry, as with current NetSol terms?
I don't think this distinction exists in the way you think it does. Different registrars may use different phrasing when referring to the registrant of a domain, but no matter whether the registrar uses the words "owner" or "rent", you're paying to be temporarily treated as the registrant of a domain name.
(There are some weird registrars like Njalla where the customer explicitly isn't even listed as the registrant of the domain, but that's probably not what you mean.)
How can you tell if a DNS server is already defined in the root anycast clusters?
One way is to query one of the root servers responsible for that TLD
If example.net, then adding extra steps to make it more explicit what's happening.
What's a good domain registry for an important domain? One where you own the domain, like Gandi, rather than just renting it from the domain registry, as with current NetSol terms?
All domains are rented. Premium registrars like MarkMonitor have monitoring options to see if someone managed to change the root servers for your domain and will try to fix it but I have no idea if they still do that or if they are still any good. They are meant for businesses.
> 1. How can you tell if a DNS server is already defined in the root anycast clusters?
Is it yours? Then did you define it?
Is it someone else's? Then yes.
> 2. What's a good domain registry for an important domain? One where you own the domain, like Gandi, rather than just renting it from the domain registry, as with current NetSol terms?
That's not how any of that works.
The registry is the TLD.
The registrar is Gandi or Network Solutions.
You are always renting a domain from the registry, subject to the terms and whims of the registry and registrar.
> You are always renting a domain from the registry, subject to the terms and whims of the registry and registrar.
That is usually true today. It wasn't true for Gandi until this change in their terms in 2020. Until then, they did not have the contractual authority to arbitrarily cancel a domain registration. Note the change to their terms at 4(ii).
Slowly, over the years, domain registrars have claimed more and more control over domains. Domain names have been considered property in a few cases, but it's not settled law.[2]
This led big companies to become registrars themselves. At one time, most of the big names - "google.com", "facebook.com" were registered with Network Solutions, when it was a standalone company or part of Verisign. Now, the big guys have in-house registrars, for safety. They don't want to trust those Web.com guys in Florida.
[1] https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/files/terms-of-service...
[2] https://circleid.com/posts/20180628_domain_names_considered_...
Okay, first off, that TOS is about ICANN's websites, in the update called their "platform". It has nothing to do with domains and ICANN is not the registry. I'm not even sure who the "they" you're talking about is. Were you trying to say that somehow changed something relevant to Gandi as opposed to every other registrar?
It was absolutely true for Gandi, just like for everyone else. Domains have always been cancellable for various reasons.
Yes, many registrars are now acting as registries or have in the past (or been part of other companies who were involved in the operation). That changes nothing of what I said.
Even those big guys with their own registrar, are still subject to the whims of the registries (for other TLDs).