Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)-Domain FAQs

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Product & Services FAQ > Internationalized Domain Names (IDN)


Internationalized Domain Name Whois FAQs
1.
 How will the internationalized domain name appear in WHOIS?
2.
 In addition to the domain name, will the remainder of the domain/name server record be recorded (in ASCII) in the WHOIS and Registry database?
3.
 Will the WebNIC.cc WHOIS accept queries using the native character set of the internationalized domain name?
4.
 How can someone find out if a domain name has been registered in multiple languages?

IDN Punycode migration
1.
 What is Punycode?
2.
 What is Punycode migration?
3.
 Why there is need for Punycode migration?
4.
 When will all the RACE code change to Punycode?
5.
 How can I get my new Punycode?
6.
 As Registrant/administrative of IDN, what should I do?
7.
 Can I use RACE code to manage my IDN domain name?
8.
 Can I use RACE code to transfer my IDN domain name?
9.
 Can I use RACE code to renew my IDN domain name?
10.
 How about my IDN database?
11.
 How about my IDN NS delegation and configuration?

i-Nav Plug-in
I. Overview of the i-Nav plug-in
  1. What is the latest news on the functionality of IDNs?
  2. How does the i-Nav plug-in resolve an IDN?
  3. What top-level domains (TLDs) are supported by the i-Nav? plug-in?
  4. Who is the audience or intended user for the i-Nav plug-in?
  5. When is the i-Nav plug-in available?
  6. Where can I get the plug-in?
  7. Is there a schedule for deployment of e-mail clients?
  8. Do I have to do anything to make sure I have the latest and most updated version?
  9. How will the i-Nav plug-in be updated once the IETF publishes IDN standards?
II. Plug-in System Requirements
  1. What are the system requirements for the i-Nav plug-in?
III. Download and Installation of the plug-in
  1. Where can I download the i-Nav plug-in?
  2. What happens when the user downloads the i-Nav plug-in?
  3. Can the end user download the i-Nav plug-in from behind a firewall?
IV. Using the i-Nav plug-in
  1. Where will the resolution process take place after the i-Nav plug-in has been installed?
  2. After the i-Nav plug-in is installed, will it work in Netscape?
  3. Will I always need the i-Nav? plug-in?
V. i-Nav plug-in Troubleshooting
  1. How would I uninstall the i-Nav plug-in?
  2. How do I report a problem with the i-Nav plug-in?

.CC Migration - Romanized .CC and IDN .CC
1.
 Why there is migration on .CC domain name?
2.
 What is the exact change on .CC IDN / Multilingual domain name during the migration?
3.
 How to generate the Auth Info?
4.
 What is the change in IDN .CC transfer process ?
5.
 What is I-Nav plug-in?
6.
 How to generate new punycode?
7.
 What is the change in IDN .CC registration process?
8.
 What is the change in IDN .CC renewal process?
9.
 What is the change in IDN .CC transfer process?
10.
 What is the change in Whois query?
11.
 What is the impact to API partners?
12.
 What is the impact to CPL partners?
13.
 What is the impact to HPL partners?
General Questions

1).
What are internationalized domain names (IDN)?
Internationalized domain names (IDN) are domain names represented by native language characters followed by .com or .net (for example: 國際化域名.com).

2).
What is an internationalized domain name registration?
Registrants will be able to register second-level domain names in .com and .net, through WebNIC.cc - an ICANN accredited registrar for Verisign IDN.

3).
How do I use an IDN?
To use an IDN to navigate to a Web site, the user types the IDN in the browser's address bar or clicks an active link. If the user does not have the i-Nav plug-in, most browsers will require that the user type "www." or "http://" before the IDN. These prefixes will enable the browser to recognize the IDN as a DNS query. The IDN is resolved and the desired Web site appears in the browser.

4).
What languages are supported?
Since availability of languages is dependent upon Unicode, it would be best to answer this question in Unicode terms from the Unicode site. Many scripts (especially Latin) are used for a very large number of languages. The easiest answer is that Unicode covers all the languages that can be written in the following scripts: Latin; Greek; Cyrillic; Armenian; Hebrew; Arabic; Syriac; Thaana; Devanagari; Bengali; Gurmukhi; Oriya; Tamil; Telegu; Kannada; Malayalam; Sinhala; Thai; Lao; Tibetan; Myanmar; Georgian; Hangul; Ethiopic; Cherokee; Canadian-Aboriginal Syllabics; Ogham; Runic; Khmer; Mongolian; Han (Japanese, Chinese, Korean ideographs); Hiragana; Katakana; Bopomofo and Yi.

5).
How will non-English domain names appear on my Web browser?
All non-English domain names registered during the testbed period will become second level domain names within .com and .net. For example, a Chinese domain name may appear as 國際化域名.com.

6).
Can several domain names share the same IP address?
Yes. There is no variation from the current capability for domain names to share IP addresses.

7).
How will the WebNIC.cc handle trademark issues with regard to international domain names?
As a registrar, WebNIC.cc is not in the position and not authorized to resolve or decide on any of the intellectual property disputes surrounding domain name registration. But for all Domain Names that registered, transferred or renewed through WebNIC.cc, the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) will be adopted to resolve disputes, including those involving internationalized domain names.

Procedure

1).
How will internationalized domain names be processed?
The registrar will use Row-based ASCII-Compatible Encoding and valid name prep checks to convert native language characters into ASCII-compliant codes. These ASCII strings will then be sent to the WebNIC.cc database via an internationalized domain name testbed protocol.

2).
What is the encoding used for this process?
Starting 29th December 2003, the encoding will be Punycode.

3).
May hyphens be used in internationalized domain names?
Yes. Hyphens may be used in internationalized domain names. However, just as current standards do not allow names to begin or end with a hyphen, the ASCII transformation cannot begin or end with a hyphen.

4).
What is the maximum number of characters allowed for an internationalized domain name?
The encoded form of the internationalized domain name (including the 4 characters for .com or .net) may contain up to 67 characters. The characters can be letters, numbers, and/or hyphens. Hyphens may not begin or end a domain name. The internationalized domain name transformation software will reject the name if the encoded conversion exceeds the limit.

5).
How will internationalized domain names appear in the Zone file, as the actual name in the native character set, or as the ASCII transformation?
When in the Zone file, internationalized domain names will appear as the encoded ASCII character string. For example, the RACE encoding of 國際化域名.com will be stored as bq--3blqxfu3kmlfpx2ubu.com. However, starting December 29th 2003, the ASCII character string will use Punycode, which for the same native domain name 國際化域名.com, Punycode will be xn--cjr6vy5ejyai80u.com.

6).
What is the format of the domain name when it is entered into the WebNIC.cc database?
Internationalized domain names are stored in the WebNIC.cc database as ASCII-compliant Punycode with .com or .net suffixes.

7).
How to register IDN?
Using Quick Start:
  1. Login to Quick start in Partner Central
  2. Select registration button for '.com/.net/.info/.biz/.cc'
  3. Fill up the domain name in native/local language and submit. Domain name will display in native & Punycode.
  4. Continue with fill up other domain name information & submit for registration.
Please note that domain name will be display in Punycode as well. Please keep the Punycode for reference.

In Private Label:
  1. Login to Private Label
  2. Fill up the domain name in native/local language & select extension .com/.net. Submit for availability search. Domain will display in native and Punycode.
  3. Continue with fill up other domain name information & submit for registration.
Please note that domain name will be display in Punycode as well. Please keep the Punycode for reference.

8).
How to transfer IDN?
Just select Transfer feature and fill up native or Punycode, and submit for transfer. Please refer to Domain Transfer FAQ for transfer process and information. You may use the Conversion Tool to check on the Punycode or native of domain name.

9).
How to renew IDN?
Just select Renewal feature and fill up native or Punycode, and submit for renewal. Please ensure only domain name transferred or registered with Webnic.cc may renew using this feature. You may use the Conversion Tool to check on the Punycode or native of domain name.

10).
How to manage IDN?
Web Address Manager is the feature available for you to manage your domain name with User ID and password. Please note domain name will be displayed in native and Punycode.

11).
How to know the Punycode or native of domain name?
You may use the IDN Conversion Tool to find out the native or Punycode of domain name. A Race Code shall start with bq--xxxxxx.com. Starting December 29th 2003, Punycode will be used and it shall start with xn--xxxxxx.com.

12).
What is IDN Conversion Tool?
IDN Conversion Tool is a tool to convert IDN domain name from native to Punycode, or vice versa. . The Conversion Tool is available at Partner Central and Private Label. Make sure your IE browser encoding is set as UTF-8 to use this tool.

Internationalized Domain Name Whois FAQs

1).
How will the internationalized domain name appear in WHOIS?
In WHOIS, the internationalized domain name will appear as it is stored in the WebNIC.cc' database, which is RACE. Here is an example based on the currently proposed IDN Working Group Internet draft: bq--gde6djht.com. As the protocol evolves, the beginning of the string (bq--) could change. Starting 29th December 2003, Punycode will be used and it is begin with string (xn--).

2).
In addition to the domain name, will the remainder of the domain/name server record be recorded (in ASCII) in the WHOIS and Registry database?
Yes. The domain name, registrar name, WHOIS server, referral URL, name server record, and updated date will be recorded using ASCII characters (the current standard).

3).
Will the WebNIC.cc WHOIS accept queries using the native character set of the internationalized domain name?
The RACE representation (and not the native character set) must be sent to the Registry WHOIS. At the beginning of the testbed, an internationalized domain name Conversion Tool will be available as a bridge until an internationalized domain name WHOIS capability is available to accept queries using native language character sets.

The Conversion Tool will allow the entry of native characters and will return the accurate RACE string which can then be linked to WHOIS to return WHOIS information.

4).
How can someone find out if a domain name has been registered in multiple languages?
Domain names are unique registrations for each language. Therefore, a user must request registration information by initiating a WHOIS query for the domain name, in each language (native character set).

IDN Punycode migration

1).
What is Punycode?
Punycode is the standard for conversion of IDNs from their native character sets into an ASCII string.

2).
What is Punycode migration?
The Standards Migration Plan will involve one migration - from the current Encoding Scheme (RACE) to the new Encoding Scheme (RFC 3491: punycode).

3).
Why there is need for Punycode migration?
The advantage is that Punycode is a standard put in place by the IEFT whereas RACE was only a generally accepted process.

4).
When will all the RACE code change to Punycode?
All the IDN that belong to WebNIC.cc, the RACE code will be changed to Punycode on 29th December 2003.

5).
How can I get my new Punycode?
You may get your new Punycode by using our Conversion Tool. Keyin your domain name in native & submit. Conversion Tool shall provide Punycode instantly.

6).
As Registrant/administrator of IDN, what should I do?
The Standards Migration Plan will involve one migration - from the current Encoding Scheme (RACE) to the new Encoding Scheme (punycode). These are the only modifications required for IDN registrars. Therefore as partners/users, there is nothing need to be done by you. However in future, Registrants/administrators need to use Punycode for IDN registration and management.

7).
Can I use RACE code to manage my IDN domain name?
Starting 29th December 2003, you need to use native or Punycode to manage IDN. You may get your new Punycode by using our Conversion Tool.

8).
Can I use RACE code to transfer my IDN domain name?
Starting 29th December 2003, you need to use native or Punycode to submit IDN transfer. You may get your new Punycode by using our Conversion Tool.

9).
Can I use RACE code to renew my IDN domain name?
Starting 29th December 2003, you need to use native or Punycode to renew IDN. You may get your new Punycode by using our Conversion Tool.

10).
How about my IDN database?
If you do have your own database for IDN domain name, please update your database to punycode after 29th December 2003. This is due to RACE code will not be valid anymore after April 2004. To ensure your IDN resolve to desired web site, please also refer to Q11 for NS delegation and configuration of IDN.

11).
How about my IDN NS delegation and configuration?
The migration is move the IDNs from RACE to Punycode. Currently the DNS setting of domain name will still remain working till April 2004. Therefore it is suggest that partners to modify the IDN DNS configuration to ensure the IDN working fine after that period. You may change the DNS configuration after 29th December 2003. Please refer to Punycode NS Delegation and Configuration Guideline for more information.

i-Nav Plug-in Frequently Asked Questions

I.
Overview of the i-Nav plug-in

1).
What is the latest news on the functionality of IDNs?
The i-Nav plug-in enables the resolution and display of IDN addresses in Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser. For more information and to download the latest plug-in go to http://www.idnnow.com/. The i-Nav plug-in is free, both to users and to any of our registrar partners who are interested in distributing the i-Nav plug-in in their local area.

2).
How does the i-Nav plug-in resolve an IDN?
The i-Nav plug-in enables the resolution of an IDN while providing native script retention in the Internet Explorer browser address bar.

The i-Nav plug-in needs to be installed only once; thereafter it automatically undertakes all the resolutions locally on your machine and updates itself automatically. For more info on the latest enhancements to the i-Nav plug-in go to http://www.idnnow.com/.

3).
What top-level domains (TLDs) are supported by the i-Nav? plug-in?
The i-Nav plug-in resolves IDNs in the com, net and jp top-level domains.

4).
Who is the audience or intended user for the i-Nav plug-in?
The i-Nav plug-in is intended for Internet users, not registrars nor registrants. However, that the added functionality of the software will aid Internet end-users in adopting and using IDNs. This in turn will drive increases in renewal rates and new registrations, all of which benefit the registrars.

5).
When is the i-Nav plug-in available?
The plug-in for Internet Explorer is available immediately. Note that the plug-in does not require any special registrar implementation or integration.

6).
Where can I get the plug-in?
The i-Nav plug-in is available at http://www.idnnow.com/.

7).
Is there a schedule for deployment of e-mail clients?
Currently, we are developing functionality for Outlook and Outlook Express. We will make updates to the deployment schedule as they become available.

8).
Do I have to do anything to make sure I have the latest and most updated version?
No. The i-Nav plug-in is automatically updated when a new version is available. You do not have to worry about keeping the plug-in up to date.

9).
How will the i-Nav plug-in be updated once the IETF publishes IDN standards?
The main impact to the i-Nav plug-in after IETF publication of IDN standards is the supported ASCII Compatible Encoding (ACE) version. The Registry IDN Testbed currently uses RACE to represent IDNs in DNS and the i-Nav plug-in supports RACE. The IETF IDN Working Group has recommended a different ACE called punycode. Registry intends to migrate all IDNs in the Testbed to punycode after the punycode RFC is published, and will also update the i-Nav plug-in to use punycode.

II. Plug-in System Requirements

1).
What are the system requirements for the i-Nav plug-in?
The i-Nav plug-in currently works on the following platforms:
  • Wintel based PC running WinNT 4.0, Win98, WinME, Win2000 or WinXP
  • Internet Explorer? browser v5.0 or v6.x

III. Download and Installation of the plug-in

1).
Where can I download the i-Nav plug-in?
A site has been set up at http://www.idnnow.com/ to provide more information to end users and partners alike. Downloads of the latest versions of the plug-in are available from this site.

2).
What happens when the user downloads the i-Nav plug-in?
Download for first-time users are as follows:
  1. After download of the i-Nav plug-in, the user is presented with a License Agreement.
  2. If the user clicks "Accept," the client software is provided to the user in the form of a signed ActiveX control and an install page appears.
  3. If the user clicks "Yes" to accept the software the software is automatically installed and once complete, the i-Nav plug-in opens a new browser window.
  4. After installation, the end user can fully utilize IDNs to navigate and resolve to any web site that supports the Internet standard for IDNs
To resolve to an IDN-compliant web site:
  • The user inputs an IDN in the browser's address bar (MS I.E. 5.0 or greater).
  • The browser transforms the internationalized characters into an ASCII-compatible encoding using name preparation and the RACE encoding process.
  • It then passes the query to DNS for resolution.
3).
Can the end user download the i-Nav plug-in from behind a firewall?
Yes. The download occurs over HTTP port 80, which is open on most firewalls.

VI. Using the i-Nav plug-in

1).
Where will the resolution process take place after the i-Nav plug-in has been installed?
Resolution takes place within DNS. The string is formatted into an ASCII-compatible encoding and then routed to DNS.

2).
After the i-Nav plug-in is installed, will it work in Netscape?
No. At this time the client plug-in only supports Microsoft? Internet Explorer 5.0 and above. Note: if Internet Explorer 5.5 or greater is not installed, the plug-in will not be downloaded.

3).
Will I always need the i-Nav? plug-in?
No. After the IETF publishes standards for IDNs, Registry expects application developers to integrate support for IDNs in their applications (such as Web browsers and e-mail clients). Eventually the functionality provided by the i-Nav plug-in will be supported natively by Internet applications.

V. i-Nav plug-in Troubleshooting

1).
How would I uninstall the i-Nav plug-in?
To uninstall the program:
  1. Open Start->Settings->Control Panel->Add/Remove Programs.
  2. Select "i-Nav" under the currently installed programs.
  3. Click the "Change/Remove" button to uninstall the i-Nav plug-in.
2).
How do I report a problem with the i-Nav plug-in?
If you are experiencing problems with the i-Nav plug-in, consult the FAQs posted on http://www.idnnow.com/.

VI. .CC Migration - Romanized .CC and IDN .CC

1).
Why there is migration on .CC domain name?
The change is to comply with .CC Registry who will migrate to new platform. WebNIC.cc will migrate to new standards and at the same time, provide more services to partners. The new standards are conversion of IDN .CC to punycode and generate Auth Info for .CC domain name. Meanwhile new services such as transfer will be available for IDN .CC as well.


2).

What is the exact change on .CC IDN / Multilingual domain name during the migration?
Please find the changes as below:
Romanize .CC
- 10th Dec 2004 till 16th Dec 2004 : CC domain name transfer feature will be interrupted
- After 16th Dec 2004
  • Auth Info will be generated for each .CC registration
  • Auth Info is required to perform .CC transfer
ML/IDN .CC
- 29th Nov till 16th Dec 2004 : Registration will be closed. At the same time domain name modification and renewal will not be able to perform as well.
- 14 Dec to 16 Dec 2004 : URL forwarding will be down
- After 16th Dec 2004
  • Auth Info will be generated for each .CC registration
  • Prefix will change from Race code (ra--xxxxxxxxxx) to Punycode (xn--xxxxxxxxxxx)
  • I-Nav plug-in must use for resolution
  • Auth Info must provided for Registrar Transfer

3).
How to generate the Auth Info?
Auth Info will be generate by system upon registration. As for existing .CC domain names, system will assign Auth Info to each domain name. Partner is able to generate Auth Info at Web Address Manager of Partner Central. By clicking on the feature, Auth Info will be sent to Administrative contact instantly.

4).
What is the change in IDN .CC transfer process?
Transfer of IDN .cc is now available. Authinfo is still currently not applicable to .cc. Transfer still follow com/net processes where no authinfo is required.

5).
What is I-Nav plug-in?
For more information about I-Nav plug-in, please refer to #NI1.

6).
How to generate new punycode?
You may refer to the link http://api.webnic.cc/idnconversion.html to generate the punycode of IDN .CC.

7.) What is the change in IDN .CC registration process?
There will be changes to the shopping cart. ML .cc encoding selection is no longer applicable for registration of IDN .cc. IDN .cc registration has been combined with com/net shopping cart. Language tag selection is required only for registration

8.) What is the change in IDN .CC renewal process?
The renewal interface needs to be changed. Encoding type selection is not required anymore. The process will be similar to IDN .com/.net.

9.) What is the change in IDN .CC transfer process?
Transfer of IDN .cc is now available. Authinfo is still currently not applicable to .cc. Transfer still follow com/net processes where no authinfo is required .

10.) What is the change in Whois query?
Whois query no longer require the selection of encoding for IDN .cc whois query

11.) What is the impact to API partners?
  1. Language tag is required to be passed in for IDN.cc. API users will need to change the registration interface for ML .cc. The process is similar to IDN .com/net
  2. The renewal interface needs to be changed as well. Encoding type selection is not required anymore. The process will be similar to IDN .com/.net.

  3. Transfer of IDN .cc is now available. Authinfo is still currently not applicable to .cc. Transfer still follow com/net processes where no authinfo is required.

  4. Whois query no longer require the selection of encoding for IDN .cc whois query


12.) What is the impact to CPL partners?
  1. Changes to the shopping cart. ML .cc selection is no longer applicable for registration. IDN .cc has been combined with com/net shopping cart. Language tag selection is required only for registration.
  2. The renewal interface needs to be changed as well. Encoding type selection is not required anymore. The process will be similar to IDN .com/.net.
  3. Transfer of IDN .cc is now available. Authinfo is still currently not applicable to .cc. Transfer still follow com/net processes where no authinfo is required.
  4. Whois query no longer require the selection of encoding for IDN.cc whois query


13.) What is the impact to HPL partners?
  1. Changes to the shopping cart. ML .cc selection is no longer applicable for registration and renewal. IDN .cc has been combined with com/net shopping cart. Language tag selection is required only for registration.
  2. The renewal interface needs to be changed as well. Encoding type selection is not required anymore. The process will be similar to IDN .com/.net.
  3. Transfer of IDN .cc is now available. Authinfo is still currently not applicable to .cc. Transfer still follow com/net processes where no authinfo is required.
  4. Whois query no longer require the selection of encoding for IDN .cc whois query

 
 
 
 
 
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