Whois

Whois - Complete Information about a Domain or IP Address

The need to obtain detailed information about a website's hosting arises for various reasons, such as registering a new website (to check if the name is available), finding the owner, determining the domain's age, and understanding its history, among others. You can conveniently and simply find this information using the "Whois" service provided by Proxy-Store. This service is completely free and highly effective, available to anyone. All you need to do is enter a name, IP, address, or domain, and all the information is retrieved in a matter of seconds.

Key sections include:

• Domain Name;
• Registry Domain ID/WHOIS Server/URL;
• Date Updated/Creation Date/Registry Expiry;
• Registrar/IANA ID/Abuse Contact Email/Abuse Contact Phone;
• Domain Status;
• Name Server: NS1/2/3;
• DNSSEC/ DS Data;
• URL of the ICANN…;
• NOTICE;
• TERMS OF USE, and other data.

Essentially, you'll discover who the owner of the website is (not to be confused with the host owner; these can be different "entities"), the domain name, and the age of the website. You can do all this without the need to install and configure potentially risky third-party software. Proxy-Store offers an intuitive mechanism that operates 24/7.

Now, let's understand what "Whois" is and how it works...

Key Terms and Concepts

Learning the key principles is not difficult. However, it's essential to start with the basics and become acquainted with the definitions and purposes of the "main characters in our story":

1. Website (web page) - a single or multiple interconnected pages. They can be grouped not only by subject (although this is quite common). This "consolidation" is done at the technical level, with all pages interacting functionally.
2. Host, literally, means "owner." The host is responsible for hosting websites on the internet. As a result, you can find out the owner of the domain.
3. Domain Name - a specific character combination designed for identifying administrative units on the internet. In turn, the functionality of the internet depends on DNS, the system containing all existing domain names. It's defined as the link between the host's IP and the domain.
4. "Whois" is a network protocol based on TCP. This type is considered one of the primary methods for data transmission on the network. The term itself is an acronym and stands for "who is" in English.

The tool is designed to obtain comprehensive information about a resource, including the domain owner, status, website age, domain registration date, and more. All the data is retrieved in a text format.

How to Find Out Who Owns a Website

The Domain Name record typically contains the name and contact details of the owner. Using the DNS system, you can find the domain registration date and the expiration date. In turn, IP records on servers are generated within a specific range. This range of values indicates the organization to which it is delegated.

In most cases, "Whois" services are used to check if a domain is available. You can theoretically do this by entering the Domain Name in your browser's search bar. However, registration names are not always used in practice. Nevertheless, if a domain is already taken, you won't be able to use it. The only exception is the secondary market, where domains are resold, and to reach the owner with an attractive offer, "Whois" is often employed.

How to Find the Domain Registrar

Important note! Every registrar is required to provide authentic information about the organization and the domain owner in public databases. The contact information should also be valid during the Domain Name rental period. All conditions are outlined in the agreements provided by providers. In case of a breach of any agreement terms, the right to use the domain can be suspended or revoked. Sanctions are applied after notifying the lessee and in case of non-compliance with the obligations.

How to Determine Where a Domain Is Registered

The Whois service from Proxy-Store provides reliable data about websites. In the corresponding sections, you will find IP addresses of hosts, their ownership, and all contact information.

The Registrar section lists the name of the company. In the Registrar Abuse Contact Email and Phone blocks, you can find the email address and phone number of the owner. With the IP, you can determine the geographical location using an online service.

Information to Explore Before Finding Out Who Owns a Domain

Understanding comes with awareness! Many users act impulsively and do not delve into the essence of the Whois tool. This is fundamentally wrong. Before using the protocol, analyze its features, strengths, and weaknesses.

Primary Purpose of Whois

As mentioned earlier, there are various motivations for using Whois, and each user determines their own reasons. The service is primarily used to determine the current owner of a domain.

Additionally, resourceful users employ Whois to:

• Establish beneficial commercial connections (reaching out to a company for negotiations to strike lucrative deals);
• Develop an effective strategy in competitive markets;
• Track the culprits of spam attacks and identify the reasons behind them;
• Buy and sell Domain Names;
• Obtain personal information about organizations;
• Conduct address-based searches (information based on IP);
• Find out the age of a website and the domain's expiration date;
• Notify owners of infringements on their part or against them.

Whois becomes a real salvation in the case of content theft and subsequent publication. With its help, you can organize the protection of users' intellectual rights.

It's interesting! Half of the success in the field of SMM and marketing is having an easy-to-remember but bright, unusual domain name. Naming is one of the key points in the platform promotion process. Obviously, the age of a website allows you to find out how much time is left before renewal, whether the Domain Name is taken, and if so, for how long. Presumably, the lease term will expire soon, and you can get what you want after a short wait. This solution is quite convenient and rational.

Features of Whois

Servers work with two models of databases - distributed and centralized. The latter is characterized by the volume of information and can provide comprehensive responses to queries. In turn, the distributed model only redirects user "requests" to the registrar (automatically or manually).

The interface of such systems includes a special input window. This is how you check a domain for its age and functionality. Programs usually do not require precision when entering the name or address. The technology automatically selects all relevant Domain Names.

How to Find the Domain Owner - Data Decryption

In the output, all fields start with a personal name. The corresponding information is written after the colon. Fields are classified as mandatory and optional. Repeating fields are called "multipliers," while unique ones are called "singles." The number of blocks can vary depending on the request. For example:

• Some services provide the domain's age and registration date but do not specify the expiration date;
• Others provide information in the form of separate blocks, each containing one requested aspect of the resource;
• Sections are often divided into auxiliary fields, where database identifiers are located.

Additionally, you can determine the website owner in the "Referral URL." It contains a link to the registrars' website where their databases are stored.

Such differences (including fields with dates) are explained by the fact that each "administrator" maintains their own "register." The information in these fields often does not match, as .com and .net zones contain information about the current period (not the initial registration) and the domain's renewal. The maximum period can reach 10 years.

Important! There have been cases where changes in personal data or organization information were not updated in a timely manner or were not updated when ownership was transferred. That is, the new owner did not report the transfer of domain rights.

Keep this in mind and compare the results from multiple services if you want to check a website's creation date and expiration date.

Proxy-Store promptly and regularly updates data. The company's employees closely monitor changes and make corrections. Thanks to this, you can always check the age of a domain and get accurate information. Authenticity and relevance are guaranteed, except in cases where the information is not present in the databases themselves.

Domain Age - Important Nuances

It happens that not all information about the Domain Name is retrieved in Whois. The reason may not necessarily be an error in the service, the owner's refusal to provide information, or untimely updates. It can also be the case that Whois offers to hide the data for a certain financial reward so that "fans," ill-wishers, or scammers cannot track the organization (including its geographical location). Only the name, website registration date, expiration date, and "Private person" status remain accessible.

Often, when hiding data, Whois services include contact information for feedback. Users can contact the owner directly.

Another significant nuance! To find a website's hosting provider by domain, it is sufficient to use Whois. In the DNS line, you will find the address that allows you to determine the hosting provider. This guide provides an opportunity to approximately identify the company. However, be attentive - for "subsidiary" Domain Names, DNS servers of one organization may be listed, while the hosting may be provided by a different provider.

Specifics of the Search

Usually, when manually analyzing a Domain Name, the top-level domain is determined, for example, "ru, cz, ua," etc. The request is sent to the "Whois" server in the form of "ru.whois-servers…". If the result obtained contains the resource's name, the query, including sending it to the resource, is performed, and all the final values are combined.

In the case of the need for information about an IP, the search is performed using ".net." In most cases, this is a geo-reference to a specific country. By analogy, all the results obtained from different servers are grouped into one.

The standard query formats for Whois servers are "domain/IP address," corresponding to "r/n." There are exceptions...in some service versions, queries are written in their unique configurations.

Features of Final Data

The difficulty in reading lies in the fact that the output contains both valid results and error messages. Therefore, it is necessary to be able to distinguish between them. For many users, this is not particularly difficult, but in practice, different formats of Whois servers create a lot of problems. It all depends on the search algorithms that generate the analysis results.

Everything is extremely simple and intuitive on the Proxy-Store website. You won't have to manually enter queries, conduct comprehensive analytics, and group results when you need to find out a domain's age. Just copy the address or IP of the target resource. The intelligent tool will do everything automatically and incredibly quickly. And you won't have to pay for the search.

Special Features

Information from Whois is also needed when it's necessary to retrieve the data of a specific website by studying the domain's history. Consequently, you can "pull out" the previous version of the website without using archives. The recreation is done by accessing the previous hosting, provided they are still operational. This is relevant for recently released domains. In other cases, this method works much less frequently.

This mechanism allows you to test the domain when buying or bidding on an auction. By obtaining a copy of the name, you can determine its relevance and correctness.

If you've already become the owner of a Domain Name, checking the history will help you "revive" old versions of the site/hosting. This way, you won't waste time preparing new content or copying (cloning) existing content. Your site can already be indexed by search engines.

These are two additional ways to use Whois services. By using them, you can significantly save on the content and promotion of websites. You won't have to "download" archived materials to launch a host. Moreover, it's not only time-consuming but also not always rational because the data may be damaged, partially lost, and so on.

How Registrars Deceive and What They Hide

The information will be useful for those who want to save not only money but also time and nerves. When buying a domain, consider the following nuances:

• Overpriced rates and additional options that are not usually used but significantly increase the final price;
• Domain Names are registered for a period of 1 year, after which they require renewal;
• The price of extending the expiration period is more than twice the cost of activation;
• Associated expenses include certificates, certificates (often without legal force), Web-forwarding (redirection), transfer, and more.

Many modern services actively practice this. Undoubtedly, the "renewal is more expensive than registration" model is used by literally all providers, but their prices are significantly different. You should choose the ideal balance of reliability and cost. There are very few such services.

A Brief Conclusion

Regardless of your goals, be sure to use Whois from Proxy-Store. You will be able to accurately find out the age of the site and its expiration date. You can also access the hosting history and additional features.

Proxy-Store offers many different useful services. You can use services such as:

• "My IP" to find out your address, geodata, and other information;
• "Proxy Checker" to check the functionality and quality of proxy servers;
• "Spam Databases" to obtain information about blacklists and avoid IP address blocking;
• "Whois" to determine the domain owner, site age, registration data, and more.

The Proxy-Store catalog includes private and free proxies with guarantees and 24/7 support. Rental options are available from 1 day.

FAQ: If you need to find out who owns a domain, use the Whois service from Proxy-Store. This absolutely free and efficient tool provides data about the registration date and expiration date of the Domain Name, owner, IP, status, company address, and much more. All information is retrieved in seconds. These are exclusively reliable data from the databases. To search, simply enter the website name, IP, or address. Everything is simple and intuitive. Our intelligent algorithms work for your comfort and security on the web.