iWhois - Domain Name Availability CGI
	What's New in IT IT Consulting Phones/VoIP Internet Security About Us Home

	Web Site Hosting	Web Design	Broadband/Access	E-Mail Solutions	Accept Credit Cards	Hosting Support

Offering clients a way to check domain name availability is an essential part of a web hosting company's web site. However, checking the availability of only the common top level domain names (.com, .net, and .org) is not adequate. A utility to check the availability for any top level domain name is necessary. This ability can be easily provided with a small form and CGI script. The lookup form and CGI source are presented in two sections below.

Installation

To install the lookup CGI on your Virtual Private Server you will need to do the following:

1. Install the Lookup Form
   You will need to download the Domain Name Availability form HTML source and store it somewhere in your ~/www/htdocs directory structure. Feel free to customize the form, add graphics, etc. But be sure that the variable name for the input field is not altered.

2. Install the CGI
   Connect to your Virtual Private Server via Telnet or SSH and do the following:

   % vinstall iwhois

3. Customize the Appearance of the CGI
   Two subroutines in the util.pl file are used to print out header and footer information. These functions are print_header_info and print_footer_info. Feel free to modify these functions such that the CGI outputs pages that are in synch with the motifs of the rest of your site.

Example

Once you have completed the installation successfully, you will have a query form like the one shown below (simulated).

Domain Name Availability Please use the following form to check the availability of a domain name. The domain name can end in any of the international top level domains, not just those serviced by the InterNIC. Simply enter the domain name (i.e. internic.net, nominet.org.uk, nic.ch, etc) into the entry field below and select the Lookup button.

Please note: the information on this page applies to ITS web hosting plans. It may or may not apply to other environments. If you are looking for a feature described here, or better support from your hosting provider, please consider hosting your site with ITS!

Copyright © 1996-2024, Integrated Technical Solutions, Inc., all rights reserved. See Terms/Legal for trademarks, copyright, and terms of use.