Domains

[martint235]

Ok after my recent spat with Justhost (who are completely cr@p, don't go anywhere near them! I can't say that enough I don't think) I have a domain with no home. I'm actually enjoying Gmail, I never thought I'd say that but isn't it great? If I read an email on my phone, it shows as read on the PC! IMAP how it's meant to be done.

Anyway, I digress. So I have a domain, is there anything I can do with it without having a host for it? I've got a feeling it needs a home to be useful but does anyone know different?
TIA

 

[MontyVeda]

you could host it yourself? But if you want it live 24/7 you'd have to leave your pc/server on 24/7 too.

 

[ColinJ]

Anyway, I digress. So I have a domain, is there anything I can do with it without having a host for it? I've got a feeling it needs a home to be useful but does anyone know different?
TIA

Create disposable email addresses on that domain which you can use to register with companies who might potentially spam you later or pass your details on to spammers.

Redirect all emails to your main account.

If you ever get spam on one of those addresses, kill that address and never do business with that particular company again!

For example, if you wish to sign up for a freebie from potentially dodgy company-x, create for-company-x-1347890128@martints-domain.com. The 10 digit random number is to stop anybody guessing one of your email addresses.

All is well for a while, but then you suddenly start receiving emails redirected from for-company-x-1347890128@martints-domain.com suggesting that you might need to buy penis enhancement products. Now company-x are the only people you ever gave that email address to, so they are responsible for the spam, or for selling your details on to spammers.

Blacklist 'company-x' for life and kill that email address! Then tell everyone you know never to do business with company-x unless they like receiving spam emails.

 

[martint235]

you could host it yourself? But if you want it live 24/7 you'd have to leave your pc/server on 24/7 too.

Create disposable email addresses on that domain which you can use to register with companies who might potentially spam you later or pass your details on to spammers.

Redirect all emails to your main account.

Thanks for the advice. I have toyed with the idea of hosting it myself even to the extent of setting up an old PC as a Linux box. One of the reasons I fell out with Justhost was they were useless at reliability and without 24/7 an email address is a vanity really.


Do I not need to have host in order to redirect the emails?

 

[MontyVeda]

you mean to redirect emails from you@yourdomain.co.uk to your gmail account? Yes I think so.

Or you could just stick with Gmail... besides search, it is one of their better products


We're in the process of falling out with fasthosts, on which we have around 500+ domains... hosts are fine til you need support, then you know how crappy they can be.

 

[martint235]

you mean to redirect emails from you@yourdomain.co.uk to your gmail account? Yes I think so.

Or you could just stick with Gmail... besides search, it is one of their better products

I am finding that. I've been with them from the start but never really used the account till this week. Works well with my phone too.

 

[ColinJ]

Do I not need to have host in order to redirect the emails?

It depends on the domain name registrar. For example, it looks like DomainMonster.com let you do it without paying for hosting. If your current registrar doesn't allow it, you could pay to transfer the domain to one which does.

 

[david1701]

set up google apps on it (not sure if you need a host for this) and it gives you everything gmail does but @yoururl

 

[Jezston]

Have you checked the website of whoever you registered your name through?

Pretty sure all of them will redirect emails, web links etc to a place of your choice.

 

[martint235]

I don't think there is a website for who I registered it through as such or it's complicated. It was originally registered through freenetname who were my ISP at the time. They are now part of madasafish/Plusnet/BT group but I moved my ISP from them last year to Be. The domain was then moved to JustHost who paid registration fees out of my fee to them.

The actual certificate of ownership is from Nominet but I never logged in to their service directly as I have never needed to before. As the email they hold for me is now host-less I'm a bit stuck. I think I'm just going to let the domain die a natural death.