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Network - DNS Registration FAQ

The Domain Name System (DNS) is a distributed Internet directory service. DNS is used mostly to translate between domain names and IP addresses, and to control Internet email delivery. Most Internet services rely on DNS to work, and if DNS fails, web sites cannot be located and email delivery stalls.

• How can I make a DNS-related request?
• How much do DoIT's DNS and subnet allocation services cost?
• How quickly are DNS-related requests handled?
• Are campus departments allowed to handle their own 3rd-level domain DNS server(s)?
• What are DoIT's criteria for allowing ".org", ".net" and ".com" domains?

Email hostmaster@doit.wisc.edu.

There is no charge for these services.

DoIT's goal is to address/complete all requests within 24 business hours. Most of the time, they're finished much sooner. Urgent requests and outages are addressed on a best-effort basis.

This is allowed in some cases, provided that the following standards are met:

1. The primary nameserver should be configured in a secure manner.
2. The system administrators for the nameserver must provide 24x7 contact information.
3. There must be at least one secondary nameserver for any given DNS zone. DoIT will provide secondary service for any department not equipped to do so.
4. At least one of the secondary nameservers SHOULD be geographically and logically separate from the primary.

• *.org Allowed when the scope of the website's mission includes and exceeds the mission of the UW-Madison.


• *.net These requests are handled on a case-by-case basis.


• *.com Groups requesting *.coms need approval from Office of Administrative Legal Services; alternatively, those groups may look into getting a commercial ISP.

• In short, probably not. As of 2009, Educause supplies .edu domain only to accredited educational institutions, not departments or projects.

  http://net.educause.edu/edudomain/show_faq.asp?code=EDUELIGIBILITY#faq142