Moving Domains
 

I would like to move my primary domain from one company to another company and am concerned about minimizing the pain in this transfer.

Does it make sense to forward all email to a gmail account until the domain transfers OR is the transfer of domains pretty seamless?

My problem is I get a lot of email to my domain and I understand that once my domain migrates, I can't pick up email from my old domain.

Thanks

Are you keeping the same domain name and just changing registrars? Is your email hosted by your current registrar?

If you are just moving names, and your email is hosted elsewhere, then you will have anywhere from a 5 minute to 48 hour downtime...it mostly depends on the sending server if they obey the "time to live" attribute in the DNS records.

If your mail is hosted by your current registrar, you might want to check with them to see if they will allow you to continue to access it after the move. If not, find a 3rd party (like gmail, although one that supports IMAP would be better) and sync your messages to the 3rd party, then you can sync them to the new hosted server once its online.

Forwarding to gmail may help a bit, but more than likely the forwarding will stop as soon as the domain is transfered.

If you can give a little more info it would help.
-N

Actually, as long as you're not changing IP addresses, but only Registrars, you should have no downtime. Cached records will still point to the correct IP.

The issue would be if you don't run your own DNS servers, in which case you might have DNS lookups going to the old location for a bit. This can be solved by moving in stages...

1) Sign up for new service - move DNS hosting to the new registrar (provider) w/o moving the domain (yet).
2) change your current domain record to ADD the new DNS servers.
3) lower the timeout.
4) wait.
5) point everything at the new servers.
6) move the registration record (let the new registrar do this).

There is, however, a small advantage in letting things break for a few hours... you'll have a reduction in SPAM for a little while as the failed attempts usually drops you off spam lists. Anyone who cares will resend emails until they go through.

Years ago I started with doteasy to host my email because they were free, but I have outgrown them and started to create new domains at 1and1.

My plan is to move the original email account from doteasy to 1and1 - but yikes the 48 hours of downtime is pretty scary. Will emails simply bounce for the 48 hours - which would be okay because people would probably just resend them, but if the get lost in the bits and bytes of the internet that wouldn't be great.

I have tried to communicate with Doteasy, but I nobody is answering the emails - yikes. My plan is to do the cut over on the first weekend in August, but then again I might delay it awhile longer. ..

Work with the new service - they have an incentive. Also, if they don't work with you, you might want to reconsider the provider.

For whatever it's worth: Several friends who've tried 1and1 say to avoid it at all costs; no customer service.

So you're moving mail hosts. The swap here that is important is the change in DNS servers. This can take a couple days to propogate where some folks are getting the old data, and some the new. You will end up with email getting delivered to your original mailbox and your new one, so you will need to check both for a few days.

I did this recently so here's how it worked for me.

My former mail service was with a hosted IMAP provider. My registrar is Network Solutions. I signed up with 1 and 1, and set up an account to have them host my email. They had me change the DNS records at NetSol to point to the 1and1 DNS. After completing that, email began being delivered to my 1and1 mailboxes. My account was still live at the old hosting provider and I could (and still can) go there and get my messages. I migrated my saved email a bit at a time to ensure stability on the 1and1 platform and no hiccup with storage limits or server availability. Once everything is migrated, I will close my account with the old hosting service. At this point, they just don't get any more of my mail because the DNS has propogated throughout the internet and all mail is now being delivered to the 1and1 hosts.

I had no trouble with any of this, didn't require anyone from Customer Service and found that if I carefully followed the written directions from 1and1, everything worked perfectly.

Of course, YMMV.

Set up everything with the new host. Then, when the change occurs, it will be seamless. If you don't have everything ready on the new host you may have a gap.

[QUOTE=back seat;8064603]I would like to move my primary domain .../QUOTE]

A real tangent from the OP's question, but I am thinking of creating a website for my solo medical practice and am interested in suggestion or recommendations for a web hosting site. Will check out 1and1. This will be a very small venture...any other suggestions?

I have heard that, but I have been with 1and1 for about 4 years now and the few times I have had questions, 1and1 was able to help in a timely manner.

I will see if I can do this with doteasy.

Thanks

Most all the information here is good. I do this all the time for clients. The time required to propogate to all DNS servers will vary from 24 to 72 hours, causing most to make a move like this on a Friday, so mail will be normal by Monday. During this period, some mail may go through to the new address almost immediately, others not until DNS is fully propogated - it depends upon where they are sending from. Keeping the old mail address alive is good advice, so that mail sent with old addressing info will have someplace to go. You will need to collect that mail using the IP address rather than by name. The old account can be removed at the end of 72 hours.

Even if there is a 24-72hr propagation delay in DNS, most SMTP servers will simply keep retrying is they can't connect to a host so you wouldn't actually loose any email. It just might show up in the old email account. Try and keep both accounts open until the entire switch is completed.

The host I've been happily using for years is www.uplinkearth.com. They respond fast to customer service tickets, have flexible plans, and nice features. I have multiple domains on one plan.