updated 04/05/2000

DOMAIN NAME UPDATE

Network Solutions Domain Name Registration Fiasco confuses customers, blindsides ISPs

Over the weekend of March 20th, Network Solutions rerouted the InterNIC.net domain name and deactivated the InterNIC Web site in lieu of their own new www.networksolutions.com Web site.  These changes at the InterNIC / Network Solutions have affected thousands of ISPs, Web developers and their customers.  We are posting this information for the benefit of our resellers and clients to provide information on how these changes might affect registering domain names in the future.

20 MILLION BROKEN LINKS! A link search performed by Acme on the AltaVista Search Engine revealed more than 20 million broken links to the InterNIC's 'allegedly public' domain name query service following the unannounced removal of the once public domain name registration Web site. Is it irresponsible to remove the PRIMARY domain name query service over a weekend without so much as a word to the millions of users who rely on it?  You be the judge...  <view enlarged image>

Update 4/5/99
ZDNet Reports: Mad as Hell: ISPs v. Network Solutions

Update 3/26/99
Well, it looks like we are not the only ones who were offended by Network Solutions "hijacking" of the InterNIC domain name registry service.  We posted or original announcement on Monday morning after coming into our office and finding that all of our Web site links to the InterNIC's domain name registration service were broken.

As the week progressed, many more voices throughout the Internet industry were heard that expressed our initial gut reaction.  Most notable, was this quote:

"What Network Solutions has done to the InterNIC domain name registry service is akin to being forced to apply for your driver's license at a car dealership..." 

Internet.com: Network Solutions Unveils Controversial Site
http://www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article/0,1087,3_83921,00.html

C|Net News.com:
http://www.news.com/News/Item/0,4,34090,00.html?owv

INFO World:
http://www.infoworld.com

ZDNET
http://www.zdnet.com/anchordesk/story/story_3215.html

Discussion:
Related postings on ISP Web Hosting mailing list

• To: <isp-webhosting@isp-webhosting.com>, <list@inet-access.net>
• Subject: Forget the INTERNIC, I'll do it myself
• From: "John Jungling" <jjungling@jungling.net>
• Date: Sat, 20 Mar 1999 18:56:15 -0600

I Lost a customer today and now I'm really angry.  He signed up with "Network Solutions" during my setup sequence for branded email. (THEN CALLED ME FOR SUPPORT!)

We are setting up a website that our customers can go to that has the "Non Branded" functionality as did INTERNIC.NET that will be hosted on our server. All I can control is my network,  at least customers using my DNS will NEVER see NetworkSolutions.com!

>To: isp-webhosting@isp-webhosting.com
>Subject: Re: Network Solution
>From: "Dietmar J. Stefitz" <djs@bemarnet.es>
>Date: Sun, 21 Mar 1999 01:17:54 +0100
>
>If that's the case, then you can expect them to get into hosting, ecommerce etc all the while taking our money for the site >domain registration rights.
>
>I'm from Canada, but you folks in the US should contact your representative in Government and protest this intrusion into our >business!!

We built them, we built yahoo and we built many of the others, and now we are getting kicked from all sides.

Let's stick together.  Individual ISP's let us cooperate, so that they cannot rule over us.  Let's make something to survive, otherwise we will be beaten to death with our own sticks.

Re: Forget the INTERNIC, I'll do it myself

• To: isp-webhosting@isp-webhosting.com
• Subject: Re: Forget the INTERNIC, I'll do it myself
• From: BizNet Sysop <root@biz1.net>
• Date: Sat, 20 Mar 1999 19:59:41 -0600 (CST)

What do you all mean by "functionality"???   Based on contract with NSF, Internic can only accept registrations via  e-mail and only registrations that use special template. All they did is put a simple cgi on internic.net site to create those e-mails.  Well there are actually many isps that have created similar cgis, I did that too -  My cgi will even automatically mail the form and InterNIC (with forged from address so InterNIC responds directly to whoever filled out registration).

What I find most concerning is not that they moved those automated cgis on their website, but that they assumed it would be ok to forward internic.net to their website even if done temporarily, they assume they are "InterNIC", while in fact they only have contract to operate InterNIC. InterNIC should stay registration-only site and should not have any information other then how to register domain or host (i.e. forms and how to feel them out). If Network Solutions does not put separate internic.net site back up soon, I'll complain to FTC and NSF (with cc to Network Solutions) that they are breaking contract, I think may others should do the same, maybe if they receive 1000+ emails on the subject, they might do something.