Domain name tools, they aren’t just for Web hosts anymore! On this special edition of the Web Hosting Show, I’ll share with you some of the best domain name tools and resources that are out there today. Doing the heavy lifting, so you don’t have to, the Web Hosting Show is on the air.
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Hello I am the Web hosting industry’s media rock star, Mitch Keeler, and welcome to the Web Hosting Show, the one and only voice of the Web hosting world. This show is supported each and every week by the fine folks over at Web Hosting Chat. Web Hosting Chat is your number one place for Web hosting discussions.
There are not too many tools out there that both Web hosts and Web hosting clients can use together. Today I figured I would cover some of the best out there, and let you know what I thought was the number one choice for you in the market today. Doing whois searching, trace routes, and domain lookups are something both sides of the fence look for. Seems like the perfect subject for me to cover.
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Domain Name Tool Roundup
No matter if you are a Web host or a Web hosting client, domain name tools are a very important resource to have. Which resource is the best? Well, I have six of them for you to check out. I’ve picked my favorite, now it is your turn to pick yours.
6. Uwhois.com
This first Web site pretty much does only one job, but it does it pretty well. Uwhois.com provides you with a giant list of domain extensions to choose from. Those extensions are broken into four sections: Africa and the Middle East, Asia and Pacific, Europe, Russia and CIS, and Americas and Caribbean. The top selling point of this place is the ability of check the availability of a specific name in up to 10 top level Domains at once.
The layout for the SamSpade.org tools is about as simple as it can get. You are given a bunch of empty boxes and a bunch of titles. Don’t be deceived by how simple it looks though. You get a lot of tools in one place here. Some of the tools include an address digger, whois search, black hole list check, IP whois and more. It isn’t the prettiest out of the bunch, but it gets the job done.
Now Network-Tools.com has a soft spot in my heart because it was what I always used when I was working Web hosting support. The four major things you can do via Network-Tools.com are: ping, lookup, trace and whois. I don’t think it is the best out there today, but it still deserves a spot on the list. If you have any problems using it, you might try the new beta Web site, www.nwtools.com.
3. DNSStuff.com
As you can see, the tools are getting better as we move along. The next on our list is DNSStuff.com. DNSStuff looks a lot like SamSpade.org, except it offers a few more tools and it is better organized. Some of the features DNSStuff.com provides are: DNS Timing, Whois Lookup, Abuse Lookup, Domain Info, and more. This Web site was also picked as one of PC Magazine’s top 101 Web sites.
Doing both whois searches and domain availability, AjaxWhois is the runner up on this list. Second place isn’t all that bad though. I am really impressed with the visual aspects of this resource. All you need to do is type in the domain name and select what you want. The only downside to this Web site is it doesn’t offer more tools to choose from. What it does do, it does very well.
My number one pick for the best domain tool out there today is DomainTools.com. How fitting is that? DomainTools.com (formerly Whois.sc) is, in my opinion, the best of the best. It does everything under the sun and gives it to me in an interface that doesn’t scare me. Some of the tools include: Whois search, domain search, domain auctions, reverse IP and more. Check out all the other resources they provide.
If I had to pick one that was the best, it would be DomainTools.com. If I had to pick one that had the best interface, I am really in love with AjaxWhois.com.
Well, now you have my opinion on more than just a few tools out there. Do you have a favorite domain name tools I might have missed? Don’t just sit there and hold in your opinion, let me know! Just drop me an E-mail at mitch@mitchkeeler.com and I’ll be more than happy to take a look at it.
Final Web Hosting Thoughts
That is it for this edition of the Web Hosting Show. Did I forget something? Do you have something to say?
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Next week we will be doing more of the same! I am Mitch Keeler and you have been listening to the number one Web hosting podcast across the nation and the one and only voice of the Web hosting world, the Web Hosting Show.
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