The co.za domain name registration nightmare

Posted on December 22nd, 2008 by Richard Catto 2,726 views

For anyone wishing to own their own Internet domain name, owning and managing a co.za domain could not be harder if the co.za registrar, Uniforum SA, tried.

There are several major problems all caused by the lack of a modern system to register and manage and pay for co.za domains.

To register a Top Level Domain (TLD) such as a dot com or dot net or dot org, the procedure is straight forward. You can choose between a large number of competing online registrars who regularly offer promotions and discounts which allows you to get the best possible deal. I use godaddy myself, so I’ll use them as my example.

To register a new TLD domain, you open godaddy’s web site and register an account with them. Then you search for the domain name you want. If it’s available you add it to your cart and proceed to checkout. You pay for your domain with a credit card or with your PayPal account. As soon as you have paid for the domain, it is registered and you can then proceed to activate hosting for it. That is accomplished by entering the nameserver information. You can even create custom nameservers for your new domain simply by adding them and assigning to them the IP addresses that your web hoster supplied to you.

For most TLD domains, your domain will come online either immediately or within a few hours. No checks are enforced on your domain. If you enter the wrong information, it obviously won’t work, but it won’t require you to have any pre-existing DNS records on a pre-existing web hosting account.

If you want to switch your domain to a new server, you simply login to your online control panel, that your registrar provides, and edit the nameserver fields. Updates either reflect immediately or within a few hours. Again no checks are made for pre-existing DNS records on your new server (or web hosting account) – whatever you type in is simply accepted.

The system is easy and quick. Getting your domain set up on a new server takes a few minutes and the changeover happens either immediately or within a few hours.

This is, however, not the case with a co.za Second Level Domain (SLD). Frankly it is a nightmare. Registering a co.za domain is a technical challenge. For starters, unlike with a dot com, you cannot register a co.za domain without first setting up an existing DNS SOA (Start of Authority) record for it on TWO nameservers. This means that before you can register a co.za you have to host it, which is an additional expense, especially for someone who simply wants to own a co.za domain but does not necessarily wish to use it right away.

To register a co.za one must fill out a text form and then email it to a special email address which automatically processes domain registrations, updates and deletes. For a new domain, registration is usually accomplished within minutes IF the name servers specified on the registration form contain correctly formatted SOA entries for the domain name being registered. If Uniforum SA’s script finds an error in them, it rejects the application. The same applies to updates, but not to deletes.

Updating a co.za domain involves a frustrating delay of 24 hours in which voting tickets are sent out to the email address specified in your current registration. If the email addresses are no longer valid, you have to fill in a form, take a copy of your ID, get them certified and then fax them to Uniforum SA. The only online method of updating involves responding to emailed out tickets. If after 24 hours, the votes all accepted the update, then Uniforum SA updates the domain registration and a further delay is involved while you wait for the DNS to propagate. This can take 8 hours.

All this pales in comparison to the technical challenge involved in setting up custom name servers for your co.za domain. It is used to be popular for many co.za domains to have name servers at the same domain, like this:

ns1.domain.co.za
ns2.domain.co.za

However, this all changed in May 2005 when Uniforum SA adopted a very strict regime for registering custom name servers for a co.za domain. Unlike with a dot com, you cannot simply add them yourself and be merrily on your way.

To register custom name servers for a co.za now requires you to have two static IP addresses assigned solely to your domain. They cannot also be used as custom name servers for any other co.za domain, which used to be the case.

The reason is because each IP must now reverse resolve to its respective name server name. Uniforum SA’s domain update script checks that each IP address has correctly formatted SOA records, that it contains no “bad” data, is not missing any data and that each IP reverse resolves. None of these things are essential for your custom name servers to work. All that is required is that your domain registrar add A and NS records to its DNS database for your domain name – no checking of external DNS entries is needed.

So why does Uniforum SA check for all these things? Because some guy (Matt Tagg) discovered a theoretical exploit for adding A records to third party domains during the domain update process. An exploit that had never actually ever been used. An exploit that potentially only exists because of the way that Uniforum SA updates domains – via unauthenticated emails instead of through an authenticated online control panel that only allows you to make changes to your own domains.

So the bottom line for any owner of a co.za domain is that you have no choice as to what you will pay for one, since there is only one registrar for them and they decide the price as they see fit. co.za domains now cost R50 to register, but due to all the technical challenges involved, most people prefer to pay their ISP or a web hoster (like myself) to do it for them at around R250 per annum.

They also have the added expense of having to pay for a web hosting account since without one, it is not possible to register a co.za domain. And when it comes to switching web hosts, it takes over 24 hours instead of a few hours. And if they want custom name servers, it costs extra to have two dedicated static IPs assigned to your account, and then there is the additional technical hurdle of making sure that all the required DNS records are all sailing in a row.

Did I mention that if something goes wrong and your update is rejected that you have to wait at least another 24 hours to try again? If the domain update has a few errors, it may not reject it outright but instead will sleep for 8 hours at a time, without any ability to tell it to recheck again now.

I have yet to register or update a co.za domain with custom name servers that did not fail at least once. Reason for that? Uniforum SA provides no online tool for you to use to verify that everything is good to go. Nope. Nothing useful like that. You submit your update application and take your chances. And fail and fail and fail, each time waiting either 24 hours to try again or, if you’re lucky, only 8 hours between tries.

Great system.

Score: 0 out of 10.

Tags: co.za, Uniforum SA
Filed under Domain registration |

15 Responses to “The co.za domain name registration nightmare”

1. Dale Says:
   December 22nd, 2008 at 12:13

   So I’m not the only one who thinks their system is KAK…

2. Mervyn Kahn Says:
   December 23rd, 2008 at 10:34

   This is the result of another arrogant SA company!

   What is the internet all about? If you think back a little it was all about dotcom. (.com )
   So why reinvent the wheel to try and be different?
   It is easier and cheaper to be a dotcom (.com ) so why bother at all with a .co.za domain.
   Just for the privilege of supporting an abusive overcharging company?

   Because of these options, it has now become confusing to say the least because of the
   duplication in domain names with different endings.

   For example you are now able to register the same name domain with a different ending,
   eg, .net, .org, .co.za etc.
   These domains in most instances do not belong to original owner who first registered the name as a dotcom.
   These alternatives have opened up a can of worms for business owners.
   It is now typical for what I call trying to hijack a domain, by registering it using an alternative domain ending
   Such as .co.za
   I cite the following as an example. Epasella.com has been registered in SA as epasella.co.za by a
   different company in South Africa.

   I fail to understand the reasoning behind this action, other than to try and create confusion or to try
   blackmail the original epasella.com owners into purchasing the domain epasella.co.za at an inflated price.
   Or hoping that they will not do business in South Africa— wrong thinking.

   With the additional costs involved in registering a.co.za domain name and the difficulty in setting
   up a .co.za domain, why even bother with going through this arduous process.

   The internet was created around the dotcom era. Why keep trying to reinvent the wheel.

   In my humble opinion I offer the following suggestion.
   The only method to get businesses to become super efficient and competitive, is to hit them where it hurts most — in their pockets.
   BOYCOTT Uniform SA
   I would simply tell Uniforum SA to stick their business where it hurts most until they become price and service competitive.
   Why would any thinking South African business man want to punish himself by supporting Uniform SA?
   Simply don’t even bother supporting uniform SA. Go directly to another company such as GoDaddy and get a better
   deal on a dotcom domain registration, and which will only take you a few minutes to set up.

   What people tend to forget in this is that when searching for a business or service, 99.9% of the
   time they are not using your exact domain name to search for you, because they do not even know your name or that you even exist.
   People search around what you are and the type of service that you provide.
   Only when they actually locate your business, will they discover what the name is of your domain.
   In the future they will use this name to directly search for you.
   In all this, when you are located in their searching for your specific service, after they locate you,
   the ending of your domain makes absolutely no difference to.
   That you are a dotcom or a .co.za has no relevance at all.

   When you really analyze it all, unless you are a well known business such as coca-cola, only then when
   searching will people probably use your domain name to go directly to your website.

   This arrogance is so typical of so many businesses and the manner in which they conduct business.
   The owners assume on behalf of the people.
   The owners never actually go out and do any specific research.
   The owners do not do that because that would be reveal that they do not know everything!

3. rrcatto Says:
   December 24th, 2008 at 19:17

   Keep the comments coming. I think it’s valuable to share your thoughts on this issue as it may serve as impetus to motivate a change in the system.

   I have discussed this with Uniforum SA officials in the past and been fobbed off by them saying that they believe that most people are satisfied with the status quo.

4. Relax Max Says:
   December 25th, 2008 at 03:38

   No wonder you walk around pissed off all the time. I have always wondered why you guys did this. Not just co.za, but uk and ca and all those other ones. Is there some benefit? A requirement? What? I guess that really sounds naive but I am curious to know why it is done by so many people. Thanks.

5. rrcatto Says:
   December 25th, 2008 at 05:39

   @Relax Max: It’s mainly for SEO purposes. A co.za domain should rank more highly in SA search results.

6. Richard Catto Says:
   December 27th, 2008 at 17:23

   Mervyn Kahn, above, was written about in this article by Ivo Vegter.

   My personal dealings with him confirm that he is abusive and as slippery as an eel.

   Earlier this year, Kahn, emailed me demanding to speak to me on the phone and when I said I preferred that he correspond with me via email, he became abusive and started ranting and raving like a lunatic.

   More recently he approached me to discuss another of his little schemes and demanded that I sign a NDA (Non Disclosure Agreement) that would bind me to him legally. When I declined he became abusive, rude and obnoxious again.

   I would caution anyone against having any dealings with Mervyn Kahn. He is a spammer, and an unpleasant person to deal with.

7. Christopher J Combrink Says:
   December 29th, 2008 at 19:06

   I have to agree to dissagree on a few points you have made.

   UniForum do a superb job. They are a non-profit organisation.

   Let me ask you something, have you ever tried to do a TLD transffere? It’s a bloody nightmare! You complain about waiting 8 hours… do the job correctly the first time and you’ll have to wait almost no time at all. I registered two domains today with them and within 10mins I was in action.

   Like all things, it’s easy when you know how. We pay Motor Mechanics a lot of money for reasonably no help..

   P.S. Mervyn, you sound like a complete & utter wanker. I’m not wasting any more time on you..

8. Richard Catto Says:
   December 29th, 2008 at 19:21

   @Christopher J Combrink: I’ve transferred both TLD domains and co.za domains from one server to another this past week and no question about it, TLD’s are easier to administer. Simply log in and edit the name server fields and you’re done.

   I can’t imagine what problems you have experienced. It seems to me that you are referring to the transfer of a TLD from one registrar to another, which is a whole different thing and something which cannot even be accomplished with a co.za because there is only one co.za registrar.

9. Christopher J Combrink Says:
   January 10th, 2009 at 18:15

   Hey Richard,

   Administering TLDs is easier – I totally agree, but I think that I may have been a little cryptic above.

   What I meant was “updating the whois” or ownership of the TLD. The auth codes etc make it nightmarish, there are too many points of failure.

10. Francois du Toit Says:
    January 28th, 2009 at 13:14

    Good post!

    I have been using Godaddy and Namecheap for years. Both companies are professional, provide good service and it’s a pleasure dealing with them.

    Registering a .co.za domain is like going back to using a typewriter i/o a pc. It’s a shame.

    All the best,

    Francois

11. Marko Says:
    January 28th, 2009 at 22:32

    I use Gandi.net. Good prices and a choice of currency (£, € or $).
    They are a French co. recently also opened offices in UK. Good features, excellent user interface, support and community forum.

12. Richard Catto Says:
    January 29th, 2009 at 00:47

    @Marko: Interesting looking site. Never heard of it before. I can tell it’s focussed on the European domain market.

    One thing I’ve noted is that many country specific domains restrict registration to people and organisations resident in the country. I think this makes sense, however, co.za places no such restriction, so anyone, living anywhere can register a co.za. I don’t agree with this policy. I feel that in order to register a co.za domain, one must prove that one is either an RSA citizen or has permanent residence in the country.

13. Reg Says:
    April 17th, 2009 at 18:27

    Two companies that should go down in flames: Uniforum SA and Telkom.

14. Marko Says:
    April 17th, 2009 at 19:29

    Uniforum is a non-profit organisation. If you want to complain, contact the .za Domain Name Authority.
    I personally have never had issue with them and on the occasions that I effed up an application form I just phone them and they cancel the request, instead of me waiting for their system to give up trying.
    I was also very pleased when they moved their hosting offshore to protect our domains when the stupid ANC government tried to take control of the .co.za namespace.

    @Mervyn, I’m not sure where you are buying .com domains for >R50 a year but I personally don’t think that’s a lot of money for a .co.za.

    If you don’t want to pay, go to za.net where you can request a free domain name. Be prepared to wait though…

15. Richard Catto Says:
    April 17th, 2009 at 21:06

    @Marko: The South African government has full authority over all .za namespace and sub-domains of it.

    Uniforum SA only administers the co.za for the benefit of the South African public. They have no legal rights to continue doing so.

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