If you are looking for a special protocol to check a domain name for all parameters, there is such a solution. WHOIS is a domain lookup through a connection to specific servers. Often special utilities are used for such operations. Details are in the article.
What is WHOIS
It is a network protocol that allows you to extract information about the domain that you are interested in. It runs over the TCP protocol. Access to servers through this protocol is freely available from any computer through the console. Here's what you should know about WHOIS:
- you can find out the age of a domain and figure out its owner by IP;
- registrant contacts are also available;
- find out the status of the domain;
- DNS servers to which the domain is delegated.
The obvious purpose of the protocol is to find out when the domain was registered, and whether it is available for re-purchase. The downside is that official contacts become obsolete over the years. The client-server architecture also imposes a number of limitations. For example, one server will show you basic information, while another will give you information about the domain and all its subdomains.
Each region of the planet has its own regional internet registry, whose WHOIS server stores information about IP addresses. IANA knows even about those names that are reserved by future owners, but formally not used. Accordingly, your choice depends on the expected geolocation of the domain. The options are:
- APNIC for Pacific and Asian nations.
- ARIN for North America.
- AfriNIC for Africa.
- RIPE for Middle Eastern and European countries.
- LACNIC for Latin America.
What domain information can be learned
So, you've started a large-scale verification of an address. What domain information is available to the average user using the WHOIS protocol? ICANN rules require domain name owners to enter personal information. Here's what you can get:
- Name of the owner (in Ukraine, in most cases, the owners are registrars);
- email address;
- contact phone number;
- registration date;
- registrar company.
It may seem that this data is needed for "spying" on competitors. In fact, you may want to contact the owner of a beautiful domain name and offer a favorable deal. There is a known case where the domain business.com was sold for 7.5 million dollars. WHOIS requests are made directly from the console, but then you need to deal with the resulting "gibberish". There are utilities that simplify the task. With them you can check a domain's WHOIS and get the data you are looking for in a digestible format.
Popular utilities and services
The utility most in demand among users is Jwhois. Unlike lightweight Unix counterparts, this program uses a huge configuration file of about 1,000 lines. It contains WHOIS servers for domains and subdomains of all levels, but to have up-to-date information you will need daily updates. Over the years, some servers cease to function, and new ones are put into operation. So you will never be able to achieve one hundred percent efficiency.
A good alternative to the previous utility is Ruby Whois. The advantage of this software is that configurations and updates are released weekly. You can rest assured that the owner of the domain will be detected. The configuration is presented in the format of a file tree with separately defined queries and their results. There is also the well-known project Pwhois, updated back in 2012. Online services will also help:
- WHOIS Service;
- WHOIS Domain Tools;
- Speed-tester;
- IpGeoBase.
In Ukraine, the Regery company allows you to track domain names. Get information about renewal dates, owners, statuses and other important parameters. The service is available in the Control Panel of each registered client. Use the obtained information in your own interests!