Who is eligible?
The Domain Availability Checker (DAC) is restricted to those who (1) are a Nominet Registrar (tag holder) and (2) are a Nominet member and (3) have entered into the DAC contract with us.
How much does it cost?
£25 +VAT per year
Where will my invoice be sent?
The invoice will be sent by post to the billing address listed against your tag?
How long does the application process take?
2 - 3 working days
When does the contract begin?
Your contract begins on the date that we notify you that we have accepted your application to use the DAC. The contract continues indefinitely unless terminated, or suspended, in accordance with the contract.
When will the fee be charged?
The invoice for the subscription will be raised once your application has been accepted. It will be charged to your credit account and the usual 30 day terms will apply.
Who do I contact for help?
NOTE: Support for the DAC is only available during office hours. It is not covered by our out of hours support service.
What can I use the DAC for?
The main scenarios where we would expect users to use the DAC are:
How many queries can I make?
The limits are given in the acceptable use policy.
How do I know when I have been blocked?
When you are blocked the DAC responds, to the first query that is blocked with:
query that was send,B,seconds to unblock.
How do I unsubscribe?
A PGP signed email should be sent to support@nominet.org.uk . The subject line of your mail should read DAC - Unsubscribe.
What happens if I resign my membership?
On the resignation of your membership your DAC contract will terminate automatically. The DAC agreement is also terminated if your tag is cancelled or if your membership or registrar agreement ends for any other reason.
What happens if my contact details change?
You need to send a PGP signed email to Member and Registrar Services at support@nominet.org.uk. Alternatively, you can fax a signed letter to 01865 332281 or post a letter to the address listed on our contact page.
How up to date is the DAC?
The DAC access the main register and so is as up to date as possible.
How fast does the DAC respond?
This does depend on the number of concurrent requests that it receives, but under current loads, queries are normally returned in around 20 milliseconds.
Is the DAC based on any Internet standards?
No, this product is entirely proprietary to us and it is designed this way to provide the maximum possible lookup speed. However efforts are underway at an international level to define suitable standards for this type of facility, which we intend to implement in due course.
Can I leave my connection to the DAC open all day?
Yes, you can. However, the connection is closed if it has been inactive for 30 minutes.
Do I have to wait for a reply to my previous query before I send another query?
No, currently you can send queries at any rate up to the limit and the DAC will reply when it is has the answer.
Can I access the DAC from more than one IP address?
Yes, each member can have up to two IP addresses registered for use with the DAC. If more than one IP address is used, the limits will be aggregated across both IP addresses.
How do I notify you of a change of IP address?
Please send a PGP signed email to support@nominet.org.uk with the details of the change.
Do you want feedback on the DAC?
Yes, very much so. If you have any suggestions or other feedback then please let us know.