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Frequently asked questions

  • I am looking for a domain name registrant. Where can I look it up?

    The Whois is an easy-to-use tool for checking the availability of a .nl domain name. If the domain name is already taken, you can see who has registered it.

    On the page looking up a domain name you will find more information about what a domain name is, how the Whois works and how the privacy of personal data is protected. Alternatively, you can go straight to look for a domain name via the Whois.

  • I would like to transfer my domain name to another registrar. What is the procedure?

    To get your domain name transferred, you need the token (unique ID number) for your domain name. Your existing registrar has the token and is obliged to give it to you within five days, if you ask for it. The procedure for changing your registrar is described on the page transferring your domain name.

  • The details registered about me/my company are incorrect or out of date. How can I get them updated?

    To update the contact details associated with your domain name, you need to contact your registrar. Read more about updating contact details.

  • Why is my domain name in quarantine?

    When a domain name is cancelled, we aren't told the reason, so we can't tell you. You'll need to ask your registrar. The advantage of quarantine is that, if a name's cancelled by mistake, you can always get it back.

    One common reason is that the contract between you and your registrar says you've got to renew the registration every year. If you haven't set up automatic renewal and you don't renew manually, the registration will expire.

  • Ik heb een klacht over mijn provider/registrar. Kan ik daarvoor bij SIDN terecht?

    Wanneer je een klacht hebt over of een geschil met je registrar dan zijn er verschillende mogelijkheden om tot een oplossing te komen. Hierover lees je meer op pagina klacht over registrar. SIDN heeft geen formele klachtenprocedure voor het behandelen van een klacht over jouw registrar.

  • What conditions do I have to meet as a registrar?

    Would you like to be able to register domain names for customers or for your own organisation by dealing directly with SIDN? If so, you can become a .nl registrar. Read more about the conditions and how to apply for registrar status on the page becoming a registrar.

More frequently asked questions

Latest version of Firefox adopts HTTPS as the norm

General trend of migration to encrypted transport continues

  • Monday 16 September 2024

When accessing a website, version 129 of the Firefox browser tries to use the HTTPS protocol before falling back on unencrypted transport. So, if you type www.example.nl into the navigation bar, Firefox begins by sending a request to 'https://www.example.nl/' (on server port 443). It'll try 'http://www.example.nl/' (on server port 80) only if the first request draws a blank. That's the reverse of the procedure followed until now.

The change means that TLS-encrypted transport is now the norm for Firefox users.

An HTTPS-Only Mode has been available in Firefox since 2020, but needed to be activated by the user. That mode is 'stricter' than the newly unveiled policy: when it's activated, all connections are encrypted, even if your link explicitly specifies the HTTP protocol. If the website in question can't be reached using HTTPS, the user gets a warning message. HTTP is then used only if the user actively opts for it by clicking a link in the warning.

Chrome has provided similar functionality since 2021, under the name HTTPS-First Mode. Google more recently enabled that mode by default for most users.

Encrypted transport

The change to Firefox is part of a general trend towards encrypted transport for the web. Historically, the A/AAAA record has merely stated the IP address at which a site's web server can be contacted. The choice of protocol is then either stated (in the form of 'http://' or 'https://') within any link to the site that's created, or established by first trying one corresponding port (80 or 443) and then, if necessary, the other.

However, HSTS (part of the HTTP protocol) and DANE for the web (part of DNS/DNSSEC) enable a website administrator to indicate whether their site can be accessed using HTTPS. In DANE, the TLS certificate or the CA chain is also specified. Unfortunately, however, the latter protocol isn't yet supported on the browser side.