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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  • The details registered about me/my company are incorrect or out of date.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

Security of smart devices more important than ever

Market for smart home products is growing

  • Friday 15 March 2019

Smart devices are increasingly common in Dutch homes. A total of 2.8 million households in the Netherlands have smart home products, according to market research consultants  Multiscope. The firm's survey of 4,700 people found that the smart home market grew by 70 per cent last year. Meanwhile, the Dutch Radiocommunications Agency (nowadays Dutch Authority for Digital Infrastructure) has announced plans to pay closer attention to smart equipment in the year ahead.

People are connecting more and more smart devices to the internet, forming an 'Internet of Things' (IoT). Examples include smart thermostats, fridges, cameras and lights. Such gadgets enrich our lives in all sorts of ways, but also introduce new risks. Many people overlook the fact that smart devices need to be secured, just like smartphones and tablets. Otherwise, they can be hacked and used for criminal purposes, such as mounting DDoS attacks.

Confidence in smart devices

It's vital that consumers and businesses can have confidence that mobile phones, tablets, smart watches and other 'intelligent' devices work properly and are safe to use, says the Radiocommunications Agency. The Agency has accordingly made the security and reliability of the equipment offered for sale one of the focuses of its  Market Supervision for 2019.

Hacked fridges

New research recently underscored the importance of smart home security. An investigation by Safety Detective found that thousands of fridges in business premises all over the world can easily be hacked over the internet. The fridges have systems for remote temperature adjustment, most of which use a default password that anyone can find out by reading the manual on the manufacturer's website.  "Not many owners change their fridge passwords. So, to hijack a fridge, all you need is the right URL," say the investigators. "And our tests indicate that the URL isn't hard to discover."

Better security for smart homes

SIDN believes in a safe and trustworthy internet for everyone. So we're developing a solution for making IoT products more secure. Our system's called SPIN, which is short for Security & Privacy for In-home Networks. It's an open-source building block that suppliers of routers and modem CPE devices can use to protect their customers' smart homes against abuse. Our ambition for SPIN is to proactively protect the DNS and the internet against attacks, while also enhancing users' IoT-related security and privacy. To realise that ambition, we want to make SPIN a full-featured product suitable for use in home networks around the world. 

Full details of SPIN are available on the website spin4home.nl. If you'd like to know more, contact Ad Bresser by calling +31 26 352 5500 or mailing spin4home@sidn.nl UPDATE more information: https://spin.sidnlabs.nl/en//