Ergberg's  Jotter
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As of
Est. 

Acquire a Domain Name ​

🇹🇰
Domain names only cost a few dollars a year, but you can also register a domain name for free.

I got a server and wanted to support HTTPS. For HTTPS, I needed an TLS certificate. Certificates are usually issued for domain names, not IP addresses.

So I needed a domain name for my technical playground. Something like playground.com. But .com sounded wrong for my non-commercial purpose. For my trials and experiments, I looked for an easy way to get a domain name. The top-level domain name wasn't that important to me. I was primarily interested in simplicity and affordability.

Domain names can be chosen from a few hundred top-level domains like .com, .org or some lesser known ones like .wedding. Domain registrars all have similar offerings. Prices for domains start at a few dollars per year. However, you can also register a domain for free.

Domain Name for Free ​

There are some internet domains that are offered for free. I got ergberg.tk from freenom.com.[1] Of course, I have to meet their terms an conditions. Registering a free domain name with Freenom is not the same as buying the domain name. I am not the owner of ergberg.tk. The domain still belongs to Freenom, i.e. the Dutch company DotTK. But at the moment I can use and control it. At least for one year. After one year I have to renew the domain name (or buy it at some point).

txt
Domain name:
   ERGBERG.TK

Organisation:
   BV Dot TK
   Dot TK administrator
   P.O. Box 11774
   1001 GT  Amsterdam
   Netherlands
   Phone: +31 20 5315725
   Fax: +31 20 5315721
   E-mail:          abuse: abuse@freenom.com, 
   copyright infringement: copyright@freenom.com

Domain Nameservers:
   DARA.NS.CLOUDFLARE.COM
   THADDEUS.NS.CLOUDFLARE.COM
Domain name:
   ERGBERG.TK

Organisation:
   BV Dot TK
   Dot TK administrator
   P.O. Box 11774
   1001 GT  Amsterdam
   Netherlands
   Phone: +31 20 5315725
   Fax: +31 20 5315721
   E-mail:          abuse: abuse@freenom.com, 
   copyright infringement: copyright@freenom.com

Domain Nameservers:
   DARA.NS.CLOUDFLARE.COM
   THADDEUS.NS.CLOUDFLARE.COM
Whois entry for ergberg.tk

I moved from Freenom's default DNS servers to Cloudflare as the Whois record in shows. This is not mandatory. The reason is that I use Cloudflare as a caching CDN and that requires the use of Cloudflare's DNS servers.

Drawbacks ​

You should be aware that occasionally free domain names have a rather bad reputation. The TLDs often show up in the top ten of abused top level domains. So far I am satisfied with ergberg.tk. But there is at least one limitation to report: Cloudflare issues API keys for its DNS API, but they don't allow me to manage the .tk domain with the API. Using the web UI works as expected, only the API is blocked. They are as polite as determined regarding this:

You cannot use this API for domains with a .cf, .ga, .gq, .ml, or .tk TLD (top-level domain). To configure the DNS settings for this domain, use the Cloudflare Dashboard.

  1. Of course, freenom.com also offers paid domains. ↩︎