Managing Your Domain Name Efficiently

A domain name is the name of your website; in other words, it is a mark of your identity on the web. Your customers or visitors associate your company with your domain name. Upkeep of domain names, therefore, becomes extremely crucial. Further, it can also become a part of your email address, and that of your employees, if you happen to have a company. Your job does not end at registering your domain name; in fact, that is just the beginning. A domain name requires constant upkeep and maintenance, and you really can't afford to get lax with it.

Domain Name Maintenance

Watch Out for Expiration

Your ownership of domain names is subject to expiration, and it is essential that you keep a tab on it. The company you have registered with, does send you renewal reminders; but, if you forget to implement a renewal, you obviously lose control over your domain name. Linking renewals to your online payment account will save you a lot of trouble of remembering payment deadlines. If you have multiple domain names under your control, the renewal dates tend to vary. Consult with your name registrar to club these dates together, which will make renewals easy.

Duration of Registration

Speaking of renewals, domain names are registered to be operated by you for a specific period. Registering it for a relatively short period of, say, one year doesn't make good sense. After all, you are looking at operating your website for the long haul, isn't it? Why not register it for the maximum duration permitted and bypass the hassle of yearly renewals? Another advantage of longer registration is that your site will be deemed trustworthy from the search engine point of view, making your SEO department happy.

Keep it Updated

As your domain name is your identity on the web, the updating should be prioritized. Do ensure that the contact details and other important information are instantly updated on your website and with your name registrar, in the event of any change. Viewers, clients, even registrars are potential users of this vital information, so slacking in this regard is a strict no-no.

Review the Security

Contact details were mentioned in the previous point, and I guess you already know that it classifies as sensitive information. Domain name registration service providers do share this information, so registering with companies, which ensure private registration services is a good idea. Instances of personal information available on the Internet being misused by thugs is well-known, so it doesn't hurt to be supremely cautious.

Manage Multiple Domain Names

Protect your Property

The domain names you own are your property, and you need to lock them in order to prevent any misuse. Locking will give you the advantage of protecting your contact details and illegal domain name transfers. If you are concerned about unlocking procedures, then rest assured that it can be done within minutes.

About the P-word

While we are on the topic of protection, your password holds the key to your domain security. Making it complicated enough to guard it from password generators, ensures safety. Also, do remember to keep replacing your password from time to time. Keep in mind the basics of logging in from secure computers, avoiding phishing mails and logging out every single time.

Rent Your Space

You may have bought several domain names with a view of selling them eventually for a plump sum of money. So, until that day arrives, how about making some cash off it as it stays with you? Advertisers will pay you a neat sum for letting them space to make their presence felt. You no longer have to wait to sell off your domain name and earn money. Do it while you still possess the names.

Auction Options

Hogging domain space for no reason does not make any sense at all. Yes, I can hear you put up the 'save it to sell it later' argument, but there is no harm in testing the earning waters, isn't it? Putting it up for auction will allow you to fix a base price, and check how much extra you can earn. This way, you get to decide whether to save it or sell it.

Hired Help

Sourcing help from domain name management services will save you from all the hassles related to purchasing a coveted domain name; for a hefty price, of course! They will do the dealings on your behalf, and get you the name you desire. This service is excellent for those desperately seeking a particular identity.

The worth of an exclusive domain name is invaluable. This is why their protection should gain utmost priority from the owners. Whether or not you choose to keep them or eventually sell them, their security should not be compromised.

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PCI Express Compatibility

For years now, the Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) has controlled the show from the inside of your computer by connecting network, video and sound cards to the motherboard. It's gotten better with the PCI Express (PCIe), which promises improved functionality, and delivers it too.

PCIe is a far cry from the earlier versions of serial connections, which moved data packets at a crawling pace. The PCIe, despite being a serial connection, has several lines which separately lead to each respective device. In other words, each peripheral device gets its own connection, translating into improved computer performance.

Other than its point-to-point connection system, the PCIe permits hot plugging and thankfully consumes less power. You can use it as an input-output channel for desktops, laptops, cell phones and servers as well. If you're wondering if it would be compatible with your current OS and PCI drivers, then relax; as the PCIe allows that. It is remarkable for regular users to say the least, who stand back and watch every miniscule upgrade that renders their computer obsolete.

Now for PCIe's best feature. Yes, it's not the compatibility, but the scalability, which means that the bandwidth can be added by simply increasing the number of lanes. In all probability, this feature will ensure its use in the years to follow.

Hop on to the PCIe Bus

Traditional PCI slots were good enough for basic audio/graphics functions. With the PCI-X and the AGP, circuit designs improved, and with it, the audio-visual quality was enhanced. But, it wasn't long before the advancements in processors' designs outran the PCI bus capacities, which left the latest and fastest computers trudging. Advocates of parallel connections added more lanes, but could not get past the limitations set by the 8-bit bus.

Serial connections came back into the picture as they allowed data to run faster on single paths, way faster than it could, on parallel paths in directional flows. As opposed to one bus controlling the flow of data from various sources, the PCIe has one switch that handles it all by using many point-to-point serial connections, bypassing the need for connected devices to share bandwidth. And this brings us to the point where we have to be relieved that the PCIe has managed to elbow out not only PCI, but AGP as well.

PCIe Flavors and Bandwidth

The flavors of the PCIe represent the number of lanes - x1, x2, x4, x8, x16 and x32, and all of them offer more bandwidth compared to PCI. It is the x16 flavor that you need to use for your graphics card, effectively replacing the AGP, while the x1 and x2 flavors are used to connect your computer to peripheral devices.

PCIe Flavor	x1	x2	x4	x8	x16	x32
Bandwidth	500 MB/s	1000 MB/s	2000 MB/s	4000 MB/s	8000 MB/s	16000 MB/s

PCIe Versions and Compatibility

When it comes to computers, the mention of versions brings with it a lot of confusion regarding compatibility. And, as with all things technological, the PCIe is constantly revamped. The latest PCIe version available is 3.0, with the development of PCIe 4.0 already underway. Take a look at the following PCIe compatibility chart to know more.

PCIe Version	3.0	2.0	1.1
Base Clock Speed	8.0 GHz	5.0 Ghz	2.5 GHz
Total Bandwidth (x16 flavor)	32 GB/s	16 GB/s	8 GB/s
Data Transfer Rate	8.0 GT/s	5.0 GT/s	2.5 GT/s

How much does the version matter? Thankfully, not too much. The reason being that the PCIe version has no influence whatsoever on the functionality of the SBC card. The most outstanding feature of this interface is its backward and forward compatibility, which makes it safe to pair it with many card options, irrespective of the interface version. Graphics cards fit into the PCIe x16 slot (the x1 and x2 are for devices, remember!). As the PCIe has just about made the AGP outdated, most nVidia and AMD GPUs are compatible with PCIe. Most cards from the current lot don't require the PCIe power connector, unless you're probably overclocking.

By the look of it, the PCIe interface is here to stay, which is sure to make the users happy. Thanks to its versatility, users will get to experience unmatched audio-visual effects. And the best part? It's going to keep getting better.

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