question In Regards to Dropcatching Domains, what Specific Advantages Do Registrars Have?

[fivehead]

Let's keep it as simple as this, at first (but will be happy to provide more detail if I've been vague):

In regards to dropcatching domains, what specific advantages do registrar backordering services hold over, say @FPForum's product, or writing your own code (let's say you have the same code as the registrar backordering service) to hit a registrar's API?

Thanks for your time!

 

[FPForum]

To keep it simple.. There are basically 2 parties involved. A registrar (for example, DynaDot or NameSilo) and a registry (for com/net, that would be VeriSign...for NL that would be SIDN..for Academy/Bike/and tons of other new gTLDs, that would be Donuts)

Registrars which have their registry connections open to the public (such as the ones in my software) need to spread out the limits their assigned so all customers can take advantage. Backorder companies (such as DropCatch, NameJet..etc) have dozens of private registrars setup under them, and they do not have to share those limits assigned to them by the registry. This gives them more power and speed because they can setup dozens of different registrars and hog all the resources those registrars are given. That's why a company like Pheenix or DropCatch doesn't have a nice little domain search box that will let you register a name there. Registering a name would mean making a call to the registry, and they don't want anyone doing that but themselves, lol.

Hope it helps!

 

[Kate]

In addition to what FPForum said:

It helps if you understand networks a little bit.
Registrars have direct access to the registry database and can issue (repeated) commands in a matter of milliseconds.

When you use an API, you first send a request to your registrar, the registrar will then query the registry on your behalf and return the response to you. This is significantly slower. Not to mention that the registrars normally cap usage: no concurrent queries, 1 query/s max etc. Some even forbid use of their API for dropcatching, or cap connections severely. This is especially true for the registrars that do dropactching: they must preserve server resources and bandwidth.
The registrars themselves have to observe certain limits toward the registry.

 

[S-B]

In addition to what FPForum said:

It helps if you understand networks a little bit.
Registrars have direct access to the registry database and can issue (repeated) commands in a matter of milliseconds.

When you use an API, you first send a request to your registrar, the registrar will then query the registry on your behalf and return the response to you. This is significantly slower. Not to mention that the registrars normally cap usage: no concurrent queries, 1 query/s max etc. Some even forbid use of their API for dropcatching, or cap connections severely. This is especially true for the registrars that do dropactching: they must preserve server resources and bandwidth.
The registrars themselves have to observe certain limits toward the registry.

+1

Simply put, an API is inferior to a direct connection.

 

[fivehead]

Incredibly insightful, thank you all!

That's why a company like Pheenix or DropCatch doesn't have a nice little domain search box that will let you register a name there.

Are there any other registrars like Pheenix that exist solely for dropcatching?

 

[FPForum]

Incredibly insightful, thank you all!



Are there any other registrars like Pheenix that exist solely for dropcatching?

Like what @Kate said. When you're using software you are basically adding another step to the equation. The software talks to the registrar, the registrar talks to the registry, the response is sent to the registrar, and then passed back to the software. Registrars have direct connections so they are communicating directly with the registry, which would obviously be faster.

Registrars exist that are solely for drop catching aside from Pheenix, but many are owned by companies that do drop catching and allow normal registrations. NameBright is a normal registrar (in fact, they don't even allow drop catching with their API), but they also own DropCatch which has a number of registrars used solely for drop catching. Look at the List of ICANN Registrars and do a search for NameBright - you'll see them listed. Then do a search for "DropCatch" and see how many others are actually owned by the same people, but used solely for drop catching. Same would go with SnapNames (owned by Web.com, I believe?) and NameJet (owned by Enom, I think?)