Zone files and drop-catchers for ccTLDs

[Michau]

I was wondering if there are any places where I could find zone files for country domains? I know how to access zone files for .com, .biz and so on, but I am interested in country domains as well, like .de, .co.uk and so on. For example, here in Poland the .pl registrar was making zone files available via FTP, so perhaps in other countries these are easily available as well?

Another questions, are there any drop catchers for such domains?

 

[jmcc]

I was wondering if there are any places where I could find zone files for country domains? I know how to access zone files for .com, .biz and so on, but I am interested in country domains as well, like .de, .co.uk and so on. For example, here in Poland the .pl registrar was making zone files available via FTP, so perhaps in other countries these are easily available as well?

Another questions, are there any drop catchers for such domains?

Most of the main EU ccTLD registries do not make their zonefiles available. Some dropcatchers exist for .co.uk, .de and a few other ccTLDs.

Regards...jmcc

 

[Kate]

AFAIK most ccTLDs do not release zone files so you would have to compile your own.
Each country is free to pursue their own policise.
For certain exts like .be the list of 'quarantined' domains is published on the registry website and the time of drop is predictable

 

[elimam]

AFAIK most ccTLDs do not release zone files so you would have to compile your own.

sdsnic, how to compile your own zone files. do you know of any software that would assist you in doing that?

sorry Michau for hijacking your post.

 

[Michau]

No prob, if zone files are not available, then I myself would like to know how to compile a zone file

The only two methods I could think of are:

1. Send lots of queries to Google, using random words from the appropriate local language, and restricting results to appropriate ccTLD. This would yield many domains, so you would have a good list of domains from this ccTLD that are indexed in Google. Most domains are not in Google, however.

2. Download .com or .info zones and check if appropriate domains exist also in the ccTLD - this would work well for .co.uk or .com.au, but not good at all for .de, .fr and others.

These are the two I am going to use.

 

[jmcc]

The only two methods I could think of are:

1. Send lots of queries to Google, using random words from the appropriate local language, and restricting results to appropriate ccTLD. This would yield many domains, so you would have a good list of domains from this ccTLD that are indexed in Google. Most domains are not in Google, however.

I think Google has a clause in its terms and conditions of use that one may not send loads of automated queries.

2. Download .com or .info zones and check if appropriate domains exist also in the ccTLD - this would work well for .co.uk or .com.au, but not good at all for .de, .fr and others.

From work I've done on comparing .ie ccTLD with other TLDs, about 16% of it was unique. That is for a ccTLD catering for a small, primarily English speaking market. The combination of non-English language and non-English constructs (business names, placenames, expressions, phonenumbers etc) may push that unique figure to 30% or more (based on other EU ccTLDs I've checked). It is quite akin to codebreaking. (Luckily something that I used to do in a former life. )

Regards...jmcc

 

[Michau]

jmcc, does that mean that you had access to .ie zone files? I think only 15% uniqueness is not really that bad.