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Quick and Easy Web Hosting

A new service registers your domain name for you--and throws in e-mail forwarding.

Anne Fischer Lent, special to PC World

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Domain Direct intends to make it easy to get your own domain name.

The new Toronto-based domain registry company offers essentially two services, neither of which is entirely unique. But it's the marketing of these services that gives this concept a new twist. Ordinarily when you want to have your own Web site, you go to InterNIC's site (internic.net), search for the name you want and register it if it's available. Then you write your check to Network Solutions and you're in business.

Now, you can pay Domain Direct to do this for you, and the company will even throw in e-mail domain-forwarding. For those who choose not to go it alone with InterNIC, Domain Direct can smooth over the technicalities. Not only does the service set up your top-level domain name, meaning it ends in .com, .net, or .org, it also creates an "under construction" site at that URL.

The free e-mail forwarding service simply takes any mail sent to you and reroutes it to your ISP of choice. The advantage of using this service is that, instead of being assigned an impersonal address such as yourname@someisp.com, you end up with the personal and professional address you@yoursite.com.

The cost of leading the simple life is $50 for two years, though you still have to pay InterNIC $70 for a two-year domain name registration.

An alternative to all of this is to contact your local ISP. Most ISPs offer the same services and sometimes more; but, of course, you don't get as memorable an address.

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