Network Solutions: All There Is to Know
Network Solutions is one of the oldest domain registrars in the market and was once the main option in the market. But with the rise of so many new domain registrars, is it still able to catch up to them?
Pros
Cons
Quick Stats
Plans and Pricing
Network solutions prices tend to be on the higher side. However, they do offer a wide variety of additional services that make the price tag worth it.
1. Starting price
The registration price for a new .com domain for 1 year is $25 per year. The price goes down to $20 per year if you are registering for 3 years or more. This price includes the registration with the ICAAN, free WHOIS privacy and protection for 1 month, along with a free hosting plan for 1 month.
| Top-Level Domain | Registration Price | Renewal Price |
|---|---|---|
| .com | $25/year | $37.99/year |
| .net | $25/year | $37.99/year |
| .org | $25/year | $37.99/year |
| .co | $25/year | $37.99/year |
2. Renewal price
As with most domain registrars, the renewal price Is higher than the starting price. The cost of renewing your .com domain with Network Solutions is $37.99, which is among the highest domain registrar renewal prices. When comparing prices, it's crucial to take into account both the initial and renewal cost.
3. Grace period
The biggest obstacle for any business that owns a domain is losing that domain name after all of the hard work that has gone into building their brand; after all, the name is the face of any brand.
As a result, some domain registrars provide a grace period during which you can keep your domain name even if you don't pay on time. Network Solutions provides a 35-day grace period.
4. Domain transfer
You can transfer your domain to and from Network Solutions really easily. You just have to unlock your domain from your previous registrar and obtain the authorization code. The one-time fee of transferring your domain to Network Solutions is $9.95, with the first year of registration for free.
To transfer a domain out of Network Solutions, you need to unlock it. Even though some domain registrars charge for the unlock, Network Solutions does it for free.
5. Hidden fees
Generally, there are no hidden fees with Network Solutions, but they do add a DNS premium service, SiteLock, and WHOIS privacy and protection by default to your cart.
Privacy and Protection
Network Solutions offers multiple security add-ons with different price-tags and features for each one.
1. WHOIS privacy and protection
The WHOIS privacy and protection feature is one of the most important security features to look for. This feature ensures that the WHOIS database does not have access to your personal information such as your name, address, or email address. Network Solutions offers the first month of WHOIS privacy and protection for free.
For $1.99 a month and $9.99 per year, you can conceal your personal information from the WHOIS database. This fee covers one domain name.
2. Domain lock
Your domain name will not be transferred to another registrar if you use a domain lock. Network Solutions also includes this feature by default. However, you cannot unlock the domain from your account, so you would have to contact Network Solutions customer support, and they would unlock it for you in 3 business days.
3. SSL certificates
Network Solutions is authorized to grant SSL certificates that would further secure your website and add a little pad-lock at the top corner so your visitors can trust your website. Plans start at $59.99 per year and vary by features and number of domains covered.
Domain Solutions
Network Solutions as the name entails provides a variety of domain and network solutions for enhancing your domain registration experience.
1. Domain bidding
If you find an owned domain name that’s perfect for your business, but you want to snatch it for a low price anonymously, then Network Solutions has your back. They offer an anonymous bidding service, where they negotiate with the domain owner and get you the lowest price possible. All for a $39 fee for domain names under $25,000 and $69 fees for domain names over $25,000. Plus, a 5% fee of the total paid the price.
You can also browse their re-sale inventory for expired domains, where you can make a bid for the domain of your choice. Network Solutions joined hands with Namejet auction platform, so if you wish to place a bid, you have to start by creating a Namejet account.
2. Domain protection
Like we mentioned above, the most critical part of domain registration is keeping the domain name yours. However, since domains expire if you do not renew on time, it’s crucial to protect them. Network Solutions offers adding a 1-year domain protection if you fail to pay on time for a small price of $9.99.
3. Domain name generator
Starting a new business and coming up with a catchy and fitting domain name can be quite tricky. So, Network Solutions provides a convenient domain name generator service, all you have to do is enter your business keywords, and the generator will suggest domain names that include your keywords while keeping it nice and short.
4. Auto-renewal
Here again, Network Solutions tries its best to keep your domain name from expiring by activating auto-renewal for all your domains. You can opt-out of auto-renewal, but you have to notify Network Solutions at least 90 days before the renewal date.
5. Long-term subscription
To save you from worrying about your domain name's expiration date and having to renew it, Network Solutions offers a 100-year subscription. That way, you can claim your domain name once and for all.
6. Bulk domain management and renewal
Network Solutions allows the function of updating and renewing multiple domains at once, easily and hassle-free.
Free subdomains
As a way of further protecting your brand name, Network Solutions grants you your subdomains for free.
Other Services and Add-ons
Network Solutions offers a variety of website solutions like website building, web hosting, and search engine optimization (SEO).
Network Solutions has a lot of templates and designs for a professional and clean-looking website. If you purchase the website builder plan for $2.95/month, you will get a free domain name. Ready templates for online stores are also available.
You can also host your website on Network Solutions. There are multiple different plans for different prices tailored to suit each and every hosting need.
They also have a range of marketing solutions such as search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click advertisement, and email marketing. Their email marketing tool comes with a 60-day free trial, so you can get a proper taste of what they offer.
User Experience
Network Solutions is one of the leading sites in web services. It’s no surprise that their website is nicely designed and optimized for user experience. It loads quickly, it’s easy to navigate, and it provides a pretty smooth user interface.
Customer support
Phone, chat, and email are all options for getting in touch with Network Solutions. If you have a quick question and don't want to spend time looking for the answer yourself, their chat service is quite good. The agents are pleasant and accommodating. Response times and wait times are both short and fast.
Knowledge base
If you do not feel like contacting their customer support, you can always find the answer yourself using their informative knowledge base. The knowledge base covers all Network Solutions' services. There is an independent section for domain names and domain registration.
Final Verdict on Network Solutions
Network Solutions covers the most important features of domain registration, like the grace period, domain locking, and auto-renewal. In addition to less common but crucial features, like long-term subscription, broker service, expired domain auction, domain name generator, and the ability to add domain protection.
However, the prices are much higher than the competition, and the renewal fees are relatively high at $37.99 per year for a .com domain. Also, you cannot manually unlock your domain, and you need to contact customer support to do it for you.
They are a good option if you’re looking for an all-inclusive domain registrar if you’re willing to pay more for it.