The first step in using your MacName plan is to purchase a MacName plan.

If you haven't yet registered for the MacName package, you can sign up here.

If you need further details on the MacName package and what it offers, you can find that information by clicking here.

If you've signed up, you're ready to proceed to "How To: Account Setup" #A2 below.

If you have registered your domain name with MacName, login to http://customers.macname.com/clientarea.php. The login details can be found in the email entitled "MacName Client Area Details".

Once logged in, click on "My MacName Domains"

In the "My MacName Domains" section, you will see your registered domain(s) with a View Details button to the right. Click on the View Details button to access the details for that domain.

On the resulting page, look at the Nameservers section. The nameservers should be set to:

ns1.machighway.com
ns2.machighway.com

If you have your domain name registered elsewhere, but you have signed up for the MacName package, contact your domain name registrar for instructions on changing the nameservers to ns1.macname.com and ns2.macname.com.

Once your Nameservers are set correctly, your domain name is pointing correctly to MacName.com. You're now ready to proceed to "How To: Account Setup" #A3 or #A4 below.

Step 1: Login to your cPanel at https://my.macname.com/cpanel

Step 2: Once logged in, click on Advanced DNS Zone Editor module.

Step 3:

For CName Changes: Click the Edit link next to the www.yourdomain.com record (as shown in the image below).

For A Record Changes: Click the Edit link next to your primary domain name (as shown in the image below).

Step 4:

For CName changes: In the CNAME: field, type the destination address.

For A Record changes: In the Address: field, type the destination IP address.

Step 5: Click the Edit Record button.

Once your CNAMEor A Record is set correctly, your domain name should be pointing to your site. You're now ready to proceed to "How To" #A4 below.

Step 1: Login to your cPanel at https://my.macname.com/cpanel

Step 2: Once logged in, click on the Forwarders module.

Step 3: On the resulting screen click the Add Forwarder button.

Step 4: In the Address to Forward: field, type the email address you'd like at your domain. You will not need to include the @yourdomain.com portion, as that is already selected for you in the next field.

Step 5: Under Destination, make sure the radio button next to Forward to email address: is selected and in the empty field next to Forward to email address: type the correct destination address you'd like to receive.

Step 6: Click the Add Forwarder button.

(Tip: If you'd like to add additional recipients that recieve a copy of messages forwarded to that address, repeat steps 3 - 6 and make sure that you use the same email address in step 4, with a different recipient address in step 5)

Congratulations. If you've gotten through these instructions, your MacName service should be functional.

If you're using our services to forward your messages to your inbox at another service, you may want to add a layer of spam protection to help control (as much as possible) those annoying and sometimes malicious messages that can find their way into their inbox. Remember, no spam protection is 100% effective and SpamAssassin should not be considered as a complete solution to the spam problem.

Step 1: Login to your cPanel at https://my.macname.com/cpanel

Step 2: Once logged in, click on the SpamAssassin module.

Step 3: On the resulting screen click the SpamAssassin button.

SpamAssassin will now filter your emails and add the word [SPAM] to the subject line of emails that it believes are spam. Most mail programs will have an option that allows you to trust the spam headers sent by your mail server. If you don't see that option, you can usually setup a rule to filter any message with a subject line that containts [SPAM] into your junk folder.

By default, SpamAssassin marks anything with a spam score of 5 or higher as spam. If you want to adjust this setting, you can do so from the cPanel by clicking the SpamAssassin icon. Once in the SpamAssassin module, you will want to click the "Configure SpamAssassin" button.

Within the configuration, you will see a field called "required_score"

Change this score from 5 to another number between 1 and 10. The lower the number, the more aggressive SpamAssassin will be. Click the Save button at the bottom of the page to activate the new spam score.

In order to troubleshoot this issue, it's first important to understand how the forwarder works.

In this example, we'll use the email address troubleshooting@exampledomain.com.

Let's say that I've setup troubleshooting@exampledomain.com to forward to macname@gmail.com.

When someone sends an email to troubleshooting@exampledomain.com it is received by the macname servers. It is immedaitely attempted to be tunneled to the destination server, in this case Gmail. In most cases, the destination server will happily receive the message and everything will be great... but that's probably not the case if you're reading this.

Troubleshooting steps:

Step 1. Ensure that your nameservers are pointing to:

ns1.macname.com
ns2.macname.com

You can check that quickly by going to http://www.internic.net/whois.html and entering your domain name. In the resulting information, near the bottom, you will see your nameservers listed.

Step 2. Login to your cPanel at https://my.macname.com/cpanel and click on the Forwarders module. Verify that the email address you've created is spelled correctly. Additionally, verify that the destination address is spelled correctly.

If the email address or destination address are incorrect, you will want to click the Delete link next to the incorrect address. Then, review and execute the instuctions listed in "How To: Account Setup" #A4 above to correctly setup the address.

Step 3. While still in the Forwarders module of the cPanel, click on the Trace link next to the email address that's failing. This will verify if the destination address has a valid MX record.

If the trace returns an error, you will want to review the email address and confirm that you have correctly spelled the domain name (the information that comes after the @ symbol in the email address).

If the domain name of the destination address is incorrect, click the Go Back link. This should put you back into the Forwarders module. You will want to click the Delete link next to the incorrect address. Then, review and execute the instuctions listed in "How To: Account Setup" #A4 above to correctly setup the address.

If the domain name of the destination address is correct, you will want to contact the email administrator of that domain name and share the results you've gotten with them, as there may be a problem on their end.

Step 4. Check your folders on the destination address. Sometimes, a message may be moved to a folder other than your inbox. Usually messages are moved to your junk or spam folder by the ISPs spam filter, but there may also be other rules or filters you (or your webmaster) have setup that move messages to other folders. Be sure to thouroughly investigate all of the folders at the destination email address to ensure that the messages aren't arriving to a folder other than the inbox.

Step 5. If you've gotten this far without a solution, very likely the desitnation email address is rejecting (or severly delaying) the forwarded message.

A common mistake people make when this happens is to send directly to the destination address, which bypasses the forwarding process. This is usually a successful test, but unfortunately, is a completely separate process then the process of one server automatically tunneling a message to another server. For that reason, that sort of test isn't a reliable way of ensuring that the destination mail server isn't the problem.

The best way to test this is to have your message forward to entirely different address. Before you proceed, keep in mind that if the message is currently forwarding to a Gmail address for example, you will not want to set it to forward to a different Gmail address, since Gmail itself may be the problem. Instead, have it forward to a Yahoo address or a Hotmail address, etc.

To set your email to forward to a different address, you will want to click the Delete link next to the email address in the Forwarders module of the cPanel. Then, review and execute the instuctions listed in "How To: Account Setup" #A4 above to correctly setup the address.

If none of these steps have resolved your problem, please send us an email from our Contact page explaining the specifics of the problem you're having and we'll be happy to look into it.

Step 1. Ensure that your nameservers are pointing to:

ns1.macname.com
ns2.macname.com

You can check that quickly by going to http://www.internic.net/whois.html and entering your domain name. In the resulting information, near the bottom, you will see your nameservers listed.

If your nameservers are not ns1.macname.com and ns2.macname.com, review and execute the instuctions listed in "How To: Account Setup" #A2 above. Then wait 24 hours for that change to take effect before verifying that the problem still exists.

Step 2. Login to your cPanel at https://my.macname.com/cpanel and click on the Advanced DNS editor module. Ensure that the CName or A Record is set according to the instructions issued by your host. For detailed instructions on this, review the instructions listed in "How To: Account Setup" #A3.

Step 3. If you have ensured that steps 1 and 2 are both correct, but you continue to have a problem, you will want to contact the company that hosts your site for assistance, as the problem likely resides on their end.

Each MacName account supports a single domain name.

While you are limited to how many domain names each MacName package will allow, there is no limit to how many MacName packages you can host. Add an additional MacName package for $24.95 per package. That cost will not only cover your MacName service for an entire year, but it also includes the cost of your domain name registration as well.

To purchase an additional MacName package, click here.

Yes, you can setup a MacName package with a domain name that ends in one of those extensions. Unfortunately, we only register the domain names available on our site, so you would need to register a domain name the ends with .cc, .me, .in or another domain name extension that we don't offer on our site through another registrar that offers those extensions.

Once the domain name is registered, you will want to sign up for a MacName account by clicking here.

When you get to the part of sign up that asks how you would like to handle your domain name, choose:

I will use my existing domain.

Then enter your registered domain name and continue the order.

Yes, the cost for the MacName service is $24.95/year. While we do include free domain name registration with that cost if you don't already have a domain name, the MacName service was built to compliment the domain name that you already have registered.

Unfortunately, we don't currently offer services that allow you to transfer domain name registration to MacName.

You can still use the MacName service with a domain name that you've registered elsewhere. When you sign up for the MacName service, you will be asked if you are registering a new domain name or if you want to instead update the nameserver on an existing domain. Choose the option of updating the nameservers on your existing domain. Then, contact your domain name registrar for instructions on changing the nameservers to ns1.macname.com and ns2.macname.com.

Absolutely. The domain name that you register at the time that you purchase your MacName package is registered and renewed at no charge.

Any domain name that you register independently of the MacName package will be at a cost of $9.95 per year.

To register just a domain name, visit: http://customers.macname.com/cart.php?a=add&domain=register

MacName is happy to accomodate this change, but you will want to make sure that all of the details have first attended to:

1. Ensure that you've registered your new domain name, either through MacName or another registrar.

2. Review the online documentation for the hosting service that you use to ensure that you've made the necessary changes to host your new domain name.

3. Make sure that you have followed the "How To: Account Setup" #A2 instructions above.

4. Use the Contact tab above to request the domain name swap. Please tell us the current domain name and the domain name you'd like to use in its place.

Once your swap request is processed, we will send a confirmation email to the administrative contact email address on your MacName account.

MacName does not offer any professional level web or email hosting services.

If you are a Mac user in need of a high caliber hosting service, we recommend reviewing the plans available at www.MacHighway.com.

Unfortunately, no. The MacName package was created to address a specific need, presented by companies like Wix and MobileMe that require an external service in order to point your domain name to your web site.

Most professional level web hosting companies will provide DNS service (the service that tells the world where your email and web site is hosted) & email hosting along with their web hosting services.

If your current host provides these services you should have no use for the MacName package.

If your current host does not provide these services, MacName may be just what you've been looking for.

Login to http://customers.macname.com/clientarea.php. The login details can be found in the email entitled "MacName Client Area Details".

Once logged in, click on "My MacName Domains"

In the "My MacName Domains" section, you will see your registered domain(s) with a View Details button to the right. Click on the View Details button to access the details for that domain.

On the resulting page, look at the Nameservers section. The nameservers should be set to:

ns1.macname.com
ns2.macname.com

If you do not see your domain name under the My MacName Domains section, either the domain name is not registered through MacName or it is registered into a different account.

Yes. Whois Privacy is available for $7.95 per domian name per year. Whois Privacy is available as an add-on service at the time of sign up. If this is a service you'd like to apply to a domain name that's already registered with MacName, please click the Contact link at the top of the page to send us an email requesting that change. Please let us know what domain name you'd like the whois privacy added to and that you approve of the $7.95 charge.

Login to http://customers.macname.com/clientarea.php. The login details can be found in the email entitled "MacName Client Area Details".

Once logged in, click on "My MacName Domains"

In the "My MacName Domains" section, you will see your registered domain(s) with a View Details button to the right. Click on the View Details button to access the details for that domain.

Unlock Domain

By scrolling to the lower half of the page, you will see a checkbox that is labeled "Enable registrar lock (Recommended). Unauthorized transfer will be prevented if lock is set."

Uncheck that box and click the Save Changes button.

Obtain EPP/Authorization Code

By scrolling to the lower half of the page, you will see a button labeled "Get EPP Code"

Click that button and the EPP code will be sent to the administrative contact email address affiliated with your domain name.

Every MacName contract, for both domain name registration and the MacName package, is for a single year. Your services are set to automatically renew by default.

Invoices are sent our 2 weeks prior to any upcoming renewal of either the domain name or the MacName package. If you'd like to continue service, you can simply do nothing and allow the service to renew automatically.

If you would like to discontinue service, you must follow the instructions in the below "Frequently Asked Questions" #F13 to discontinue service. This must be done before the next due date in order to avoid renewing your year long contract.

How to close a MacName package:

1. To set a MacName package for cancellation first login to your Client Area.

https://customers.macname.com/clientarea.php
(Client Area login details can be found in the email with the subject line "MacName Client Area Login Details")

2. Once you're logged into the Client Area, click the My Products link.

3. Click the View Details button next to the MacName package that you wish to cancel.

4. At the bottom of the following page you will see a Request Cancellation button. Click this button.

5. On the following page, you will need to fill out the form and click the Request Cancellation button on that page.

6. You will receive confirmation that your cancellation request was received via email.

Disable auto-renew of your domain name:

1. To set a domain name for cancellation first login to your Client Area.

https://customers.macname.com/clientarea.php
(Client Area login details can be found in the email with the subject line "MacName Client Area Login Details")

2. Once you're logged into the Client Area, click the My MacName Domains link.

3. Click on the View Details button to the right of the domain name that you do not wish to renew.

4. On the resulting page, uncheck the "Enable Auto-renew" checkbox.

5. Click the Save Changes button.