Why do I get an error message that says that my domain cannot be located or that there is no DNS entry for my domain?

This could be caused by a number of reasons. Let's diagnose this in a logical order.

First, check the URL you typed. Look closely. Did you spell your domain name correctly?

If your URL is correct, then this error message may indicate that perhaps Melbourne IT / INWW has deactivated your domain name and put it on hold. To check if this is the case, go to any Whois database such as fasterWhois and type in your domain name. Look at the domain ownership record. Often, there will be an entry that indicates when the domain expires. If it shows that the domain has expired more than 15 days before today's date, it is very likely that INWW has put your domain on hold.

If your Internet access provider (i.e. your ISP) does not have enough capacity (i.e. you frequently encounter busy signals when trying to dial in) you may encounter this message right after you dialed in and try to get to your site. Check whether you can retrieve email from your ISP's email account, or check whether you can access a popular site like cnn.com or yahoo.com. If you get the same error message, that means that there is a problem at your ISP's internal network and that you are not connected to the Internet. In this case, call your ISP for support.

If your domain name has expired, even if you just renewed it, please do not expect your web site will be immediately reachable via your domain name. Reactivation of an expired domain name usually takes up to 24 hours.

Please note that without a current (i.e. public visible) domain name, the visibility of your web site will be compromised. That's why it's so important to renew your domain name BEFORE its expiry date.

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