OpenNIC
Encyclopedia
OpenNIC is an alternate network information center
/alternative DNS root
which lists itself as an alternative to ICANN
and its registries.
users of the OpenNIC DNS
servers are able to resolve all existing ICANN
top-level domain
s as well as their own.
Like all alternative root DNS systems, OpenNIC-hosted domains are unreachable to the vast majority of the Internet. Only specific configuration in one's DNS resolver makes these reachable, and very few Internet service provider
s have this configuration.
. By the end of July, OpenNIC root servers were operating and several top-level domain
s had been introduced as well as peering of the AlterNIC
namespace. In March 2001 peering began of Pacific Root and in September a search engine was announced which was dedicated to the OpenNIC namespace.
OpenNIC restructured its architecture to improve scalability and avoid single-point-of-failure issues. Each TLD has its own policies regarding acceptable use. New TLD
s may be created subject to OpenNIC stated policies.
s. Currently OpenNIC peers with New Nations, providing .ko
, .ku
, .rm, .te
, .ti
, and .uu
.
s.
For temporary resolution of the above TLDs, i.e. for those who are unable or unwilling to make this kind of change to their system, OpenNIC also provides a proxy server
service.
servers. Former peering agreements existed with the long-defunct AlterNIC
, in hopes it ever came up, and Pacific Root, which seemed to cease resolution sometime in late 2004.
Domain name registry
A domain name registry is a database of all domain names registered in a top-level domain. A registry operator, also called a network information center , is the part of the Domain Name System of the Internet that keeps the database of domain names, and generates the zone files which convert...
/alternative DNS root
Alternative DNS root
The Internet uses the Domain Name System to associate the names of computers with their numeric IP addresses and with other information. The top level of the domain name hierarchy, the DNS root, contains the top-level domains that appear as the suffixes of all Internet domain names. The official...
which lists itself as an alternative to ICANN
ICANN
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers is a non-profit corporation headquartered in Marina del Rey, California, United States, that was created on September 18, 1998, and incorporated on September 30, 1998 to oversee a number of Internet-related tasks previously performed directly...
and its registries.
users of the OpenNIC DNS
Domain name system
The Domain Name System is a hierarchical distributed naming system for computers, services, or any resource connected to the Internet or a private network. It associates various information with domain names assigned to each of the participating entities...
servers are able to resolve all existing ICANN
ICANN
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers is a non-profit corporation headquartered in Marina del Rey, California, United States, that was created on September 18, 1998, and incorporated on September 30, 1998 to oversee a number of Internet-related tasks previously performed directly...
top-level domain
Top-level domain
A top-level domain is one of the domains at the highest level in the hierarchical Domain Name System of the Internet. The top-level domain names are installed in the root zone of the name space. For all domains in lower levels, it is the last part of the domain name, that is, the last label of a...
s as well as their own.
Like all alternative root DNS systems, OpenNIC-hosted domains are unreachable to the vast majority of the Internet. Only specific configuration in one's DNS resolver makes these reachable, and very few Internet service provider
Internet service provider
An Internet service provider is a company that provides access to the Internet. Access ISPs directly connect customers to the Internet using copper wires, wireless or fiber-optic connections. Hosting ISPs lease server space for smaller businesses and host other people servers...
s have this configuration.
History
On June 1, 2000, an article was posted on kuro5hin.org advocating a democratically governed domain name systemDomain name system
The Domain Name System is a hierarchical distributed naming system for computers, services, or any resource connected to the Internet or a private network. It associates various information with domain names assigned to each of the participating entities...
. By the end of July, OpenNIC root servers were operating and several top-level domain
Top-level domain
A top-level domain is one of the domains at the highest level in the hierarchical Domain Name System of the Internet. The top-level domain names are installed in the root zone of the name space. For all domains in lower levels, it is the last part of the domain name, that is, the last label of a...
s had been introduced as well as peering of the AlterNIC
AlterNIC
AlterNIC was an unofficial, controversial Internet domain name registry that relied on an alternative DNS root. The primary purpose of the project was to challenge the monopoly of InterNIC, the official governing body for generic top-level domains until the creation of the ICANN in 1998...
namespace. In March 2001 peering began of Pacific Root and in September a search engine was announced which was dedicated to the OpenNIC namespace.
OpenNIC restructured its architecture to improve scalability and avoid single-point-of-failure issues. Each TLD has its own policies regarding acceptable use. New TLD
TLD
TLD is a three-letter initialism that may stand for:* Top-level domain, the last part of an Internet domain name* Tag Library Descriptor, an XML document that maps JSP tags to their handlers or associated files...
s may be created subject to OpenNIC stated policies.
Top Level Domains
Currently, OpenNIC supports the following TLDs:-
- .bbs:aimed toward (TelnetTELNETTelnet is a network protocol used on the Internet or local area networks to provide a bidirectional interactive text-oriented communications facility using a virtual terminal connection...
style) bulletin board systems and related Web sites. - .bzh:OpenNIC's version of .bzh.bzh.bzh is a proposed Internet top level domain. It is a sponsored top-level domain intended to be a top level domain for the Breton culture and languages.-History:...
has been created for BretonBreton peopleThe Bretons are an ethnic group located in the region of Brittany in France. They trace much of their heritage to groups of Brythonic speakers who emigrated from southwestern Great Britain in waves from the 3rd to 6th century into the Armorican peninsula, subsequently named Brittany after them.The...
community (language and culture). - .dyn:Dynamic IPs.
- .fur:Furry fandomFurry fandomFurry fandom is a fandom for fictional anthropomorphic animal characters with human personalities and characteristics. Examples of anthropomorphic attributes include exhibiting human intelligence and facial expressions, the ability to speak, walk on two legs, and wear clothes...
-related sites - .free:Run by FreeNIC, the .free tld provides namespace, certificate authority, and other services to encourage the non-commercial use of the internet.
- .geek:Chartered for use by geekGeekThe word geek is a slang term, with different meanings ranging from "a computer expert or enthusiast" to "a carnival performer who performs sensationally morbid or disgusting acts", with a general pejorative meaning of "a peculiar or otherwise dislikable person, esp[ecially] one who is perceived to...
-oriented sites, including anything of a personal or hobbyist nature. This description is deliberately vague to reflect the huge range of interests that might qualify. - .glue:Internal Architectural, as in root server administration and peering purposes. The only domain names that exist for this TLD are those that are used for each system on the peer.
- .gopher:For sites using the Gopher protocol.
- .indy:independent news, media, and entertainment
- .ing:fun TLD. Further details to be confirmed.
- .micro:For micronations and their entities. Recent and not widely used yet.
- .null:miscellaneous non-commercial individual sites
- .oss:Open-source software
- .parody:A venue for non-commercial parodyParodyA parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
work. Having a TLD designated to works of parody attempts to remove claims that a website could be mistaken for a business site, and thus reduces the possibility of claims of trademarkTrademarkA trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
infringement.
- .bbs:aimed toward (Telnet
Peering
OpenNIC also provides resolution of select other alternative DNS rootAlternative DNS root
The Internet uses the Domain Name System to associate the names of computers with their numeric IP addresses and with other information. The top level of the domain name hierarchy, the DNS root, contains the top-level domains that appear as the suffixes of all Internet domain names. The official...
s. Currently OpenNIC peers with New Nations, providing .ko
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
, .ku
Kurdish people
The Kurdish people, or Kurds , are an Iranian people native to the Middle East, mostly inhabiting a region known as Kurdistan, which includes adjacent parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey...
, .rm, .te
Tamil Eelam
Tamil Eelam , is the name given by certain Tamils in Sri Lanka and the Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora to the independent state which they aspire to create in the north and east of Sri Lanka. Tamil Eelam has no official status or recognition by any other state or authority...
, .ti
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
, and .uu
Uyghur people
The Uyghur are a Turkic ethnic group living in Eastern and Central Asia. Today, Uyghurs live primarily in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China...
.
Public Access Information
To access the OpenNIC Network fully users need to use (at least one of) their name serverName server
In computing, a name server is a program or computer server that implements a name-service protocol. It maps a human-recognizable identifier to a system-internal, often numeric, identification or addressing component....
s.
For temporary resolution of the above TLDs, i.e. for those who are unable or unwilling to make this kind of change to their system, OpenNIC also provides a proxy server
Proxy server
In computer networks, a proxy server is a server that acts as an intermediary for requests from clients seeking resources from other servers. A client connects to the proxy server, requesting some service, such as a file, connection, web page, or other resource available from a different server...
service.
Additional information
At this time, there are no peering arrangements with other alternative DNS rootAlternative DNS root
The Internet uses the Domain Name System to associate the names of computers with their numeric IP addresses and with other information. The top level of the domain name hierarchy, the DNS root, contains the top-level domains that appear as the suffixes of all Internet domain names. The official...
servers. Former peering agreements existed with the long-defunct AlterNIC
AlterNIC
AlterNIC was an unofficial, controversial Internet domain name registry that relied on an alternative DNS root. The primary purpose of the project was to challenge the monopoly of InterNIC, the official governing body for generic top-level domains until the creation of the ICANN in 1998...
, in hopes it ever came up, and Pacific Root, which seemed to cease resolution sometime in late 2004.
See also
- DNS AdvantageDNS AdvantageDNS Advantage is a proprietary opt-in DNS service. It does not follow internet standards—for example, the component of its service that implements typographical checking constitutes DNS hijacking.-Services:...
- OpenDNSOpenDNSOpenDNS is a DNS resolution service. OpenDNS extends DNS adding features such as misspelling correction, phishing protection, and optional content filtering...
- Google Public DNSGoogle Public DNSGoogle Public DNS is a freely provided closed-source DNS service announced on 3 December 2009, as part of Google's self-proclaimed effort to make the web faster....
- Open Root Server NetworkOpen Root Server NetworkOpen Root Server Network was a network of root nameservers for the Internet, operating from February 2002 until the end of 2008. Its root zone information was normally kept in synchronization with that of the network coordinated by ICANN. The networks were thus compatible, although ORSN was...
- RealNamesRealNamesRealNames was a company founded in 1997 by Keith Teare. Its goal was to create a multilingual keyword-based naming system for the Internet that would translate keywords typed into the address bar of Microsoft's Internet Explorer web browser to Uniform Resource Identifiers, based on the existing...
External links
- Public Access and Information Website
- OpenNIC Public DNS Servers and Migration Instructions
- OpenNIC Wiki
Alt DNS links
See OpenNIC Information Website for access instructions.- OpenNIC Homepage .glue
- OpenNIC Wiki .glue
- TLD Governing Policy .glue