Introduction
On the Internet, the .arpa top-level domain is reserved for critical infrastructure. Unlike domains like .com or .org, you cannot directly register a .arpa domain like mysite.arpa. However, there is a trick that allows you to bypass this limitation and own a .arpa domain. Let's see how it works.
What is the .arpa Domain?
The .arpa domain is mainly used for technical services like reverse DNS lookups. This means it is usually reserved for essential infrastructure functions, but with a bit of creativity, you can also use it to your advantage.
Using Reverse DNS Records
The key to obtaining a .arpa domain lies in using reverse DNS records. Essentially, you can turn an IPv6 address into a domain name via the ip6.arpa subdomain. It might sound technical, but it's actually quite simple thanks to services like Hurricane Electric.
Steps to Get Your .arpa Domain
1. Sign Up for Hurricane Electric
Hurricane Electric offers a free IPv6 tunnel service via tunnelbroker.net. Start by creating an account. The registration is straightforward and does not require verifying your information.
2. Create a Tunnel
Once registered, create a 'Regular Tunnel.' You will need to provide an IPv4 address, but there is no strict verification. You can use an address found via the ping -4 domainname.com command.
3. Get the IPv6 Prefix
After setting up the tunnel, you will receive a routed IPv6 prefix. For example, 2001:470:1f09:140::/64. What we are interested in is the part before the colons: 2001:470:1f09:140.
4. Transform into a .arpa Domain
Pad each section with zeros to get four groups of four characters, then insert a dot between each character. Finally, reverse the sequence and add .ip6.arpa. Voilà, you have your domain!
Setting Up DNS Records
To make your domain functional, you need to set up DNS records. Although some services like Cloudflare may not accept these domains, deSEC works perfectly.
Conclusion
That's how you can get a free .arpa domain. It's unconventional, but with a little effort, you can have your own corner in this exclusive TLD. Let's discuss your project in 15 minutes.