WHOIS and RDAP

WHOIS and RDAP are the two common ways to look up who holds a domain name or an IP address block. WHOIS returns plain text over the classic port-43 service. RDAP returns the same kind of answer as structured JSON from a registry or RIR endpoint. You will still meet both in abuse tickets, bank forms, and transit desks, so it helps to know what each one shows and what it does not.

Domains and IP addresses are different desks

Domain WHOIS or RDAP is handled by the registrar and the registry. Privacy services can hide personal fields behind a proxy, which is normal for many domain owners. IP WHOIS and RDAP work under stricter expectations. Someone reachable for abuse still has to appear in the object. If you lease a prefix from us, the end-user or abuse contact should match what we filed after your order. A stale mailbox that bounces is how a Spamhaus or bank request sits for days with no progress.

What the records actually contain

Typical fields include the holder or organization, an abuse mailbox, and sometimes a technical handle. On IPv4 and IPv6 space, that trail is what a complainant follows. On a domain, you mainly see the registrar and whatever privacy did to the person fields. RDAP adds consistent roles, links, and machine-readable structure. WHOIS still gives you a text blob that is easy to search by eye. Neither database is geolocation. Neither is a letter of authorization. Neither proves that a BGP announcement is allowed. They answer who is listed, not whether routing is authorized.

whois 203.0.113.0

That command is the classic text lookup. Documentation prefixes return a reserved answer. A real prefix should show an organization and a working abuse contact. If you are the end user on a LogicWeb lease, the record should match the details we submitted for you. If it still names the previous lessee, the cancel or the new lease did not finish the registry update. Reply on the same ticket rather than opening a new one with a different subject. Use the RIR’s RDAP endpoint when a form wants JSON or when port 43 is rate-limited.

Keeping contacts current on a lease

Domain privacy is a registrar setting. IP space is a separate process. When we unwind a lease, we update WHOIS and RDAP so you are not listed as the end user on space you no longer route. If a lookup still shows you after cancel, the registry pass is not finished yet. Keep the contact you gave us able to receive mail for the full life of the lease. An address for someone who left the company years ago is a common reason these tickets stall.