Buying my new Google Domain and getting started with Workspace and GCP

When you register a domain it is a big deal. It is your e-mail address, it is connected to your organization, you will use it in Cloud IAM and connected APIs. You will type it in CLI and pick it from GUI multiple times. I added my experiences with Microsoft Azure/M365/Teams and AWS Route 53/Chime as well.

Your Domain and the Collaboration Platform it comes with. Amazon Chime, Microsoft Teams, and Google Workspace

AWS Domain (Route 53) and Amazon Chime

Let’s register a domain at AWS. Registering a new domain - Amazon Route 53.

Previously, I connected a domain (imcaws.eu) to AWS that I registered at a Hungarian Domain Registrar - Domain név regisztráció - Deninet.hu

This is how hosted zones in AWS show up. macskasy.org is a **native AWS Domain**, imcaws.eu is from **external registration**.

I checked macskasy.org availability. macskasy.ninja is cool as well. Hope one day it will have value for someone in my family.

Contact details are always the same when you register a domain.

Got an e-mail to verify my e-mail address.

Now, I can proceed to checkout. It was 12 USD. Same price as GCP dotnet domain later in this article.

Recently, I tried Amazon Chime. When it comes to Amazon Chime, the best feature I experienced is the top right corner of the meeting, you see the active Microphone and Speaker devices selected. The camera is obvious, as you see your picture.

It is very useful in my setup as I have multiple external (USB) sound cards; so I love to check if everything connected well when I dock in my laptop. I do not need to ask if can you hear me, etc.

You can check the active audio devices **during** the meeting with Amazon Chime. That’s lovely when you have multiple USB external sound cards.

Actually, I got this e-mail **today**, my Chime trial has expired.

My experience with Amazon Chime was great and I continue to use the Basic version. I am not sure about limitations and this is not the topic of this blog article. You can check it here Amazon Chime - Sign Up

I was not able to start/organize a meeting after the trial expired.

After a little research, it’s clear, the Basic is for attending, not organizing/hosting meetings.

Amazon Chime Pricing - Video Conferencing & Online Meetings - Amazon Web Services

Let’s continue with Microsoft.

Microsoft Azure Domains and Microsoft Teams

When it comes to Microsoft, my “production” stuff (e-mail address) has been there for a long time. I have my domain (@macskasy.com) registered at one of the largest Microsoft partners in Hungary Magyar Telekom (t-home.hu). I have my zone records hosted in Azure, and I have the domain connected to my Azure and M365 tenant. This is how it should be.

My private Azure subscription with Domain Service enabled.

This is how I can manage the zone at Azure Portal.

Previously I purchased macskasy.net via Microsoft 365 portal as a Managed 365 Domain. It’s expired. I did not like this kind of managed domain, because I want to have full access to the zone etc.

This is my primary domain registered at Microsoft.

This is how the same thing looks in Azure Portal. The same tenant.

Let’s see how Microsoft Teams works for me @macskasy.com because I am planning to use Microsoft Teams as a private person with friends and family. Teams for Home with Friends and Family | Microsoft Teams

I see a problem looking at the Billing/Products part of the M365 admin portal. My Microsoft Teams Commercial Cloud Trial has expired. That’s bad. I want to use the Teams for Home edition.

Teams trial expired in my tenant @macskasy.com

Unfortunately, Microsoft Teams is broken in my tenant because the Trial expired and I cannot start the Free Home Edition. I am going to open a Microsoft support ticket to fix this. I hope I am the only one on the planet who is experiencing this issue because people usually do not run trials against the production domain names, and later use them for home purposes. It is my bad. I am unique. Haha!

This is the ugly error message, and my broken Microsoft Teams due to expired Teams Trial.

I checked the domain price at GoDaddy. It will cost me GBP 11.99 ~ 16.29 USD

Let’s do GCP and Workspace! I am super excited.

Google Domains and Google Meet (Workspace)

As macskasy.com is served by Microsoft (Azure/M365), let’s try to register macskasy.net at Google (GCP/Workspace).

GCP is 12 USD/year (just like AWS). Let’s learn how GCP works starting with the top object, the Domain. Below the Domain, you will see Organization / Folder / Project. Can’t wait to see it in action.

It was a bit tricky to buy as a Hungarian but I managed to get it. Using a Seattle zip code at payment. Haha.

In checkout, I was able to add my local address for the domain (that’s legally needed).

I had to click twice on payment till my bank recognized the payment, but finally, it worked.

I love this step-by-step approach wizard. Get online with Google.

This is how DNS zone administration looks at Google. I added a record to test it.

Stay with me, I will continue to build my GCP LAB. It was important for me to have the domains registered first.

macskasy.com - Microsoft Azure

macskasy.net - Google’s GCP

macskasy.org - Amazon’s AWS