                      Using the GeekTools WHOIS Proxy
                      -------------------------------

Note:  Due to the variety of whois clients currently in use, this document
       makes no attempt to tell the user how to operate their whois client.
       Any query examples which appear in this document are in the format
       that the whois proxy requires.  It is up to the user to determine how
       to get their own whois client to pass this information to the proxy.


Features and Descriptions:
--------------------------

The GeekTools WHOIS proxy has the ability to parse and/or interpret 
information provided to it in the form of a query.  The proxy automatically
determines if the query is a full or partial IP address, domain, NIC handle,
etc. and then (usually) acts appropriately.  The following list shows valid
query types and examples.

- Domain Query
  Format:           domain.tld
  Example:          nanog.org
  Action:           The proxy determines the proper whois server to query
                    based on the TLD and queries that server for the
                    information.

- IP Address        
  Format:           ###.###.###.###, ###.###.###, or ###.###
  Example:          204.69.234.0
  Action:           The proxy first queries ARIN for the answer.  If ARIN
                    has delegated the block to another registry, the proxy
                    will query the appropriate server for the information.

- AS Numbers
  Format:           ###
  Example	    12008
  Action:	    The proxy determines the appropriate registry to query for
                    the AS number information and retrieves it.

- NIC Handles       
  Format:           XX###
  Example:          RB190, RB190-ARIN
  Action:           The proxy queries the appropriate registry, based on the
                    suffix of the handle if one is given.  
                      
- Forced Queries
  Format:           query destination
  Example:          smith ra
  Action:           Forces the query to be sent to any of the following
                    servers based on the destination.  The destination may be
                    INTERNIC, RIPE, APNIC, AUNIC, ARIN, or RA.


Other Information:

- The proxy automatically includes query switches for certain whois servers.  
  For example, queries to whois.nic.ad.jp are returned in Japanese.  The proxy
  appends "/e" to the query to force the server to return the information in 
  English.  

- Queries for which an authoritative whois server is not available default 
  to Internic unless forced to a different server.

- Basic help may be obtained by sending a null query to the whois proxy.
