Just posting it in case if anyone needs it. Please do post replies if you have any suggestions:
Code:
Option Explicit
'drop 2 text boxes, a command button, and a winsock control on your form
Private sWinsockCommand As String
Private sDataIn As String
Private sDataBuff As String

Private Sub Command1_Click()
'whois ("domain.com")
whois (Text1.Text)
End Sub

Private Sub Form_Load()
Winsock1.Close
End Sub

Private Sub Form_Unload(Cancel As Integer)
Winsock1.Close
End Sub

Private Sub Winsock1_Close()
   If Winsock1.State = sckClosing Then
      Winsock1.Close
      Text2.Text = ""
      sDataBuff = Replace(sDataBuff, vbLf, vbCrLf)
      Text2.Text = sDataBuff
   End If
End Sub

Private Sub Winsock1_Connect()
   If Winsock1.State = sckConnected Then
      Winsock1.SendData sWinsockCommand & vbCrLf
   End If
End Sub

Private Sub Winsock1_DataArrival(ByVal bytesTotal As Long)
   Winsock1.GetData sDataIn
   sDataBuff = sDataBuff & sDataIn
End Sub

Private Function whois(domain As String)
   Dim sServer As String
   sDataIn = ""
   sDataBuff = ""
   If Right(Text1.Text, 4) = ".com" Then sServer = "rs.internic.net"
   If Right(Text1.Text, 4) = ".net" Then sServer = "rs.internic.net"
   If Right(Text1.Text, 4) = ".org" Then sServer = "whois.publicinterestregistry.net"
   If Right(Text1.Text, 4) = ".edu" Then sServer = "whois.educause.net"
   If Right(Text1.Text, 4) = ".gov" Then sServer = "whois.nic.gov"
   If Right(Text1.Text, 5) = ".info" Then sServer = "whois.afilias.info"
   If Right(Text1.Text, 3) = ".ru" Then sServer = "whois.ripn.ru"
   sWinsockCommand = domain
   With Winsock1
      .Close
      .LocalPort = 0
      .Connect sServer, 43
      whois = .State = sckResolvingHost
   End With
End Function