Network Solutions registers domain names as soon as you search for them on networksolutions.com.
You can buy the domain from Net Sol (for $35), but the domains come up as "unavailable" on other domain registration sites such as Yahoo and Go Daddy. The Domain Name industry has called the Net Sol strategy "Front Running." Net Sol uses the loophole of reserving domain names for five days and then deleting the registration within a 5 day grace period before a few has to be paid.
Therefore your domain becomes available 5 days after a domain name search on Network Solutions. Bottom line: Don't do your domain name searches with Network Solutions.
Here are some screen shots of the Network Solutions "front running" process.
The IT news industry has reported the same Net Sol Issues:
Tech Crunch
Domain Name Wire
Circle ID
Any thoughts on how to get NetSol to change the process?