Wednesday, May 20, 2009
You’ve bought your domain name for your website but how do you configure it so that it shows your website?
There are several ways in which you can make your domain name “point” to your hosting. The method you choose depends largely on how your hosting company configures your website, and how much they can tweak their settings to incorporate your new domain. It is usually best to start by contacting your hosting company to see which method is most compatible.
1. Web Forwarding
2. DNS Records (or IP Forwarding)
3. Name Servers
1. “Pointing” your domain at your current hosting URL using Web Forwarding
The simplest way of making your domain work with your hosting is to use our web forwarding page to make the domain show an existing URL. Using this method requires that your website already has an existing URL. Most hosting companies will allocate you a URL with your hosting so that you can see your website without the need for a domain name. It usually uses a format that includes your username e.g. http://hostingcompany.com/~username or http://username.hostingcompanymembers.com or something similar. If you do have this URL, then log into your Domainmonster.com Control Panel, select the domain from the drop down list and choose “Manage”. Then click on the “Web Forwarding” option and do the following:
- Select “Uncloaked Forwarding”
- Enter the URL into the box provided
- Click on the “Update” button
And that’s it! You will now find that typing your domain into a browser will forward you to your website. You might also wish to try out the “Cloaked forwarding” option on the Web Forwarding page as it offers a slightly different way of forwarding.
In summary, this method of setting up your domain name to work with your website requires the least work, and should not require you to contact your hosting company at all. It does however require that you have a URL for your website already.
2. Using IP forwarding or DNS Records to “point” your domain at your hosting
If you do not already have a URL for your hosting, then unfortunately you cannot use simple URL Web Forwarding. You may not have a URL already because your hosting company does not provide you with one, or you are hosting the website from a dedicated server (perhaps your own?). If this is the case then you should at least have an IP Address for your hosting server (if not then you need to get one!).
To set up your DNS records to use this IP address log into your Domainmonster.com Control Panel, select the domain from the drop down list and choose “Manage”. Then click on the “Web Forwarding” option and do the following:
- Select “IP Forwarding”
- Enter the IP address into the box provided
- Click on the “Update” button
Once you have done this, your domains DNS is configured to use the IP address given. This means that anyone visiting your domain name will be met with content on the web server at the IP address.
At this point you should try out your domain and see if the content is what you expect. If you are using a dedicated server then if your server is configured correctly, the chances are that it will be showing the correct web pages. However, if you are using a hosting company who provides you with an IP address there is a chance that you will not see your website.
The reason you may not see your website is that the IP address you have been given refers to one of the many servers that the hosting company runs. Further to this, hosting companies will actually host many websites on a single server – so you are probably sharing the server with up to several hundred people. If this is the case then you need to speak to your hosting company and tell them that you are “pointing” your new domain name at your hosting. They should then be able to give you information on how to set this up. It is usually a case of adding what is known as a “host header” onto your account. A “host header” simply tells any incoming requests from your domain that it is your website which should be displayed. Sometimes you can add “host headers” yourself if you can log in to your hosting company account. It is also worth noting that they are sometimes referred to as “Add-on” domains.
This method of configuring your domain is more long-winded, but is generally a better solution as it does a more professional job of joining your domain to your website. However, it does mean that you may have to contact your hosting company in order configure it.
3. Changing your domains Name Servers to use your hosting company
If the above methods are not possible with your hosting, then as a last resort you can change the Name Servers on your domain to use the ones provided by your hosting company.
The underlying configuration of your domain depends on DNS (Domain Name System), which is hosted on a dedicated Name Server. By default, all new domains purchased with Domainmonster.com use our own Name Servers. You can change this if your hosting company advises you that this is the only way in which your domain will work with your website. To change your Name Servers, log into your Domainmonster.com Control Panel, select the domain from the drop down list and choose “Manage”. Then click on the “Change Name Servers” option. Remove all of the Domainmonster.com Name servers from the boxes and enter each of the Name Servers that your hosting company has provided.
Once you change your Name Servers, it is up to your hosting company to then configure your DNS for you. You should also be aware that once you change your Name Servers you will no longer be able to configure your DNS with us, and that unless you get your hosting company to configure it you will no longer be able to use our Email Forwarding or Email POP Box services. If you require information on how to keep your email services working,
There are several ways in which you can make your domain name “point” to your hosting. The method you choose depends largely on how your hosting company configures your website, and how much they can tweak their settings to incorporate your new domain. It is usually best to start by contacting your hosting company to see which method is most compatible.
1. Web Forwarding
2. DNS Records (or IP Forwarding)
3. Name Servers
1. “Pointing” your domain at your current hosting URL using Web Forwarding
The simplest way of making your domain work with your hosting is to use our web forwarding page to make the domain show an existing URL. Using this method requires that your website already has an existing URL. Most hosting companies will allocate you a URL with your hosting so that you can see your website without the need for a domain name. It usually uses a format that includes your username e.g. http://hostingcompany.com/~username or http://username.hostingcompanymembers.com or something similar. If you do have this URL, then log into your Domainmonster.com Control Panel, select the domain from the drop down list and choose “Manage”. Then click on the “Web Forwarding” option and do the following:
- Select “Uncloaked Forwarding”
- Enter the URL into the box provided
- Click on the “Update” button
And that’s it! You will now find that typing your domain into a browser will forward you to your website. You might also wish to try out the “Cloaked forwarding” option on the Web Forwarding page as it offers a slightly different way of forwarding.
In summary, this method of setting up your domain name to work with your website requires the least work, and should not require you to contact your hosting company at all. It does however require that you have a URL for your website already.
2. Using IP forwarding or DNS Records to “point” your domain at your hosting
If you do not already have a URL for your hosting, then unfortunately you cannot use simple URL Web Forwarding. You may not have a URL already because your hosting company does not provide you with one, or you are hosting the website from a dedicated server (perhaps your own?). If this is the case then you should at least have an IP Address for your hosting server (if not then you need to get one!).
To set up your DNS records to use this IP address log into your Domainmonster.com Control Panel, select the domain from the drop down list and choose “Manage”. Then click on the “Web Forwarding” option and do the following:
- Select “IP Forwarding”
- Enter the IP address into the box provided
- Click on the “Update” button
Once you have done this, your domains DNS is configured to use the IP address given. This means that anyone visiting your domain name will be met with content on the web server at the IP address.
At this point you should try out your domain and see if the content is what you expect. If you are using a dedicated server then if your server is configured correctly, the chances are that it will be showing the correct web pages. However, if you are using a hosting company who provides you with an IP address there is a chance that you will not see your website.
The reason you may not see your website is that the IP address you have been given refers to one of the many servers that the hosting company runs. Further to this, hosting companies will actually host many websites on a single server – so you are probably sharing the server with up to several hundred people. If this is the case then you need to speak to your hosting company and tell them that you are “pointing” your new domain name at your hosting. They should then be able to give you information on how to set this up. It is usually a case of adding what is known as a “host header” onto your account. A “host header” simply tells any incoming requests from your domain that it is your website which should be displayed. Sometimes you can add “host headers” yourself if you can log in to your hosting company account. It is also worth noting that they are sometimes referred to as “Add-on” domains.
This method of configuring your domain is more long-winded, but is generally a better solution as it does a more professional job of joining your domain to your website. However, it does mean that you may have to contact your hosting company in order configure it.
3. Changing your domains Name Servers to use your hosting company
If the above methods are not possible with your hosting, then as a last resort you can change the Name Servers on your domain to use the ones provided by your hosting company.
The underlying configuration of your domain depends on DNS (Domain Name System), which is hosted on a dedicated Name Server. By default, all new domains purchased with Domainmonster.com use our own Name Servers. You can change this if your hosting company advises you that this is the only way in which your domain will work with your website. To change your Name Servers, log into your Domainmonster.com Control Panel, select the domain from the drop down list and choose “Manage”. Then click on the “Change Name Servers” option. Remove all of the Domainmonster.com Name servers from the boxes and enter each of the Name Servers that your hosting company has provided.
Once you change your Name Servers, it is up to your hosting company to then configure your DNS for you. You should also be aware that once you change your Name Servers you will no longer be able to configure your DNS with us, and that unless you get your hosting company to configure it you will no longer be able to use our Email Forwarding or Email POP Box services. If you require information on how to keep your email services working,
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