After Greenby switch, Can't update website

[#1]

If I update files on my website via FTP, they don't affect the website.

Seems the website is just an old snapshot, not what I'm uploading new files to.

I have a xxx.force9.co.uk webspace

and the files are uploading to homepages.force9.net

[#2]

I should probably clarify more specifically:

my website at www.xxx.force9.co.uk is "there" but appears to be a stale copy.

If I upload files to "homepages.force9.net", the changes aren't reflected at the www.xxx.force9.co.uk website.

I noticed the address name changes to "homepages.force9.greenbysites.com" if I use the command line FTP (Filezilla connects to both "homepages.force9.greenbysites.com" and "homepages.force9.net"

It appears that the website is pointing at an "old" instance of the uploaded files (can't update or replace anything) and any FTP transfers to either of the homepages locations aren't accessible via HTTP

[#3]

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@Ray5 wrote:

my website at www.xxx.force9.co.uk is "there" but appears to be a stale copy.

If I upload files to "homepages.force9.net", the changes aren't reflected at the www.xxx.force9.co.uk website.

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Hi @Ray5 , welcome to the Community forums : )

I've received a "you've been migrated" e-mail (for basic plus.com e-mail address and webpage).  Not the same as Force 9 (had an account there also but no notification yet of having moved) but I'm guessing the set-up may be similar.

When you log in to greenby, do you see a 'recent products' page.  If so,

click on 'MANAGE' for webhosting

What does it show for the server address (?)

... it says (on mine) "To connect to FTP use the server, username and password and ports."

... my webspace is PlusNet - shows ftp.plus.net - does your server address show (on greenby) as ftp.force9.net or something of that nature (?)

... just wondering if the server-address-format has been standardised (to whatever degree) after the move to greenby.

I don't know the practicalities of different server addresses leading to different physical locations but might it be worth you checking what greenby show for your server and changing the ftp settings to that (?)

.

[#4]

Hi, Thanks for the reply.

Well, I didn't log into the greenby facilities, as I was under the impression that only email was being migrated and that was working.

Now I've logged into greenby, I can now see the FTP details for accessing my domain as you describe.

I think I rolled my eyes and stopped reading the email at the "you will be charged £15/year after the initial free period".

At least I know how long I've got until I need to find a new ISP. I've been a customer as long as you have I think!

Just checking the FTP details now...

Well, using the FTP upload site of ftp.force9.net, there is a copy of my site there.
However, using the HTTP address of both http://www.norrish.force9.co.uk and http://www.norrish.f9.co.uk, both still point to an unrelated copy of my webspace.

[#5]

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@Ray5 wrote:

Just checking the FTP details now...

Well, using the FTP upload site of ftp.force9.net, there is a copy of my site there.
However, using the HTTP address of both http://www.norrish.force9.co.uk and http://www.norrish.f9.co.uk, both still point to an unrelated copy of my webspace.

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Not sure I fully understand - have you re-uploaded the new pages to the ftp.force9.net address (?)

Whatever's already visible at ftp.force9.net should display the time/date of individual files, so that should tell you if what you uploaded originally has got there.

Which it might have - I can recall incidences with 123-reg, long back, where new pages were uploaded but somehow they didn't display (via http) for hours and hours or even days - I don't know what causes that, and 123-reg seemed to fix it eventually, but there might be something similar happening with the greenby web/server settings (or apache?) if you're certain the latest version of your pages are visible via the ftp.force9.net address.

Hope you get it sorted, anyway : )

.

[#6]

Yes, I can see the new files via FTP and I can delete files via FTP, but even the files I deleted via FTP are still available via the HTTP address(es), so I can only assume that the HTTP address is still looking at some other static copy.

The (old original) files were already at the ftp.force9.net location.

I'll check via HTTP tomorrow, but I can't have hours delay between uploading via FTP and accessible via HTTP.

[#7]

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@Ray5 wrote:

Yes, I can see the new files via FTP and I can delete files via FTP, but even the files I deleted via FTP are still available via the HTTP address(es), so I can only assume that the HTTP address is still looking at some other static copy.

Okay, thanks for clarifying

Not sure who looks after such things, given we don't have greenby contacts like we do here (at PN), but flagging this for @plusnettony who might (maybe) be able to speak to someone to get this fixed, @James_B (for oversight given relevant PN people may already be away for Christmas) and @bobpullen whose previous years-long experience of servers apache et al might be able to shed some light on what's happening at greenby 😐 

No guarantee that any of those three might be able to help get this fixed, but best I can offer, for now.

.

[#8]

Depending on if you've migrated, and possibly if you have a domain, please try :-

homepages.force9.net

ftp.force9.net 

If you just test by creating a test file on each, it still should be instant. 

[#9]

I've tried both homepages.force9.net and ftp.force9.net

Both FTPs have files there, which I can upload to, delete etc.

The issue is that the domain HTTP URL for www.norrish.force9.co.uk  doesn't serve up the new files, as if the domain is pointing at another instance of the copied site.

Isn't there another URL (something like homepages.force9net/norrish ?) which I can use until the domain is working?

[#10]

I've renamed the index.html to notindex.html file in the webspace which I can access at ftp.force9.net and the renamed index is present at homepages.force9.net as well.

Both FTP addresses are showing me the same files

But the domain address http://www.norrish.force9.co.uk is serving up files from somewhere else, or a cache or something.

[#11]

Is this now resolved?

[#12]

No, nothing has changed.

Domain still points to a stale copy of the website.

[#13]

Can you confirm the addresses of the correct and incorrect sites? 

I've just checked f9 and force9 versions which appear to be the same as they should be. 

[#14]

The files I can access via the 2 different FTP options are not reflected on the domain http://www.norrish.force9.co.uk

I have renamed the index.html to notindex.html using FTP access, so therefore the web page at http://www.norrish.force9.co.uk should fail - it does not.

Due to the change I made above to prove the point, the website should not work, therefore is pointing at some other location than the one I can upload files to with FTP. Both FTP options seem to point at the same file storage though.

This originally came to my attention when newly uploaded files to the FTP were not available at the www link they should be.

[#15]

@plusnettony 

I suspect this is down to DNS resolution inconsistencies.

www.norrish.force9.co.uk Resolves to

www.norrish.f9.greenbysites.com
91.204.210.10

Without the www. Prefix resolves to 

norrish.force9.co.uk

212.159.72.234

So if the ftp URL resolves to the Plusnet homepages service, www. will not be updated, but the non-www version does update … and is broken.

So many folks think with and without www. are one and the same - unless configured to be, they are not.