cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

Multiple Domains

TBird1
Dabbler
Posts: 16
Registered: ‎02-11-2008

Multiple Domains

Hi,
Just want to check my thinking . . .
I have 3 domains with 123-reg and each has it's own small web site and corrsponding email address.
I would like to move the hosting to Fasthosts to take advantage of my free web space allocation. Do I simply use the web site re-direct feature with 123-reg to do this ? If so, do I just keep the 3 web sites in seperate folders in my Plusnet web directory or do I have to do anything else ?
Many thanks,
TBird1
13 REPLIES 13
itsme
Grafter
Posts: 5,924
Thanks: 3
Registered: ‎07-04-2007

Re: Multiple Domains

Can you clarify that at the moment you have hosting with 123-reg and you want to move them to Fasthost, or do you want to move from 123-reg to PN?
If it's to PN you have several options.
1. You can use you username.plus.com and generate a different folder for each domain and then use 123-reg option of
Quote
Non-framed web forwarding to a single page
This option is the same as above however the destination URL will always be displayed in the address bar of the browser.

2. You can request PN to host the 3 domains. This still require the use of a different folder for each domain.  With this option you can either change the DNS A record enteries to point to PN or use 123-reg forwarding option:
Quote
Framed web forwarding to a single page
If you select web-forwarding to a single page the destination URL can have a specific filename on the end (e.g. index.htm).
It could just point to a directory (URL ends with /) in which case the files displayed would depend on the webserver 'directory index' settings.
The destination URL will be replaced by your123-domain.co.uk
TBird1
Dabbler
Posts: 16
Registered: ‎02-11-2008

Re: Multiple Domains

I wish to move the hosting from 123/Fasthosts to PN
BTW one of my sites has about 10 pages on it - don't know if this is a factor ?
Thanks
TBird1
itsme
Grafter
Posts: 5,924
Thanks: 3
Registered: ‎07-04-2007

Re: Multiple Domains

The number of pages should not be a problem. Below is data I have saved on my PN web space.
Quote
FTP directory /htdocs/ at ftp.plus.net
To view this FTP site in Windows Explorer, click Page, and then click Open FTP Site in Windows Explorer.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Up to higher level directory
06/12/2006 12:00AM         31,412 Linksys PAP2 Configuration.jpg
05/24/2006 12:00AM             46 WebPlus.db
06/14/2006 12:00AM         41,774 displayImage.JPG
06/14/2006 12:00AM         41,838 displayImage1.JPG
06/20/2006 12:00AM          8,408 displayImage2.png
06/21/2006 12:00AM         24,347 displayImage3.png
06/21/2006 12:00AM          8,663 displayImage4.png
07/04/2006 12:00AM          8,247 displayImage5.png
07/08/2006 12:00AM         21,742 displayImage6.png
05/24/2006 12:00AM          1,672 index.html
11/08/2006 12:00AM      Directory paul
05/22/2006 12:00AM      Directory voip

You can see that I have 2 directories, paul and voip, these are the folders for 2 domains that PN host for me.  They can be reached by either www.domain1.co.uk and www.domain2.co.uk or www.username.plus.com/paul and www.username.plus.com/voip. If you can load up your PN webspace with the 3 domains and test by using the www.username.plus.com/domain1, www.username.plus.com/domain2 and www.username.plus.com/domain3. This can be done without changing any of your current settings.
Then if sites work okay on PN server you the have to decide whether you are going to use www.username.plus.com/folder forwarding which will require no additional actions. Or www.domain.co.uk forwarding which will require requesting PN to host and setting up Domain hosting in the PN control panel. Or www.domain.co.uk and adding to the DNS a cname record to point to homepages.plus.net, this also will require PN to set up hosting.
If you want PN to host you want hosting only http://www.plus.net/support/domains_and_dns/hosting/domainin.shtml#hostingonly
seanbranagh
Grafter
Posts: 1,236
Registered: ‎02-08-2007

Re: Multiple Domains

The only advice I would offer is to stay away from any type of framed web forwarding as it makes your sites completely invisible to search engines like Google.
mentalist3d
Grafter
Posts: 371
Registered: ‎20-08-2009

Re: Multiple Domains

Yep, totally agree, a past client we had just cannot get his site listed on google, framed forwarding hides your keywords and page code from search engines, so no listing, we advised they move their site away from web space provided by BT as part of their broadband services and get proper hosting, but they insisted on doing it that way. One thing you can do in 123-reg if you do decide to do the web forwarding, is make sure you add keywords and a site description (this is at the bottom of the CP on 123-reg for managing the framed forwarding), this will help a little, but not as much as getting proper webspace.
PS - by proper, I mean a company, where the main (or only) service is web hosting.
seanbranagh
Grafter
Posts: 1,236
Registered: ‎02-08-2007

Re: Multiple Domains

Framed web forwarding also just looks cheap because if someone hovers over a link they will see the real address at the bottom like "http://myspace.plus.com/blablabla.html".
It is also not possible to have addresses to individual sections like "www.mysite.com/contact"
Free webspace is free for a reason and as you said if someone is serious about a good functioning website they should pay for proper hosting.
mentalist3d
Grafter
Posts: 371
Registered: ‎20-08-2009

Re: Multiple Domains

Quote from: Sean
It is also not possible to have addresses to individual sections like "www.mysite.com/contact"

Plus if the user has to refresh the page for any reason, they get taken back to the 1st page, forcing the user to navigate back to the page they were on. This will more than likely, chase visitors away.
seanbranagh
Grafter
Posts: 1,236
Registered: ‎02-08-2007

Re: Multiple Domains

Very true.
At this point I will admit that I did use framed web forwarding for a short time to my PN Webspace many years ago before quickly realizing the downsides of both the framed web forwarding and the free webspace. My web hosting knowledge and understanding is obviously much better now than it was then.
mentalist3d
Grafter
Posts: 371
Registered: ‎20-08-2009

Re: Multiple Domains

I'm the same, I've used framed web forwarding before, but now I've learnt more, and my sites are better for it. The only drawback, where do you stop learning? I mean, I learnt so much and then realised, I needed to learn more, then learned more, then realised I need to learn even more lol.  So far I'm ok with HTML & CSS, PHP I can understand a bit and edit, but cannot write any complex scripts from scratch, as for ASP, never even looked at it.
seanbranagh
Grafter
Posts: 1,236
Registered: ‎02-08-2007

Re: Multiple Domains

Similar position, started with HTML (well actually Commodore 64 basic in the 80's ;D). Was forced to learn HTML as I didn't know of the existance of such things as Front Page or even better, Dreamweaver. First few of my own basic websites were proudly built using Microsoft Notepad! As anyone will agree a good knowledge of HTML is invaluable even when using Dreamveaver.
As for PHP I can take existing script and modify it for my own needs, same with css. The most complicated thing I have done with PHP/Mysql was to create a contact form on a website and have the details stored in a Mysql database as a mailing list. This then has a seperate interface where the customer can view the information, delete information or download the entire database as an easy to use Excel spreadsheet.
I am not very artistic so actual web design would not be my main interest but good functioning of a site and web hosting definitely would be. Every time I set up my own web server in my house I think I am happy but then learn something new like how to properly operate a dns server. Now I want to start from scratch again with my server and have it handling its own dns rather than having my Eukhost account doing it. Same for the mail server which is currently hosted by Eukhost despite the actual website being on my own server at home.
7up
Community Veteran
Posts: 15,824
Thanks: 1,579
Fixes: 17
Registered: ‎01-08-2007

Re: Multiple Domains

and heres me being the difficult one having done it the other way around. I'm ok with php (though code is a bit messy) but html and css I really don't have time for.
Ok I'm alright ish with html but css just scares me totally. I've avoided it at every opportunity and just used tables instead lol.
PHP is a great language though. Only thing I don't like about it is that sometimes you need huge classes and multiple functions all over the place to do the simplest of things. You look at some classes that other people have put on various websites and think "I'm never gonna remember how to use that in 3 weeks!".
Don't get me started on javascript...
I need a new signature... i'm bored of the old one!
mal0z
Grafter
Posts: 3,486
Registered: ‎02-10-2008

Re: Multiple Domains

I totally agree that if a website is at all serious - and even for a hobby / society website - don't use "free" webspace - even with a ISP like PN - it is free and you have little if any standard of service guarantee. So I find it strange that one would want to move websites from 123 / Fasthosts to PN's free webspace ???.
Webspace with 123 1and1 etc etc is cheap.
Re html/css/php - I too came to realise that you really really need to learn html if you are to maintain/troubleshoot websites - Frontpage ( urgh ! ) and Dreamweaver can write horrible code if you let them and then if you try to change the page it can screw up horribly.
CSS may look difficult and take time to learn - especially css layout with floats etc - but using good css greatly, hugely simplifies your html and makes changes and additions to the whole site so much easier.
I use php for fairly simple things really and am learning more all the time - just get one of David Powers excellent books on the subject ( Google that for more info)
mentalist3d
Grafter
Posts: 371
Registered: ‎20-08-2009

Re: Multiple Domains

totally in agreement, one of the best advantages of CSS is the ability to change the whole look of a site, by tweaking only 1 page of code and maybe a few graphics (depending on how you set it up)