All websites require an IP address to point to. The IP address is a unique 4 part number (for IPv4) or larger series of numbers and letters (for IPv6) that points to one physical machine or location on the internet. You can however have multiple domains pointing to the same IP address (used mainly for virtual hosting) and multiple IP’s on the same server. It is perfectly fine to have multiple IP’s on the same server and multiple domains pointing to each of the IP’s, provided the server can support all of the sites traffic. This is done mainly in virtualised hosting. There are however times when you might want your own dedicated IP for your website which is not used by any other domain or user.

Firstly you will need your own dedicated IP address to support an SSL certificate. These are trusted certificates issued by a Certificate Authority such as Thawte or Verisign. These are used to secure connections between a client and the server to safely accept credit card details or other sensitive information. Due to the way SSL is designed, you can only have once SSL certificate per IP address. This means if you want to secure your site, you need your own IP.

Secondly, if you want to ensure that you are not going to be blocked by spam filters through no fault of your own, a previously unused and dedicated IP will prevent anyone else on the Internet getting your server blocked due to sending spam or other illegal activities. This is a common issue when using shared webspace where other users may have uploaded an insecure script or have easy to guess email passwords.

Finally you might want to get that extra bit of professionalism you get from having your own IP for your website. It allows you to setup reverse DNS so anyone looking up your IP will see your domain name (like normal DNS but the opposite way round).

You can purchase a dedicated IP from CWCS for £30 + VAT per year. You are also given 2 IP’s as part of any new dedicated server or virtual dedicated server ordered.

Contact us directly if you wish to find out more…

Web: http://www.cwcs.co.uk/contact/

Tel: 0845 203 1000

Moving data from one platform to another is one of life’s inconveniences; migrations are generally always required at some point and need to be planned thoroughly to ensure a smooth migration process avoiding any interruption to service.

There are a few important points to remember when planning a migration; this is not a definitive guide, just a few pointers to bear in mind before planning a server migration.

Realistic timescales are important

Everyone has deadlines to meet, although an unrealistic deadline will only increase the pressure and more things are likely to go wrong. Remember DNS propagation times, and allow time for any mistakes or incompatibilities with the new hosting platform. Ensure your existing hosting package is not due to expire and the new hosting platform has been provisioned ready for the migration to start.

Explore all possible migration techniques

Making things more difficult is the last thing you want to do, explore all migration options.
Can you migrate all data through a control panel migration utility?
Is there a backup option within software you are using?
It may be possible to restore a backup to the new hosting environment. Speak to your web hosting provider, as they may recommend a migration technique you are unaware of, remember your hosting provider will used to performing migrations on a daily basis.

Preparation is the key to success

You can never prepare enough for a server migration, finding out as much information as possible about the setup is what will help you to avoid potential problems. Speak to the people who designed the websites, also speak to the people who configured the server. Let your web hosting provider know you are planning a migration and jot down all the concerns you have before jumping straight into it.

Speak with your customers

You may not anticipate any down time during the migration, however, it may be a good idea to let your customers know the migration is taking place. Many customers are good at letting you know the first signs of a problem and it will help to build a strong rapport with your customers.

Timing is essential

Migrating an entire account to a new server will make problem-solving time consuming and it may be difficult to spot every possible fault. From your data being successfully migrated, to your domains being repointed to the new server, there needs to be enough time for testing. When you are happy with the migration, aim for the domains to go live at a time when website traffic is at its least.

Good luck, and let us know if you require assistance with migrating your websites.

Web: http://www.cwcs.co.uk
Tel: 0845 203 1000

As a Managed Hosting provider we are proud of the services we deliver and every customer is unique and important to us. Services range from small shared hosting platforms to dedicated servers.

Supporting the web hosting packages we provide is achieved by maintaining close communication with customers and taking immediate action in the event of an emergency. Building a rapport helps us understand each unique customers requirements and to work to fulfil and exceed expectations. Helping us to understand your business will ensure you receive a long-term reliable service, small steps can be taken to help us to help you…

Situations change

As your business grows, your requirements will change. It’s important to keep us updated with your current situation so we can determine if your current web hosting package still meets your requirements. Websites could become slow and problems will arise if your web hosting package is outgrown.

A Personal contact

Get to know who we are and it will help maintain a strong business relationship. Ask for a personal contact and deal with this person directly regarding any queries you may have.

Offering Feedback

Providing the best possible service requires feedback from our customers, we encourage all types of feedback and are happy to discuss any suggestions you may have to improve our service even more. Your feedback is important and will benefit you as a customer.

Taking part
From time to time we may have a promotional offer or an affiliate scheme, taking part in our promotions gives you the chance to receive more for your money. Find out about what we are offering and read our regular monthly newsletters for updates.

The .htaccess file is used for various functions and controls for apache web servers (zeus servers also have limited .htaccess functionally). These are traditionally Linux based servers and will work on linux shared, VDS and Dedicated servers but not on Windows based servers.

.htaccess functions

Below are some example of the functions that the .htaccess file can do:-

· Add MIME types allowing unusual file extensions to be used
· Change default index page from index.html to any file
· Password protection for directories or files
· URL redirects to other pages or websites
· Prevent directory listing and image hot-linking from other sites
· Block users by IP/referrer for security
· Custom error documents to give more information for customers going to an incorrect URL

Editing .htaccess

The easiest way of edit or adding a .htaccess file is to create one on your local computer then upload via FTP – be sure to enable hidden files in your FTP client.
· If you are editing an existing .htaccess file be sure to back up your existing one first.
· Use a normal text editor to edit or create the file

.htaccess example usage
Here are some examples of how to use a .htaccess file. For more detailed information check www.apache.org or check the numerous tutorials on the web.
#URL Redirect, use either line below to direct from old.html to new.html, this is useful when updating a websites sub directories or URL’s:
Redirect /olddir/old.html http://www.cwcs.co.uk/new/index.html
Redirect /olddir/old.html /new/index.html
#Change default index page from the standard index.html to mypge.html
DirectoryIndex mypage.html
#You can also add multiple types – the first are the highest priority

DirectoryIndex mypage.html mypage.htm mypage.php
#Prevent directory listing if you don’t have a default file
IndexIgnore *
#enable directory listing – if disabled by default

Options +Indexes
#custom error document, this example whould redirect the 404 error page (I.e file not found) to [website root]/errors/imaerrordoc.html

ErrorDocument 404 /errors/imaerrordoc.html
* Please note that users on the Linux Zeus servers – many .htaccess functions do work with zeus however various ones do not – if you are unsure please contact support.

When purchasing hosting plans, many people make the mistake of thinking that ‘unlimited’ is synonymous with ‘infinite’. While the hosting plans do not have restrictions on hard disk and traffic usage, it is important to remember that there are physical limits to the amount of data that a web server’s hard drive can store. The same applies with the amount of data that can be transmitted at any moment in time through the server’s Internet connection. Almost all ‘unlimited’ offerings are for shared or virtual servers and as such will be on the same physical machine(s) as other websites and users.

You should also consider that unlimited hosting plans are normally subject to ‘fair use’ policies. Very busy sites could have their bandwidth restricted or even have their service deactivated if they use a large amount of resources that could affect the service for other sites.

Before you purchase a hosting plan, you should think about the site or sites you will be hosting. If you are looking to host a number of small, low traffic websites then an unlimited plan is ideal as you won’t have to worry about being billed for unanticipated additional traffic usage, and disk space should never be an issue.

If on the other hand, your site has high traffic (e.g. from offering downloads or streaming audio/video content, or a very high number of visitors), or you are running e-commerce and/or enterprise level mission critical applications, a £30 per month hosting plan is going to give you £30 a month of service. You should always invest in your hosting according to the value of your website. A multi million pound, million hits a day ecommerce package would be much better suited on a complex hosting platform then a shared server, even if it offers unlimited everything.

The ideal solution for all hosted websites is a dedicated server; in many cases the cost is an issue and many companies settle for shared hosting as a suitable hosting platform for their business websites.

If a website is generating income, generally its important to invest the right amount of money to ensure your website remains online. A dedicated server and a professional Managed Hosting provider will give you the reassurance you need.

Moving from a shared web hosting platform to a dedicated server can seem quite a challenging task; a dedicated hosting server does not necessarily require an advanced knowledge to administrate the server, or even any previous experience of managing a web hosting server.

Technology enhances usability

The year 2009 is here and despite the current economy issues everyone is talking about, we are still seeing new software and hardware being introduced moving the IT sector forward in time.

Dedicated servers are released fully configured with an easy to use management interface to perform various tasks on the server. Dedicated servers are user-friendlier than ever before and with costs declining, are affordable to the majority of medium and even small sized businesses.

Dedicated servers offer endless opportunity

Restrictions applied to a server could leave you in a hole if you alter your website and require a specific software or component install. A dedicated server can be tailored around your specific requirements no matter what you need modifying on the server. Over time, requirements do change with every business and it’s important to have the right initial web-hosting package to ensure it can support the changes when necessary.

Plan ahead, the future is near…

Planning your web hosting package based around a website currently in the development stage is a bad idea. The extra resources required when a website is receiving a high amount of traffic should not be underestimated. A dedicated server will provide a stable web hosting platform under the vicious strain of various simultaneous hits.

Be smart and be safe, with Managed Hosting

Understanding our customer’s requirements and taking time to discuss each and every individual customers concerns has helped us gain our reputation of an award winning Managed Hosting provider. Dedicated servers and complex hosting setups are increasingly becoming more of a demand with the reassurance this type of hosting platform delivers. Become dedicated today and live life in the fast lane with a website that delivers its content instantly 24/7 365 days of the year. Contact us now and see what we can bring to your business.
Web: http://www.cwcs.co.uk
Tel: 0845 203 1000