UK Web Hosting » Domain Name Setup

How do I transfer a domain?

admin — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 12:44:53 +0000

To make a domain transfer to NetHosted you should order it through your client area.

For most domain extensions you need a verification code called an EPP code, you will be prompted for this when you order. When the domain transfer is processed an email will be sent to the registered administrative contact in the domain whois database which contains a link that must be clicked to authorise the domain transfer. There can sometimes be a delay of up to 12 hours between transfer initiation and the authorisation email being sent.

For transferring a .uk domain instead of an EPP code you must change the IPS tag on the domain to NETHOSTED which is our registrar tag. To do this you will need to contact your current registrar, some may allow this through their control panel otherwise you will need to contact their support.

How do I setup an external mailserver?

admin — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 12:25:56 +0000

If you are using an external DNS provider then the correct way to setup an external mailserver is firstly to create an A record with a hostname pointing at the nameservers IP address, for example:

mail.yourdomain.com. A 123.123.123.123

Once this is done you should then set the MX record to point at this A record, as follows:

0 MX mail.yourdomain.com.

You should not set the MX record to an IP address directly as this is incorrect, an MX record is meant to point to a hostname and can behave incorrectly when pointed to an IP address. If you are using NetHosted nameservers and you wish to make this change simply submit a ticket explaining this with the external mailserver IP and we will make this change for you. This applies to shared hosting accounts, if you have a reseller hosting account you can make this change yourself via your WHM hosting account.

What is a parked domain?

admin — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 17:23:46 +0000

A parked domain allows you to host another domain on your account, however this domain can only mirror your root domain it cannot be configured to show different content. If you wish to host a different site on your account then you will need to use an addon domain.

What is an addon domain?

admin — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 17:22:24 +0000

On our shared (non-reseller) web hosting plans addon domains allow multiple domain hosting on your account. These can be purchased seperately as an account addon which allows you to host an extra domain for each addon domain you have.

An addon domain is intended to be a totally different site to your root/master domain. If you simply want a mirrored copy of the master domain that is available through a different address e.g. for a different domain extension you can use a parked domain.

Editing the HOSTS file on Windows XP, Windows 7, Vista, Mac OS X and Linux

admin — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 17:11:06 +0000

The HOSTS file takes the structure of the IP address you wish to point to followed by the hostname you are mapping to it. E.g.

10.20.30.40 nethosted.co.uk www.nethosted.co.uk

This format remains the same across operating systems, however the location of the hosts file does vary. Here is where you can find it on different operating systems:

Windows 95/98/Me: c:\windows\hosts
Windows NT/2000/XP Pro: c:\winnt\system32\drivers\etc\hosts
Windows XP Home: c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts
Windows 7: c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts
Mac OS X: /private/etc/hosts
Linux: /etc/hosts

On Windows Vista they have unfortunately decided to make things more complicated and less accessible, but it’s still possible to make changes to this. You need to edit the file with administrator rights, to do this in Vista:

Start Menu -> All Programs -> Accessories
Right click “Notepad” and choose “Run as administrator”
Click “Continue” on the security prompt
Select File -> Open
Browse to “C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\etc”
Change the file filter selection from “Text Documents (*.txt)” to “All Files (*.*)”
Select the “hosts” file and “Open”
Make the changes that you require and save the file.

For OS X or Linux you should edit this file with your favourite text editor from the root account.
Using this method can save you a lot of headaches in the site development process, and offers you the flexibility to develop your site from anywhere without having to mess about with changing the DNS servers on your web hosting. It also removes the need to consider DNS caching and propagation. This method works for any kind of hosting you have, be it linux hosting, reseller hosting or even VPS hosting.

What IPStag to use

admin — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 15:39:51 +0000

Our IPStag is: NETHOSTED

You should get the IPStag changed on any .uk domain to this before you ask us for the domain transfer into our care.

What nameservers should I use?

admin — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 15:21:34 +0000

The nameservers you use vary depending on which server you are hosted on as follows:

Pluto:

ns1.net-hosted.com (92.48.84.98)
ns2.net-hosted.com (85.13.250.36)

Neptune / Sun:

ns3.net-hosted.com (94.76.198.168)
ns4.net-hosted.com (85.13.250.36)

Uranus:

ns5.net-hosted.com (94.76.198.168)
ns6.net-hosted.com (85.13.250.36)

Saturn:

ns7.net-hosted.com (94.76.198.168)
ns8.net-hosted.com (85.13.250.36)

Jupiter:

ns9.net-hosted.com (94.76.198.168)
ns10.net-hosted.com (85.13.250.36)

Earth:

ns13.net-hosted.com (94.76.229.85)
ns14.net-hosted.com (85.13.250.36)

Venus:

ns15.net-hosted.com (213.229.78.29)
ns16.net-hosted.com (85.13.250.36)

Mars:

ns17.net-hosted.com (217.112.86.66)
ns18.net-hosted.com (85.13.250.36)

Mercury:

ns19.net-hosted.com (92.48.127.198)
ns20.net-hosted.com (85.13.250.37)

How to flush the DNS cache

admin — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 13:37:38 +0000

There may be some circumstances where you wish to flush the DNS cache, when you move your account to a NetHosted web hosting account from an old provider, or purchase a dedicated IP for your site for example. This can seem to speed up the process as the hostname will resolve to the correct IP quicker.

This is how to flush the DNS cache on various operating systems:

Windows: Run the command “ipconfig /flushdns” via the Start -> Run menu.

Linux: Use the command “/etc/init.d/nscd restart” from the shell.

Mac OSX: Use the command “dnscacheutil -flushcache” or prior to 10.5.1 “lookupd -flushcache”

Please note that this will only flush your local cache, if your DNS servers also use caching then you will have to wait for the cached IP to expire.