You've made your decision to move
your website from your current web host to a new host. The following tips will
help you make the transition easier and let you know a few pitfalls to avoid.
1) Make sure that the new web host you
choose offers the storage capabilities to handle all of your current storage
requirements site map. If your website is 50MB, you must ensure that your new
hosting plan offers plenty of space, or more. If you're not sure how much space
your site uses, ask your current host. You can usually find this information on
your panel web hosting control.
2) How does your current web host
determine what your amount of storage is used? Find out what your current host
and included in the new amount of storage for your system. Are your emails and
log files counted towards your total storage space, or just your web files?
3) What is the current used by your
hosting plan operating system? Windows or Unix? Sometimes it can make no
difference, in other cases, it can make the difference between a work site and
a broken website. If your site is on a Windows and your site uses ASP server
scripts, you'll find it difficult to make things work well on a Unix server, as
ASP is a programming language based on Windows. Find out in advance if your
current hosting plan is on a Unix or Windows server.
4) If your site is using FrontPage?
Find out if your new host supports FrontPage. And make sure your new host
supports the same version of FrontPage you are currently using.
5) Check if your new hosting plan offers
the same amount of bandwidth that your current host offers. You do not want to
be surprised by unexpected overage charges at the end of the month.
6) Does your new web hosting plan
gives you the same amount of e-mail accounts, autoresponders and email contracts
that you currently use?
7) Does your site uses a shopping cart
that your current hosting plan provides? Can you move the carriage to your new
host? If not, your new host have a shopping cart suitable replacement?
8) If you use scripts on your site,
make sure your new hosting plan supports all of your scripts. To know in
advance if you need to make changes to your scripts to make them work on the
new server.
9) Make sure you set up your existing
email accounts on your new server before transferring your domain name to the
new server. In MateMedia (www.matemediainc.com), we see this often neglected.
10) Do you know how to download
files from your site to the new server? If you do not, you'll need to know if
your new host upload your files for you. Some hosts will do this free of
charge, some will do it for a fee, but other hosts will not do anything because
of liability issues.
Once all your files are uploaded to
the new server, you'll want to verify that the site looks and works correctly
on the new server. Most hosts can provide a preview link for you to see how
your site looks like before the domain is transferred. If your host does not
provide a method to allow you to preview your site, you can modify your hosts
file to preview your site. The host file tells your computer where to go to
look for sites that are listed in this file. It works with any version of
Windows. The file name is the same, the location may change. Here's how to edit
your hosts file:
The hosts files must be in the
directory c: windowssystem32driversetc you could only find a file named HOSTS.SAM
(as in the sample). That's OK, we can modify the file and HOSTS.SAM and make a
backup as hosts.
In both cases, double-click the
HOSTS file to open it. You will be prompted by Windows to select an application
(program) to use to view the file.
Scroll down the list and select
Notepad. Click the OK button. The NOTEPAD program will now open, displaying the
hosts file. You will see examples listed (the # symbol is used to comment out
the line or remarks.) The format is as follows. IP address (xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx
name space)
So tell your computer http://www.yourwebsite.com
found at (replace with your real IP) 12.345.678.90 add the following entry to
the end of the hosts file:
12.345.678.90 http://www.yourdomain.com (as
in the example).
Click File, drag down and click
Save As.
In the Save as type box, select All
Files. (Make sure that SAM is displayed after the file name HOSTS click Save
You can be notified that the file already exists ... This is great, click Yes.
Close Notepad, click on File, drag
down the output, and then click.
Now when you open your web browser,
or try to ping the site, the system will go to the IP address that you typed in
the HOSTS file address.
Do not forget to cancel this when
you have finished testing or your machine will always want to go to that IP
address whenever you want to go to this site.
Once you are convinced that your
site is OK and functions ok, you can go to your registrar (the company where
your domain name is registered) and change the name servers associated with
your DNS domain name to your new host. If you do not know your new DNS host,
ask them. Most hosts have the following information somewhere on their website
or in the email you first get after signing up for an account.
Once the DNS changes are complete,
it will be 24-48 hours before you see your site on the new server.
Most
Whois utilities display the name servers of the current host. A good is http://whois.sc.
Check your domain name and see if the name servers that you have added are
listed. If so, you have completed the transfer of the site to your new host. It
is only after you have confirmed that it is OK to cancel your old web hosting
account
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