Hosting FAQ

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Frequently asked questions about web hosting

7) What is your uptime guarantee?

We always achieve >99%. We don't ever plan on downtime however unexpected problems can occur. In these situations we swiftly replace the hardware to ensure the server is operating fully as soon as possible. We do not keep unreliable servers running - we simply replace them.

8) I already have hosting with someone else but they are expensive. What are my options?

Simply purchase your desired hosting plan and upload your site. Then, change your nameservers and that completes the transfer. If you have any problems along the way simply contact Customer Service.

9) I think the server is down - who do I contact?

In the event of a server outage our support staff are already working on the problem before you realise there is a problem. We have 24 x 7 onsite support staff maintaining our servers. As soon as there is a problem with a server, message alerts are immediately sent to the appropriate staff so it is not necessary to report server problems to us as we are already aware of them!

10) Can I still use FTP to upload my site if I want to use FrontPage Extensions?

Many problems are encountered when an FTP program, such as CuteFTP or WS_FTP is used to upload files created by FrontPage. This publishing method does not work; FrontPage's dynamic components require that you use FrontPage to publish your files.

It is best not to use FTP to access your site if you are using Microsoft FrontPage Extensions. You may inadvertently change or delete FrontPage configuration files, which could corrupt your FrontPage extensions. Advanced users can use FTP, however they should avoid touching _vti_*, postinfo.html, and .htaccess files.

11) Can I use your services to send SPAM email, host adult sites, provide pirate software, harvest passwords and MP3 downloads?

No! Please review our Terms of Service. We will suspend your site for any of these actions! So please, if you want to do any of the above - use another host

12) Which country will my site be hosted?

We provide hosting services to an international base. This means that we have servers in both the US and UK. We alternate account creation between servers regardless of location unless you specifically require a particular location. Remember that network traffic travels at 186,000 miles per second and the US is 3,000 miles away. So, that's an overhead of 1/100th of a second if your site is in the US.

Note: From February 2010 we now automatically host all "Personal", "Business" and "ProSSL" accounts in the UK datacentre. The "Budget" and "Starter" level accounts will continue to alternate between UK and US datacentres.

13) My FTP connection keeps cutting me off? How can I make it more stable?

By default, it is standard for all FTP connections to 'timeout' after 30 seconds of inactivity. Your FTP software may workaround this by regularly sending an 'awake' signal to let the server know you are still there.

A very common problem is when running FTP through a firewall or proxy your connection will become unstable during use or may not work at all. It is important in these cases to ensure you are using FTP in PASV (Passive) mode and not Active Mode. This will stabilise your connection. Check your FTP software help files for more information on how to change the mode.

HOW TO: Configure Internet Explorer to Use the FTP PASV (Passive) Mode

14) Do I need to use the /var/www/html remote path?

If you are uploading with an FTP program then you need to use this path. If you can not find where to insert this path into your FTP program, then why not try AceFTP as mentioned below.

15) I am having difficulty gaining FTP Access, can you help?

Yes, we can. It is impossible for us to know all FTP applications that are used, as there are many in use. We do however provide tutorials to some applications in our Online Help Pages. One such application is AceFTP, which can be downloaded here, we have provided a tutorial to enable you to set-up the AceFTP program here.

16) Why do I receive a "Forbidden" message when I visit my hosted domain name?

This indicates that you probably do not currently have an index page uploaded. It is important to call your initial page that will be viewed on your domain name index.html, please note the lowercase lettering, Index.html or INDEX.html would not work!

17) I have uploaded my index page, but still see the Site Holding Page?

This is usually due to 1 of 2 reasons.

a) Your index page is named index.htm as opposed to index.html, this means that it is uploaded but is sitting behind the Holding Page, in this case you need to delete the index.html Site Holding Page.

b) Your computer has cached the Site Holding Page in its memory and so is loading this, as opposed to the page that you have uploaded. You should in this case clear your computers cache. Here is a tutorial instructing how you may perform this.

18) Why do I receive "Page not found 404" or other errors on my website?

It is impossible for us to provide free support on websites. However, 404 and other error messages are usually received due to a page or image either not having been uploaded, or alternatively a typing error made in the page or link name.

19) How do I set-up email accounts, or auto-responders for example?

Simply view our tutorials via our Online Help Pages. Depending on the package that you purchased will depend on the features that you can set up!

20) Why cant I view my website now that my Nameservers have been updated?

If your Nameservers have only just been changed, then you need to allow up to 72 hours for the changes to be fully recognised and updated globally. Alternatively, if you are beyond this time then please ensure the exact spelling of the Nameservers that have been updated matches the Nameserver information that we provided. Please bear in mind that you may request your Nameserver change from your domain supplier on one particular day, but this may not necessarily be acted upon the same day!

21) How do I configure Macromedia DreamWeaver to upload my site?

Simply visit our Macromedia DreamWeaver help page for full details.

22) What features (CGI, PHP etc) will I receive with my Hosting Package?

You will receive at least the features specified on our Hosting Pages at the time that you sign up for your account. However, if you have specific requests for server type/location etc then some of the features may not be available. You should in this case check if the features you require are included by your preference.

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