UKC

How to: Create DNS SRV Records

sshCreating SRV Records

Some services, such as Microsoft 365, will require SRV records to be created.

SRV records are constructed as follows:

_service._protocolName IN SRV priority weight portNO subdns.domain.com

The following parameters are needed to fully construct SRV records:

  • Service
  • Protocol
  • Port
  • Weight
  • Priority
  • Name
  • Target
  • TTL

A sample SRV record could look like this:

_https._tcp IN SRV 10 10 443 mail.domainname.com.

Microsoft 365 SRV records can look like this:

_sip._tls IN SRV 100 1 443 sipdir.online.lync.com.
_sipfederationtis._tcp IN SRV 100 1 5061 sipfed.online.lync.com.

Query SRC record with DIG with as such:

# dig srv _https._tcp.mail.domainname.com

;; ANSWER SECTION:

_https._tcp.domainname.com. 38400 IN SRV 10 10 443 mail.domainname.com

Setting up SRV records can be complicated. Simply contact the Helpdesk with the parameter list and our support staff will construct the SRV record on your behalf.

Categories DNS

Newsletter: Autumn 2015

Dear Clients,

We know you are busy, so we will keep this report brief !

We are excited to update you regarding the ongoing improvements we are making to all web hosting services during the latter half of 2015.

Hardware Upgrades

The technology behind server and network hardware is constantly changing. The latest and greatest server hardware available today is outdated within 3 years. In order to provide the highest performance for your services it is necessary for us to upgrade hardware on a cycle that is much shorter so that we never reach the “outdated” stage.

Your server hardware has been upgraded to the very best model available. If you usually monitor your website performance then you will already be aware of the performance increase!

Hosting Panel Upgrades

The Plesk Panel is the primary user interface enabling management of your hosting services and resources.

Your panel has been upgraded to Plesk 12 bringing you all the latest features of this great panel at no additional cost.

  • Protection from Outgoing Spam and Other Mail Improvements
  • Enhanced Site and Server Security
  • WordPress Security and Management Toolkit
  • Enhanced Usability and Convenience

Upgrades to the Panel are applied weekly. Since the launch of Plesk there have already been 68 updates! We apply these overnight as and when they are released.

Web Server and Site Security

All web servers are under constant attack and so security is of paramount importance.

We use the very latest firewall and application level protection to shield our servers and your web sites from external threats; with more than 10 years experience behind us, we have naturally developed our own in-house enhancements that go above and beyond what you would normally expect.

You do not need to worry about security, we will continue to improve and manage this area with absolute focus.

As always, the weakest link in your site security is your own site. It is imperative that you keep your own applications up to date and well patched. Our security measures protect you on a server level, but weakness in your own security is the highest risk to your site. If in doubt, contact us at any time.

And finally…

You may have also noticed that we have been rolling out a new web site:

https://www.uk-cheapest.co.uk

You have been telling us for some time that the word “cheapest” in our brand is no longer fashionable (and potentially detrimental) and for this reason, you will soon find the site brand migrating to UKC – let us know what you think!

http://ukc.uk is coming soon!

So we have listened to you – our valued customers!

As promised, we wanted to keep this brief. If you have any questions at all, please do not hesitate to contact us at the Helpdesk or on Live Chat.

With kind regards,

Colin, Tel and the UKC Team
https://www.uk-cheapest.co.uk

SSL Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What you need to know about SSL

Q: What is SSL?

A: Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is a protocol for enabling data encryption on the Internet and for helping web site users confirm the owner of the web site. SSL is most commonly used to protect communications between web browsers and servers. However, it is increasingly used for server to server communications and for web-based applications.

Q: How long does enrolment take?

A: An SSL certificate may be issued within minutes of submitting your enrolment information as long as the information is correct and the authorised administrator responds promptly to the confirmation email. RapidSSL® Certificates and RapidSSL® Wildcard both use an authentication process to verify domain control validation.

Q: What is domain control validation?

A: RapidSSL will confirm domain control by sending an email to the administrator listed with the registrar for the domain. If the authorised administrator does not reply, a second email will be sent to an email address at the domain such as info@ or support@. We do this for you.

Q: What is encryption and why are there different levels?

A: Encryption is a mathematical process of coding and decoding information. The number of bits (40-bit, 56-bit, 128-bit, 256-bit) tells you the size of the key. Like a longer password, a larger key has more possible combinations.

When an encrypted session is established, the encryption level is determined by the capability of the web browser, SSL certificate, web server, and client computer operating system.

Q: How do web site visitors know if a web site is using SSL?

A: When a browser connects to a secure site it retrieves the site’s SSL certificate and checks that it has not expired, that it has been issued by a Certificate Authority the browser trusts and that it is being used by the web site for which it has been issued.

If it fails on any one of these checks the browser will display a warning to the end user. If it succeeds, several security indicators are built into modern browsers to indicate that SSL is enabled.

  • The beginning of the URL or web address changes from http:// to https://
  • A padlock on the browser window changes from open to closed
  • The address bar will turn green and display the name of the web site owner when connecting to a web site protected by an Extended Validation SSL certificate.

In addition, a trust mark such as the RapidSSL site seal may be added to web pages on a secure site.

Q: What does browser recognition mean?

A: When a browser or operating system encounters an SSL certificate, it checks to make sure that the certificate is valid and trusted. An SSL certificate is trusted if it is signed by a “trusted” or pre-installed root certificate. If a browser that does not contain the root CA certificate used to issue the SSL certificate, a security warning will alert them.

Q: What is a certificate signing request or CSR?

A: A CSR is a public key that you generate on your server according to your server software instructions. (If you do not have access to your server, your web host or Internet service provider will generate it for you.) The CSR is required during the SSL certificate enrolment process because it validates the specific information about your web server and your organisation.

Q: What is a public/private key pair?

A: SSL uses unique cryptographic key pairs: each key pair consists of a secret private key and a related public key. Information encrypted with a public key can only be decrypted with the corresponding private key, and vice-versa.

Q: How do I obtain the RapidSSL Site Seal?

You must obtain the site seal directly from RapidSSL and follow the instructions given. Claim your RapidSSL Site Seal.

Categories SSL

How to: Transfer your Web Site to UKC

transfer-iconTransferring your Web Site to UKC without Downtime

Moving your site from an old host to a new host might sound complicated but it is actually very easy.

Our technicians are moving all types of sites (self built, WordPress, Joomla, shopping carts) on a daily basis. Leave the complexity to us.

We will help you transfer your web site, data and mysql databases to our hosting service and minimise (if not eliminate) the need for any downtime whatsoever.

Here are the steps to follow:

  1. Order your new hosting plan from UKC. Do not cancel your old hosting plan (yet).
  2. Is your old host using Plesk? If so, all you need do is run a full backup in Plesk Backup Manager and provide us with the backup file. We can restore from here.
  3. You will now have access to two hosting accounts.

What we need from you

In order for us to successfully transfer your website, we need the following:

  1. A backup of your hosting account run from your old host (if you have one)
  2. The panel login details of your old hosting plan
  3. The FTP details of your old hosting plan
  4. If you have SSH with the old host, then these details can also help

From here we can take care of the transfer of all of your site data and databases.

Going live without downtime

We will transfer all of your web site, data and mysql databases before the “going live” date which we will agree with you beforehand.

Once we go live, the switch will simply be a name server change on your domain name. At this point, your web site will now be live using a UKC hosting plan. Once you are happy with the operations of your new site you can then proceed to cancel your old hosting plan.

If you have any questions now (or along the way) simply contact the Helpdesk who are there to help.