Newbie questions about webhosting, migrating, domains, nameservers etc

Olli Rinne

Olli Rinne

New Member
I am first-timer with website creating and webhosting and all that goes with it, and now a customer with shared web hosting and a domain from interserver. I am eager to learn much and I have questions about some basic functions. After many articles and tutorials I thought I collect my questions together here. Any answers will be appreciated, in whatever area you feel you could be helpful.

DNS nameservers

- In email I was provided two nameservers. I understand these are to be used when I own a domain somewhere else and want to direct it to my website hosted by interserver. When I log into my interserver and see domain information, there are three DNS servers listed (primary, secondary, tertiary) and they are different from the ones provided in email for me. The ones in email appear to be used nowhere in the domain section at my interserver. What is the difference between these DNS servers listed there and the ones in my email and when to use which ones?

- Eventually I want to create several websites. If I own a domain registered with another host company and set it to direct it to my DNS nameservers and IP address, how do I differentiate which website of mine it will direct into.

- How do I create several wordpress websites if I have only one (or zero) domains registered with interserver itself? When I now installed wordpress from cPanel, it made me choose the domain. What if I have no domains registered with interservers? Besides the one I have purchased, there is another option of a very random domain URL that I can choose. I will then use this one for all the sites I create? And then direct my domains (registered elsewhere) to this address somehow? Am I on the right track even?

- Does wordpress always create a new cPanel database for the site during the install (the fast install from server, not manual install)? If so, can it be changed afterward?

I have made my first wordpress site on my local computer installation and server. Now I want to go through the manual migration (from local to server) to learn the process and the basic elements and controls of webhosting, and there are step-by-step instructions for this. Questions:

- Do I have to have an installation of wordpress at my interserver before this will work, or would this migration process and the website itself work even if wordpress is not installed?

- This process includes creating mySQL database through phpMyAdmin. If I then have many mySQL databases, how do I make this particular one the one that will be used for my website and domain? And if I would do this process for multiple websites, how do I make all of them connect to the right database and so on?

- This process includes moving the files to live server with Filezilla or similar FTP method. What is the right folder to upload them into? Also if I do this for many websites, how do I separate these from one another?

And final thing: If I mess anything up badly, is there a way to restore my whole interserver into its initial, default state, the way it was when I purchased it and had touched nothing? For example I mess up with file transfers and delete or overwrite some essential files or anything other that would become a mess? Probably interserver support would do this for me if needed, but is there a manual way and is it simple or complicated?

Just curious to learn. With my music software I always organize and backup things in a way that if for any reason I have to reformat computer and reinstall everything from scratch, I have a fast and clear path / process to restore all installations and backups. So I at least would like to have the knowledge of how to do a similar process with my hosting and websites. Websites always backed up, then if something messes up everything, I can restore webhost server to "clean slate" and migrate all websites back in, and voila.

Feel free to also link me to any particular tutorial or article you feel would be useful for me. Thank you for any support :)
 
Quags

Quags

Administrator
Staff member
- In email I was provided two nameservers. I understand these are to be used when I own a domain somewhere else and want to direct it to my website hosted by interserver. When I log into my interserver and see domain information, there are three DNS servers listed (primary, secondary, tertiary) and they are different from the ones provided in email for me. The ones in email appear to be used nowhere in the domain section at my interserver. What is the difference between these DNS servers listed there and the ones in my email and when to use which ones?

1) I recommend by default using the dns servers you were emailed. They are attached to your webhosting plan and automatically have all the dns records. However, there are dns servers you can use in my.interserver.net under domains -> dns manager under cdns1/cdns2/cdns3.interserver.net - These are more for VPS user's who don't have dns on their server preconfigured. You can use them, and it may give a bit more control but you need to manually add the records.

- Eventually I want to create several websites. If I own a domain registered with another host company and set it to direct it to my DNS nameservers and IP address, how do I differentiate which website of mine it will direct into.

2) You need to create an addon domain in cpanel. Follow https://www.interserver.net/tips/kb/manage-domains-in-cpanel/

- How do I create several wordpress websites if I have only one (or zero) domains registered with interserver itself? When I now installed wordpress from cPanel, it made me choose the domain. What if I have no domains registered with interservers? Besides the one I have purchased, there is another option of a very random domain URL that I can choose. I will then use this one for all the sites I create? And then direct my domains (registered elsewhere) to this address somehow? Am I on the right track even?

3) There is an included temporary domain under whXXXXX.ispot.cc. You can use this for wordpress installs.

- Does wordpress always create a new cPanel database for the site during the install (the fast install from server, not manual install)? If so, can it be changed afterward?

4) If you use the wordpress installer a database and user is automatically created. It is not generally changed after the install, but could be by updating the wp-config.php file.



- Do I have to have an installation of wordpress at my interserver before this will work, or would this migration process and the website itself work even if wordpress is not installed?

5) I would personally copy all the local files to the server then take a mysql dump and restore it in phpmyadmin, or through ssh (whichever you prefer) and update the wp-config.php file. You do not need a wordpress install already made in this case.

- This process includes creating mySQL database through phpMyAdmin. If I then have many mySQL databases, how do I make this particular one the one that will be used for my website and domain? And if I would do this process for multiple websites, how do I make all of them connect to the right database and so on?

6) You will need to create the database through cpanel, but can manage the databases in phpmyadmin following https://www.interserver.net/tips/kb/create-manage-mysql-databases/

- This process includes moving the files to live server with Filezilla or similar FTP method. What is the right folder to upload them into? Also if I do this for many websites, how do I separate these from one another?

7) For the main domain name upload to public_html. You can set your addon domains to point to other folders.

And final thing: If I mess anything up badly, is there a way to restore my whole interserver into its initial, default state, the way it was when I purchased it and had touched nothing? For example I mess up with file transfers and delete or overwrite some essential files or anything other that would become a mess? Probably interserver support would do this for me if needed, but is there a manual way and is it simple or complicated?

8) Yes you can but it requires a support ticket to do this.

Just curious to learn. With my music software I always organize and backup things in a way that if for any reason I have to reformat computer and reinstall everything from scratch, I have a fast and clear path / process to restore all installations and backups. So I at least would like to have the knowledge of how to do a similar process with my hosting and websites. Websites always backed up, then if something messes up everything, I can restore webhost server to "clean slate" and migrate all websites back in, and voila.

9) The easiest way is to generate a backup in cpanel following https://www.interserver.net/tips/kb/backup-and-restore-in-cpanel/
 
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