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Frequently Asked Questions and Suggested Links

  FTP DNS email
  control panel SSL pre-sales.
  billing server software subdomains
  paths links to hosting information addon domains
 
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 Pre-Sales Questions

Q. Will you place ads on my site?
A. We will NOT place ads on your site. But *you* may.

Q. Do you allow sites to advertise for money, on their web site?
A. Yes, we allow sites to have commercial advertisements, banners, pay-per-click, etc. As long as it's legal and does not use any technology that violates our TOS, have at it.

Q. What forms of payment do you accept?
A. We accept all major credit and debit cards using PayPal as our payment processor. It's secure and they protect you against fraud and abuse.

Q. Are your server's Unix, or NT?
A. Our servers are Linux Red Hat 7.3. and Red Hat 9.0

Q. Do you allow adult sites?
A. Yes, we allow adult sites. However, please note that we will not merely suspend any account that violates laws against child abuse, we will report them, along with all details, to the appropriate authorities.

Q. What is your policy on content?
A. A deep, sincere and passionate respect and reliance on Article One of the US Constitution is our rock. Liberty promises many things but it does not promise freedom from uncomfortable ideas or unwelcome words. If Don Imus had a web site here, he could say whatever he wanted about race. Al Sharpton might say anything he wishes about the Mormon religion. Jerry Falwell or Pat Roberston could make their reprehensible remarks here about the sexual practices of others and Bin Laden could say there is no God but Allah.

But we would not allow any of them to use their we sites to urge people to attack someone else who does not agree with them.

Bottom line, we also trust in the concept that truth will confront lies and truth will always prevail. 

Say anything you want; but neither do, nor incite others to do,  harm.

Referring to the previous question, web sites that show photos of children being abused does harm to them, therefore we will not allow it. But if you think reading about sex or seeing graphics of adults involved in it would harm your own children, it is your responsibility to block access to it, not ours to censor everyone else to your particular preferences.

If you do not agree with our policy, we will supply you on request, politely and respectfully, with the names of web hosting companies with whom you may be happier.

Q. Is tax included with my chosen hosting plan?
A. Yes, tax is included in all our prices. There are no hidden costs or expenses.

Q. Which control panel do you use and do you have a demo?
A. We use cPanel, which is, beyond challenge, the very best of all those available. A demo of cPanel can be found here. Login with the username demo, and the password demo.

Q. Can I pay monthly?
A. Yes, you may pay monthly, but we also offer a nice discount for annually prepaid accounts. If you choose that discount, our No Excuses Money Back Guarantee promise.  See the details of that promise by clicking here.

Q. Can I host friends?
A. Yes, you may host as many domains as you wish up to the space and bandwidth limits of the plan you buy. We do not charge a fee for upgrades to a higher plan.

Q. How long does it take to setup my account?
A. Your account will be setup automatically within 15 minutes or less after your payment is successfully processed. But if your domain name is a newly registered one, or if it was recently transferred to our servers, it may take the Internet 24 to 72 hours before the entire Internet finds you. During that time, within 15 minutes after you register, you will have full access to your web site(s) and can start working on them, using a standard file transfer program or the file manager in your cPanel.

Q. Which FTP program do you recommend?
FTP programs, paid or free, are not all the same. At one time or another, over the past 20-plus years, sometimes only for one unhappy session, we have used just about every FTP program out there. The one we have found to be most dependable, stable and easy-to-use is FlashFXP. There is a 30-day trial.

Q. Are there any hidden costs, or setup fees?
A. No. Our published fees for hosting and web site templates are complete. We do offer optional added-value services such as custom web design, logo design, etc.

Q. Do you offer telnet or shell access?
A. No. For security reason's we do not offer telnet or shell access. But you will be able to unzip files on the server using our file manager as well as the ability to setup cron jobs.

Q. Can I password-protect directories?
A. Yes you can password-protect directories within cPanel.

Q. My presales question is not answered here.
We welcome your additional questions. Click here.

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DNS (Domain Name Server) Issues

Q. How long will it take to get my domain(s) working?
A. It usually takes 24-48 hours for a domain to fully propagate across the Internet. During that time, within 15 minutes after you make set up your account and your online payment is processed, you will have full access to your web site(s) and can start working on them, using a standard file transfer program or the file manager in your cPanel.

Q. What do I set my domains' name servers to?
A. Your DNS settings should be configured in your Domain Name Registration (at your registrar) as follows:

NS1.HOSTRAX.COM

NS2.HOSTRAX.COM

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Control Panel

Q. Do you have a manual for the control panel?
A. Go to http://www.cPanel.net/docs/cp/index.html

Q. Is there a cPanel Demo?
Yes. Go here. Insert username demo and password demo.

Q. Where do I go to login to my own control panel?
A. You go to http://www.yourdomain.com/cPanel. Of course you will be need your own username and password.

You also may login from this web site.

Q. How do I make sub-domains?
A. To make a sub-domain login to your cPanel and click "domain management." That will open a screen where you may manage and add sub-domains.

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FTP

Q. Where can I download a free File Transfer Protocol (FTP) program?
A. There are a number of free FTP programs downloadable from http://freshmeat.com  or http://hotscripts.com
. Those that require a fee often offer a free 30-day trial.

Our personal preference is FlashFXP. It's not free but experience informs us it is exceptionally tenacious at holding on to the connection during a long download and re-connecting until the download is completed. We also like the clean look.

Q. My FTP isn't letting me upload my files.  What's wrong?
A. Make sure you are uploading to the public_html folder.

Q. Why doesn't my ftp password change when I change my account password in cPanel?
A. It can take up to 24 hours for your FTP password to sync with your cPanel password.

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What Are the Correct Paths?

Q. What is the path to my web site files?
A. The path is /home/username/public_html

Q. What is the local path to perl?
A. The path to perl is /usr/bin/perl

Q. What is the path to curl?
A. The path to curl is /usr/bin/curl

Q. What is the path to ImageMagick?
A. The path to ImageMagick is /usr/bin/

Q. What is the path to convert for ImageMagick?
A. The path to convert is /usr/bin/

Q. What is the path to sendmail?
A. The path to sendmail is /usr/sbin/sendmail

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Managing Email

Q. How do I create email accounts?
A. Log into your cPanel. Click on Mail > add/remove email accounts.

Q. What do I put in my email program setup for both incoming and outgoing mail server?
A. For both incoming and outgoing mail server put mail.yourdomain.com

Q. Where do I go to check my emails using my browser?
A. http://yourdomain.com/webmail/  

Q. How can I setup webmail to go directly to horde, neomail or squirrel mail?
A. Login to the one you prefer to use.  Copy the entire URL from your address bar. You will not login to your cPanel and create a subdomain to go to the address you just copied.

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Server Software Specs

Q. Which version of php is installed on the Hostrax servers? using?
A. We currently (as of February 2007) use both version 4.3.3 and 4.3.4. There are no significant differences between them.

Q. Which version of perl are you using?
A. We are using version 5.6.1.

Q. Which version of MySQL are you using?
A. We are using version 4.0.15

Q. Which version of cPanel are you using?
A. Our servers are automatically and regularly updated with the most recent stable cPanel version by cPanel itself. In other words, we always have the newest version.

Q. None of my cgi (CGI/ASP/PHP/MySql/JSP) scripts are working on the server. How do I get them to work?
A. Make sure that they are properly CHMODed. The requirements for which files in your script require it will vary. If you do not understand CHMOD, either visit the Hostrax Support Forums or search on Google for that word.

Q. I have an ASP script but it's not working. ASP is a Microsoft script (Active Server Pages) and it requires a Windows Server. Those are notoriously unstable and vulnerable to malicious attacks. We do not use them. ASP is also more expensive to maintain due to the unholy combination of expensive server space, licensing fees and the smaller pool of programmers who work in that. In our opinion, anything you want an ASP script to do can be done cheaper, more stable and more generally satisfactory using PHP.

Q. How do I create databases and manage them?
A. Login to your cPanel > MySQL Databases. That will open a screen where you may create or manage MySQL database(s). After your database is created you can manage it using phpMyAdmin. A link to phpMyAdmin is at the very bottom of the MySQL page.

Q. How do I get support and help for CGI/PHP/MySql/JSP?
A. If your issue is related to questions such as, are they installed correctly, where are they, etc. ? -  log into your Account Manager (not your cPanel, your Hostrax Account Manager) and launch a Tech Support Ticket.

If your issue is what they do, how to make use of them,  how to perform any of their operations, your primary support source is either the Hostrax Support Forum - and do a search before posting questions - or use Google or Wikipedia to research it.

If your issue has to do with the performance or configuration or customization of a shopping cart or guestbook, gallery, CMS, etc., that is the responsibility of the source that created it. We can - and do - provide support but at industry-standard hourly rates.

NOTE: that the Hostrax SUPPORT Forum is a specific Forum within the general Hostrax Forums. The Hostrax Support Forum is available ONLY to customers in good standing. Non-customer visitors will not see this specific forum, even if they are registered and logged into the general forums.

We also offer hourly-paid programming and monthly web site maintenance packages. Contact Hostrax Sales Department for information.

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Billing

Q. How Does Hostrax Handle Billing?
A. WE provide every user with a state-of-the-art service call WHMautopilot. It gives you absolute control over the billing of your account and all services related to your account such as upgrades, adding domains, cancelling and getting refunds as well as launching technical support ticket. For details see the source from whom we buy the service for you.

Q. If I pay annually, how do I get my money back?
A. Simply email us your domain name, username, password and tell us you are canceling your account. No need to explain why, but if wish to tell us, that's OK, too. 

IMPORTANT: If you intend to transfer your web site to another hosting service, FIRST make a full copy of your files AND install AND test them on the server of the new host.

If you do not, your web site will fail when we terminate your account. You will have, in effect, torn down the house before removing your furniture, appliances, cat and dog.

To protect you from making that mistake, and unless you demand an immediate cancellation and refund, we will delay the account termination by at least 72 hours while you launch a DNS Transfer to give your web site a chance to avoid a hiatus interruption. We'll send your refund the next business day following termination, using whichever payment method you used when you established the account. Your account will be billed to and terminated at the end of the current 30 day billing period based on the termination day.

If you need a copy of your web site from our backup files, there will be a service charge ($50 for Personal Plan accounts, $75 for Small Biz, $100 for Corporate and for Enterprise accounts, the fee to be determined based on the size and complexity of the site.) We do not retain backups of cancelled or suspended accounts beyond 30 days.

PLEASE NOTE: We do not require, as a condition of your refund, that you tell us why you wish to cancel your account. But if you wish to tell us, we will appreciate learning of anything that we should have done, or can do, to improve service.

Q. How do I make a payment?
A. All online payments are recurring - meaning automatically charged to your credit or debit card - based upon the plan you chose (or have currently selected).  Once you give us your credit card, we will continue to charge it, based on the schedule you chose at signup, until you tell us to stop. If you manage your own domain name and allow it to expire, we will still be providing hosting space on our servers and services. You will be charged until you notify us to cancel the account.

Q. What is your policy regarding late or no payment?
A. Our account management system will automatically suspend an account whose recurring credit or debit card charges are rejected by our payments processor. Suspended accounts that are less than 30 days late will be restored upon payment of the arrears plus a $50 service fee. Accounts that are more than 30 days overdue will be terminated without further notice and we are not responsible for the loss of any files that may have been deleted in the process of that termination.

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SSL

Q. Do you offer shared ssl and private ssl certificates?
A. We do not offer "shared SSL certificates."  But we deeply discounted high-encryption private SSL Certificates. Send an email to the Hostrax Sales Department and put "SSL Certificate" in the subject field.

Q. I'm going to purchase and install my own SSL from my own source; what do I need to know?
A. Our servers are Apache + Mod SSL 

Q. How do I transfer a ssl?
A. Every supplier that sells SSL has a different transfer procedure. You will need to ask the supplier from whom you you purchased it. If you want us to do the transfer for you, contact Hostrax Sales Department and put "SSL Transfer" in the Subject field. There will be a fee that we will quote to you before proceeding.

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Subdomains

Q. What is a subdomain?
A. First, let's define the word, "domain." As used here "domain" comes from the French word for "house"  or "home."

For example . . . hostrax.com - by itself - is a domain name.  If you put "www." (meaning, World Wide Web) or "http://" (meaning, the domain is available in Hypertext Protocol) before it, that then becomes an address on the internet at that "house." 

A web address is also known as a URL (Universal Resource Locator). When the Internet began as a network of university computers, each computer was considered a "resource" and the web address was known as a Universal Resource. The word "locator" simply refers to the fact that if you ask to see a certain UR, it will locate it for you.

SubDomain then becomes almost obvious. Think of it as an apartment within an apartment building.

For example . . . forum.yourdomain.com is a subdomain within yourdomain.com.

But "www.forum.yourdomain.com" is NOT a subdomain because adding the WWW makes it into a URL.

So, if you are trying to create a subdomain DO NOT put WWW ahead it in the cPanel form where they are created.

Q. READ THIS BEFORE SETTING UP A SUBDOMAIN!
A. To create a subdomain, cPanel asks for the name you want to use. MAKE SURE the subdomain name you give it doesn't have a folder of that same name. If it does, the new sub-domain will not work.

Example . . . you want to create the subdomain "test.hostrax.com. In other words, the intended subdomain name would be "test"

However, if you already have a folder named "test" on the server, you MUST delete it or rename it to something different before you create the subdomain using the word "test".

Finally, note that the number of subdomains you may have is established in the hosting package you buy from Hostrax.

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Addon Domains

Q. What is an Addon domain?
A. An addon domain is a fully functional domain that will work out of a folder in your primary site.

Q. READ THIS BEFORE SETTING UP ANY ADDON DOMAIN!
You cannot create an addon domain if your DNS (Domain Name Server address such as NS1.hostrax.com) has not yet finished propagating to the Internet. So, after you edit a DNS  you usually must wait 24-48 hours before attempting to create an Addon Domain in your cPanel. Also, note that the number of Addon Domains your account may have is established in the hosting package you buy from Hostrax.

Q. How do I create a Addon domain?

A. There are three fields cPanel asks for when creating an addon domain.

    1. "New Domain Name:"   You will enter yourdomain.com. DO NOT put "www" in this field!

    2. "Username/directory/subdomain Name:" This will be the folder cPanel creates create on the server.

MAKE SURE that the name you give it doesn't already have a folder.

Example - You want to give it the username "joe". You cannot have a folder already on your server named "joe." If you do and try creating a username for the Addon domain joe, you will mess a lot of things up!!!

    3. "Password:" fill in any password you want here. We strongly suggest names that are at least 8 characters long and mix numerals and alphabetical characters. No dashes, slashes, punctuations marks, etc.

Q. Help! I added an Addon domain. Why did it say, "SUBdomain added." ?!!?
A. It creates the ADDON domain by creating the folder on your server. Therefore, the system thinks it is a SUBdomain. However, if in fact, you created it through the cPanel form for ADDON domains, what you have created is a fully functional domain name. It is only called a subdomain, when in fact it is an Addon domain.

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Links To Hosting Information

Our best customer is an informed customer. Before you put the future of your business in someone else's hands, you will want more information about what you are getting into. 

Here are links that may help you. Some links even offer information about our competitors. But we want customers who have researched the choices and made an informed decision.

WikiPedia "Web Hosting Service" Cheap Web Hosting Directory
Automatic Account Management Web Hosting Talk Forums
Find My Hosting Directory Web Hosting Discussion
We especially like the clear, simple truths that you will find in the guides on the Find My Hosting Directory link just above. You owe it to your self to read those guides before you spend a penny on hosting. You will save yourself dollars, hassle and grief.

MORE QUESTIONS? Go to the Hostrax Community Forums

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