Quick Start Questions
Do you have FTP software available for download?
Yes, we recommend using an excellent shareware program called WS_FTP.
You can download this program for free directly from our server.
For the Mac, "Fetch" is available:
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What FTP host name do I use to access my web site(s)?
To update your web pages, FTP into ftp.yourdomain.com using your USERID and PASSWORD
provided on your account activation notice. Prior to domain registration (or transfer) you
will need to use the IP address as the FTP hostname. (ie. 209.xxx.xxx.xxx vs.
ftp.yourdomain.com) The IP address associated with your domain is also included in the
activation notice. If you create any links using the IP address, we suggest that you
modify the HTML to reflect your domain name once active world wide. Using relative paths
rather than absolute paths when linking web pages will eliminate the need to modify your
links.
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What are the six folders I see when I connect to my web site?
When you connect to the root or "home" directory of your account via ftp, you
will see the following sytem directories/folders which are landmarks suggesting a
successful connection:
Parent Directory 14-Mar-96 22:13 -
bin/ 14-Mar-96 22:02 -
cgi-local/ 10-Oct-95 18:07 -
dev/ 14-Mar-96 22:02 -
etc/ 14-Mar-96 22:02 -
ftp/ 14-Mar-96 22:02 -
htdocs/ 14-Mar-96 22:01 -
stats/ 14-Mar-96 22:05 -
The only two directories you may need to use are htdocs, cgi-local, and ftp; htdocs is
the root directory for your web page(s), cgi-local directory is reserved for custom
scripts and ftp directory is reserved for files that can be downloaded by anonymous ftp
user. You can transfer files to the htdocs/ and/or create subdirectories.
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How do I get my page to load automatically?
You must name your main loading file either "index.htm" or
"index.html" . Be sure to name everything in lowercase, not
"INDEX.HTM" . Also, this file must to located in your htdocs/ directory.
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What file names are acceptable?
Webxess uses Unix servers, all Unix machines are case sensitive. This means that if you
upload your files with upper case letters in them, then your HTML's references must also
match the case. The easiest way would be to keep everything in lower case. Spaces and
special control characters are generally not a good idea.
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How do I update my web pages?
You can literally create and maintain your web pages, images, and scripts locally and
upload them to the web server at your leisure via FTP. You can
overwrite existing files or transfer a new file.
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What is the function of the
"cgi-local" directory?
This directory allows you to execute a CGI script written in Perl, Unix Shell, or C.
Perl and shell programs are self-compiling and can be utilized immediately after transfer
to this directory/folder. C programs must first be compiled by WebXess before they will
function.
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How do I create sub-directories?
We recommend using the "create directory/ Mkdir" feature in our recommended
FTP client software (WS_FTP). Please note that subdirectories cannot be created under the
root directory, you may only create subdirectories under your htdocs/ directory..
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How can I simulate sub-websites within my account?
To simulate a sub-web site, you have to create a new directory (or folder to MAC users)
under your htdocs/ directory and then upload the main loading page (index.htm). You can
setup as many sub-web sites as you wish. WebXess only charges additional fees if you go
over the allowed disk space and data transfer limits that are established in your pricing
plan.
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How do I access my personal web-based Control Panel?
Once your domain is active, you can access your Control Panel in the following manner:
- http://www.your_domain.com:2327/
If your domain name is still in the registration process, you can still access the
control panel using the temporary URL provided within your activation notice.
If your IP address is: 123.12.123.12, then you would enter: http://123.12.123.12:2327/
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When will I be able to reach my site using the
domain name?
Once the InterNIC announces that your domain name has been registered (or transferred,
if applicable), it usually takes about 72-hours before it is active. All internet
providers must update their records (DNS tables) to reflect new site locations. This is
called propagation.
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How do I announce my site?
We recommend that you register your web site with the major search engines beginning
with Yahoo, WebCrawler,
Lycos, and AltaVista.
Look for an "add URL" option at each of these sites as well as links to other
search engines. Currently, there is no charge to register with the aforementioned search
engines. If desired, you can register with a site called, Submit-it!. This site allows you to enter your
information one time and then submit to the many of the major search engines; however, a
fee may be required. |
