Managing Website Domains Guide

From Site5Wiki

Contents 1 Other Domain Name Guides 1.1 Domain Pointer 2 Domain Pointers: Additional Domain Names with Web and Email Functionality 2.1 Setting Up Domain Pointers 2.2 Domain Pointers vs. MultiSite 3 Domain Parking 3.1 Domain Pointers vs. Domain Parking 4 Subdomains: Lower-level Domain Names

Other Domain Name Guides

Domain names are an integral aspect of web hosting. Since there's so much to cover with regard to domain names, we have separated the different aspects of domain names into several manual pages.

This particular page describes setting up and configuring multiple domain names within a single website (a single SiteAdmin instance). If you, instead, need help with registering/buying or transferring your domain name, see the Domain_Name_Guide.

If you are a MultiSite customer and would instead like information on using our MultiSite Enhanced Multiple Domain Hosting features, see our separate MultiSite_Guide.

Domain Pointer

An additional domain name added onto your existing account. This domain name is generally used to host a separate website within your main account. You can configure the directory that will serve as this domain name's document root. For instance, you can configure the following:

       http://domainpointer.com points to http://maindomain.com/domainpointer

Note that when someone goes to domainpointer.com, they will NOT be redirected to maindomain.com/domainpointer. Rather, they will continue to see domainpointer.com in their browser. They will not be aware that they are visiting a site that is hosted underneath another domain.

Additionally, domain pointers have full email functionality (POP email accounts, email forwarders, mailing lists, etc). You may also create subdomains of your pointed domain names.

Domain Pointers: Additional Domain Names with Web and Email Functionality

Domain pointers are one of two ways to host multiple domain names on a single hosting account.

Setting Up Domain Pointers

Carla Hufstedler of Site5 put together a simple tutorial on how to add domain pointers to your account. Head on over to the Site5 Community Forums HowTo section and check out Carla's instructions.

http://forums.site5.com/showthread.php?t=10826

Domain Pointers vs. MultiSite

Above is a quick comparison between domain pointers and Site5's MultiSite™ technology, which allows you to setup multiple, full websites on your account—not just multiple domains.

Our MultiSite plans are very different from the multiple website offerings you may have seen from other companies. The "2/3/5/10/unlimited websites" offered elsewhere is almost always based on Domain Pointers, the industry standard for hosting multiple websites under one shared plan. In essence, you are being offered a certain or unlimited number of Domain Pointers rather than real websites.

Our MultiSite plans differ in that we offer you a number of real, full hosting accounts under one plan. In fact, each of your MultiSite accounts gets to use unlimited domain pointers! Domain Pointers work by pointing a domain name (pointedname.com) to a directory in your main site (mainsite.com/pointedname). While they appear to be their own hosting account from the outside, they are limited behind the scenes: they lack a separate control panel, private webspace, separate FTP/mail servers, their own statistics, Fantastico, SSH access, etc.

Site5 MultiSite websites are not hindered in this fashion. They are full hosting accounts, with all the features you would get if you purchased one of our shared hosting plans.

Note that not all Site5 hosting accounts are MultiSite-enabled! Check to see if you have a "MultiAdmin" tab in Backstage, and that there are sites listed on that page.

Domain Parking

Domain parking allows you add more than one domain to your account in a "parked" capacity. Consider it as if part of the hosting account is private parking and all of your domains are there ready and accessible should you need them.

Each parked domain will point to the main domain on the account.

Domain Pointers vs. Domain Parking

We have tried to clarify the distinction between domain pointers and domain parking, as it can be a bit overwhelming:

Parked Domains sit on top of the primary domain name and goes to the main website.

Domain Pointers allow you to add another website to your same hosting account (including full email functionality). You "point" the domain name to a subdirectory (which is where you put the website files) and on the web the domain reads as if it were just that website, never giving away that it points to a folder.

• • Not all CMS's and scripts work well with domain pointers.

Subdomains: Lower-level Domain Names

i.e. photos.yourdomain.tld
A subdomain, also known as a "third-level" domain, is a great way to create memorable web addresses for various sub-sites of your site. For instance, "mail.site5.com", "music.site5.com", etc. The basic syntax is: http://subdomain.domain.com.
Large businesses use subdomains to establish branding and focus on separate products or services, because a subdomain creates a separate URL and web presence, all within your same main hosting account. For example, a restaurant directory may establish subdomains for different cities, or a school can set up subdomains for different academic programs.
It is also possible to redirect (forward) traffic from a particular subdomain to another location, either within the main site or to a different website altogether.