Using Domain names with your Web hosting account

Aim of this article:

This article explains how you can use domain names with your Zen Web hosting account.

What is a Virtual Host?

Each physical Web server has a number of different Web sites hosted on it. These are each hosted on their own "virtual host", which has its own domain name(s). Every "virtual" host then operates as though it were a single Web server under your own Internet domain.

Multiple domain names can point to one virtual host, provided that the Web site that they point to is the same. It is not possible to have multiple domain names pointed to multiple sites on one virtual host unless the gold, platinum or reseller account is purchased. In order to have multiple domains pointed to multiple Web sites you will require separate hosting accounts for each web site, or a gold, platinum or reseller account.

The Zen provided subdomain:

Every Zen Web Hosting account comes with a free subdomain name of the form www.yoursubdomain.myzen.co.uk . You can use this as your Web site address if you wish, but chances are you will want a more relevant domain name.

Pointing domain names to your Web Hosting account:

You may wish to have domain names pointed to your Zen Web hosting account. In this case there a couple of options you can take.

1. ^{(recommended)} Register your new domain name with Zen Internet or transfer your existing domain to Zen Internet. When you register or transfer your domain name to us instruct us to point it to your Web Hosting account.  For details of our domain hosting packages please see http://www.zen.co.uk/Hosting/Domains.aspx
   
   
   • To get the domain name working you will need to add the new domain name to the parked domains list so that the web server knows that this domain name is to be used with your virtual host. This can be done via the Parked Domains option from the cPanel Control Panel.
     
             
     
   • On the next screen you will need to fill in the domain name and then click Add.
     
     
2. Register the domain name with a 3rd party. Then follow the steps below to point your domain name to your Zen Web hosting account.
   
   
   • Register the domain name with a 3rd party, and then instruct them to point the A record to the IP address for your virtual host.  This will be the same IP seen when you check the record for www.yoursubdomain.myzen.co.uk.
     • 1) We would recommend that your domain host maintains the mail handler for your additional domain name, but that you instruct them to forward email to your Zen provided subdomain e-mail address. This will ensure you can take advantage of the Virus filtering with your Zen subdomain e-mail address. ^*1 
     • 2) Alternatively point the MX record for your domain to an A record that points directly to the cPanel server. Note that although this will work fine no anti-virus filtering will take place.

   NOTE: Do not instruct your domain host to change the name servers to Zen's.  You should continue to use your domain host's name servers and only point the relevant A and/or MX records as required.

   • To get the domain name working you will need to add the new domain name to the parked domains list so that the web server knows that this domain name is to be used with your virtual host. This can be done via the Parked Domains option from the cPanel Control Panel.
     
             
     
   • On the next screen you will need to fill in the domain name and then click Add.

 ^*1 Note: Antivirus filtering is only available for domain names held by Zen Internet, or forwarded via a domain held by Zen Internet. 3rd Party domains can have an MX record pointed to the cPanel server, but will not be filtered for e-mail viruses.

Pointing additional domain names to additional Web sites on a Gold, Platinum or Reseller account:

* NOTE: This section is only applicable to Gold, Platinum or Reseller Accounts.

Reseller accounts have access to an additional option which allows them to have multiple websites using multiple domain names all under the one Zen Web Hosting account. Therefore owners of these accounts can effectively separate different Web sites (and resell the Web sites if they so desire.) Gold and Platinum Accounts also have this option for a limited number or extra domain names (1 addon domain for Gold, 2 addon domains for Platinum.)

In order to utilise this facility the domain names should be registered with Zen Internet (or a 3rd party) as above and pointed to the Web Server. Once the domain is pointed to the web server correctly you should perform the following steps to have the domain name usable for a certain directory of your Web space.

To set up the new domain name log on to the cPanel control panel.

Next the Addon Domains option should be selected.

Fill in the domain name you are adding to the box New Addon Domain:
Fill in the name of the directory you would like to be the home directory and FTP username in the Username/directory name: box.
Fill in the password for the FTP user with access to this directory in the Password: box.
Then click Add.

A home directory should now be created with the domain name entered, together with an FTP user which only has access to this directory.