Knowledge Base

Registering a domain name with Host Web is simple and straightforward. Follow these steps:

Step 1: Search for Your Domain

1. Visit the Host Web homepage
2. Use the domain search tool to check availability
3. Enter your desired domain name (e.g., yourbusiness.com.au)
4. Click "Search" to see if it's available

Step 2: Select Your Domain

If your domain is available, you'll see pricing options for different extensions (.com.au, .com, .net.au, etc.). Choose the one that best suits your needs.

Step 3: Complete Registration

1. Add the domain to your cart
2. Create your Host Web account or log in
3. Enter your contact and business details
4. Review and complete your payment

Once registered, your domain will be active within 24 hours, though it's usually much faster.

Getting your first website online is easier than you think. Here's your complete guide:

Prerequisites

• A hosting plan (Shared or VPS)
• A registered domain name
• Your cPanel login credentials

Method 1: Using Website Builders

The easiest way for beginners:

1. Log into your cPanel
2. Find "Website Builders" or "Softaculous"
3. Choose WordPress, Joomla, or another platform
4. Click "Install" and follow the wizard
5. Your website will be live in minutes!

Method 2: Upload Your Own Files

If you have existing website files:

1. Connect to your hosting via FTP (see FTP guide)
2. Navigate to the public_html folder
3. Upload your HTML, CSS, and other files
4. Your website is now live at your domain!

To connect your domain to your Host Web hosting account, you'll need to update your domain's nameservers.

Host Web Nameservers

Use these nameservers for all Host Web hosting:

• ns1.hostweb.com.au
• ns2.hostweb.com.au

If Your Domain is Registered with Host Web

Your domain is automatically connected! No action needed.

If Your Domain is Registered Elsewhere

1. Log into your domain registrar's control panel
2. Find "DNS Settings" or "Nameservers"
3. Select "Custom Nameservers"
4. Enter the Host Web nameservers above
5. Save your changes

cPanel is your hosting control panel where you manage all aspects of your website. Here's what you need to know:

Accessing cPanel

You can access cPanel in two ways:

• From your client area: Click "Manage" next to your hosting service
• Direct URL: https://yourdomain.com.au/cpanel

Key cPanel Sections

Files Section:

• File Manager - Browse and edit your website files
• FTP Accounts - Create FTP access for file uploads
• Backup - Download backups of your website

Databases Section:

• MySQL Databases - Create and manage databases
• phpMyAdmin - Advanced database management

Email Section:

• Email Accounts - Create email addresses
• Forwarders - Set up email forwarding
• Webmail - Access your email online

Domains Section:

• Addon Domains - Add additional domains
• Subdomains - Create subdomains

FTP (File Transfer Protocol) allows you to upload files from your computer to your hosting server.

Step 1: Get Your FTP Details

You'll need these three things:

• FTP Host: ftp.yourdomain.com.au or your server IP
• Username: Your cPanel username
• Password: Your cPanel password

Step 2: Download an FTP Client

We recommend these free FTP clients:

• FileZilla (Windows, Mac, Linux)
• Cyberduck (Mac, Windows)
• WinSCP (Windows)

Step 3: Connect to Your Server

1. Open your FTP client
2. Enter your FTP host, username, and password
3. Set port to 21
4. Click "Connect"

Step 4: Upload Your Files

1. Navigate to the public_html folder on the server
2. On your computer, find the files you want to upload
3. Drag and drop files from your computer to the server
4. Wait for the upload to complete

Create professional email addresses for your domain in just a few clicks.

Steps to Create an Email Account

1. Log into your cPanel
2. Find and click "Email Accounts" under the Email section
3. Click "Create" button
4. Enter the username (e.g., info for info@yourdomain.com.au)
5. Choose a strong password or generate one
6. Set the mailbox quota (we recommend at least 5GB)
7. Click "Create"

Accessing Your Email

You can access your email in three ways:

• Webmail: yourdomain.com.au/webmail
• Email Client: Outlook, Apple Mail, Thunderbird
• Mobile: iOS Mail app, Android Gmail app

Email Settings for Configuration

Use these settings for email clients:

• Incoming (IMAP): mail.yourdomain.com.au, Port 993, SSL
• Outgoing (SMTP): mail.yourdomain.com.au, Port 465, SSL
• Username: Your full email address
• Password: Your email password

Set up your Host Web email on your iPhone, iPad, or Android device.

iOS (iPhone/iPad) Setup

1. Open Settings
2. Scroll down and tap Mail
3. Tap Accounts → Add Account
4. Select Other
5. Tap Add Mail Account
6. Enter your name, email address, and password
7. Tap Next
8. Select IMAP
9. Fill in the server settings (see below)
10. Tap Save

Android Setup

1. Open the Gmail app (or your email app)
2. Tap the menu icon → Settings
3. Tap Add account
4. Select Other
5. Enter your email address and tap Next
6. Choose Personal (IMAP)
7. Enter your password and tap Next
8. Configure server settings (see below)
9. Complete the setup wizard

Server Settings

Incoming Server (IMAP):

• Server: mail.yourdomain.com.au
• Port: 993
• Security: SSL/TLS

Outgoing Server (SMTP):

• Server: mail.yourdomain.com.au
• Port: 465
• Security: SSL/TLS
• Authentication: Required

Configure your Host Web email in Microsoft Outlook for Windows or Mac.

Automatic Setup (Recommended)

1. Open Outlook
2. Go to File → Add Account
3. Enter your email address
4. Click Connect
5. Enter your password when prompted
6. Click OK to complete setup

Manual Setup

If automatic setup doesn't work:

1. Open Outlook and go to File → Add Account
2. Select Manual setup or additional server types
3. Choose POP or IMAP
4. Fill in your account information:

Your Name: Your name as you want it to appear
Email Address: your.email@yourdomain.com.au
Account Type: IMAP
Incoming Server: mail.yourdomain.com.au
Outgoing Server: mail.yourdomain.com.au
Username: your.email@yourdomain.com.au
Password: Your email password

5. Click More Settings
6. Go to Outgoing Server tab
7. Check "My outgoing server requires authentication"
8. Go to Advanced tab
9. Set incoming port to 993 with SSL
10. Set outgoing port to 465 with SSL
11. Click OK then Next to test

WordPress is the world's most popular content management system. Install it in minutes with our one-click installer.

Method 1: One-Click Install via Softaculous

1. Log into your cPanel
2. Scroll down to find Softaculous Apps Installer
3. Click on the WordPress icon
4. Click Install Now
5. Fill in the installation details:

Choose Domain: Select your domain
Directory: Leave blank for root installation
Site Name: Your website name
Admin Username: Choose a username (not 'admin')
Admin Password: Create a strong password
Admin Email: Your email address

6. Click Install
7. Wait 1-2 minutes for installation to complete
8. You'll receive your WordPress admin URL and credentials

Accessing Your WordPress Dashboard

After installation, access your WordPress admin at:

https://yourdomain.com.au/wp-admin

Next Steps

• Choose and install a WordPress theme
• Install essential plugins (security, SEO, backups)
• Create your first pages and posts
• Set up your menu navigation
• Configure your permalink structure

SSL certificates encrypt data between your website and visitors, showing the padlock icon in browsers. All Host Web hosting includes free AutoSSL.

Automatic SSL (AutoSSL)

Host Web automatically installs free SSL certificates for all domains on your account. This happens automatically within 24 hours of adding a domain.

Force HTTPS Across Your Website

After SSL is installed, redirect all traffic to HTTPS:

Method 1: Via cPanel

1. Log into cPanel
2. Find Domains
3. Click the domain you want to secure
4. Toggle Force HTTPS Redirect to ON
5. Save changes

Method 2: Via .htaccess File

Add this code to your .htaccess file in public_html:

RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301]

WordPress SSL Setup

If you're using WordPress:

1. Log into WordPress admin
2. Go to Settings → General
3. Update both URLs to use https://
4. Save changes
5. Install a plugin like "Really Simple SSL" for automatic redirects

SSH (Secure Shell) allows you to access your VPS server command line remotely.

Prerequisites

• Your VPS IP address
• Your root username (usually 'root')
• Your root password
• SSH client software

On Windows

1. Download and install PuTTY (free SSH client)
2. Open PuTTY
3. Enter your VPS IP address in "Host Name"
4. Set Port to 22
5. Click Open
6. Enter username when prompted (usually 'root')
7. Enter your password (characters won't show as you type)
8. Press Enter

On Mac/Linux

1. Open Terminal application
2. Type: ssh root@your-vps-ip-address
3. Press Enter
4. Type 'yes' if asked about fingerprint
5. Enter your password when prompted
6. Press Enter

First Login Tasks

After your first login, we recommend:

1. Update your system: yum update or apt update && apt upgrade
2. Create a new user account (don't always use root)
3. Set up SSH key authentication for better security
4. Configure your firewall

If your website isn't loading, follow these troubleshooting steps:

Check Your Domain DNS

1. Verify your domain is pointing to Host Web nameservers
2. DNS changes can take 24-48 hours to propagate
3. Use a DNS checker tool to verify propagation

Verify Your Hosting is Active

• Log into your client area
• Check that your hosting service is active and not suspended
• Verify payment is up to date

Check for Server Issues

• Visit our status page to check for server issues
• Contact support if servers show operational but site isn't loading

Clear Your Browser Cache

1. Press Ctrl+Shift+Delete (or Cmd+Shift+Delete on Mac)
2. Select "Cached images and files"
3. Click "Clear data"
4. Try accessing your website again

Check Your .htaccess File

A misconfigured .htaccess file can cause issues:

1. Log into cPanel File Manager
2. Navigate to public_html
3. Find .htaccess file (enable "Show hidden files")
4. Temporarily rename it to .htaccess.old
5. Try accessing your website

If you're experiencing email problems, try these solutions:

Verify Email Account Exists

1. Log into cPanel
2. Go to Email Accounts
3. Verify the email account is created
4. Check that the mailbox isn't full

Check Your Email Settings

Verify you're using correct settings:

• Incoming Server: mail.yourdomain.com.au, Port 993, SSL
• Outgoing Server: mail.yourdomain.com.au, Port 465, SSL
• Authentication: Must be enabled
• Username: Full email address

Check Spam Folder

Incoming emails might be marked as spam:

• Check your spam/junk folder
• Mark legitimate emails as "Not Spam"
• Add sender to your contacts

Verify DNS Records

Proper email delivery requires correct MX records:

1. Log into cPanel
2. Go to Zone Editor
3. Verify MX records point to Host Web servers
4. MX record should be: mail.yourdomain.com.au

Check Sending Limits

If you can't send emails:

• Verify you haven't exceeded the 1000 emails/hour limit
• Check if your account has been flagged for spam
• Contact support to review your sending reputation