Week 1: Domain and Webhosting

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Purchasing your Webserver and Domain

Important: Please, please, please pay attention to your usernames and passwords for both your webhost and domain registry. They will likely be different, and it is your responsibility to understand they are distinct, and need to be available to you throughout the semester.

Domain Name Registration

Purchase your own domain name at Hover (or some other domain registry service, here’s a list of all accredited domain registrars).

The cost of domain names vary depending on your extension. For example, traditionally domains ending in .com or .org are more expensive than domains ending in .info or .us. We do not require you to use any one domain extension, and more and more any one official application of a domain extension is becoming outdated.

NOTE: If you purchase from Hover, domain privacy is included in the cost of the domain name. If you purchase from someone else and are concerned about your private information being linked to your domain name, be sure to include privacy options in your purchase.

Webhost

You can purchase your webhosting account from a variety of hosts online. Anyone from Bluehost to Site5 to Host Gator to InMotion, to name just a few. But, each of those hosts have you pay upfront for an entire year even if you only want it for the four months of this class (if you use one of these services be sure to ask if they will give you a pro-rated discount should you cancel after four or five months). If you want to pay on a month-by-month basis I would recommend using Cast Iron Coding (CIC). Even though Cast Iron Coding sells domains, we are requiring that you use a different domain registrar (such as Hover, mentioned above), so you can see how DNS and domain pointing works. Also, be sure you enter your domain and choose the self-management option when registering at CIC (see image below).

IMPORTANT NOTE: When you enter the domain name you registered at Hover, you may get a message that the domain name is already taken. That’s okay — as long as you choose “Self Management” in the Registration Options, you’ll be able to proceed.

Image of the registration page at CIC

The cost of an account with Cast Iron Coding is $10/month, and the first month will be pro-rated. You can get an account for cheaper at other hosts, but, again, you will likely be required to purchase at least a year of hosting up front.

If you do decide to proceed with a different host, please make sure you are getting a LAMP hosting environment with cPanel. (If you’re not sure feel free to send us a link to a service you’re looking at — so we can check it out for you.)

Setting up your Webserver and Domain

Pointing the domain to webhost: We have created a tutorial for pointing your domain to your web hosting space here. Please do this as soon as possible because it could take up to 24-48 hours for the domain to propagate on your web host. Also, note that if you are using a different webhost than Cast Iron Coding, your nameservers will be different.

Creating your blog: We have also created a tutorial for installing a blog on your web hosting account here.

Finally, email or tweet us—http://twitter.com/jimgroom or http://twitter.com/cogdog your questions or issues.

When you have finished setting up your domain, webhost, and blog, your first post on your brand spanking new blog should be a discussion of your process, try and explain what you think is happening technically, and be sure to tag your first week’s assignments “domo” (no quotes) so you get credit for completing it. FInally, once you have a blog address, be sure to add it to your user profile on ds106.us so we can syndicate your work into the course site.

Comments

  1. Johnathan Blake

    January 13, 2011

    Alright. Looks like I’m all set up for week 1. I’m not clear on one thing, when we post to our blog, how do you know to go and check it?

    For example, I just made an introduction post on my blog: twothousandsuns.com and I included a 30 second story. Do I notify you when I post or do you know to just check it?

    • Reverend

      January 13, 2011

      Jonathan,

      What I will do is make sure it pulls into both the ds106.us blog, as well as sends a notification on the course group for Section 4. Stay tuned, I will explain my process shortly.

  2. Tenisha Minor

    January 16, 2011

    Assignment One:
    I have finally figured out how to get my site together! This was frustrating at times, but the tutuorials helped alot! My first website =) blog.bestoneinamillion.com . So where do I go from here? Or do I need to do anything else with this?

    • Reverend

      January 16, 2011

      Congrats Tenisha, and welcome!

      Now how about approving my comment on your blog, which has further instructions :)

  3. Brianna Hansen

    January 17, 2012

    Hi, I have purchased a domain and a webhost, and I have pointed the domain. But I’m not sure how to set-up the blog. Where is the login for yourdomain.com?

    • Reverend

      January 17, 2012

      Brianna,

      If you set it up on Cast Iron Coding you might want to give it a little to propagate. If another host, let me know.

  4. Sarah Parlett

    January 17, 2012

    ive signed up for this to be an online class but i have some question on how to buy the actual domain, because through hover its only allowing me to buy for the year. Im just a little confused and would like to follow up in class tonight

  5. Veronica Perrone

    January 17, 2012

    “Fantastico” didn`t work but I managed to install “wp”. What should I do now? (I`m not native english, sorry if I have some mistakes)

  6. Emily Deane

    January 17, 2012

    I purchased a domain and a webhosting account from CIC but it keeps telling me my account is not active and it won’t let me log in for some reason…

    • Reverend

      January 17, 2012

      It can take a little time, usually a few hours. I wouldn’t worry too much, let me know if it still isn’t up in a little while.

  7. Sarah Parlett

    January 17, 2012

    with host gator we choose the basic 1 domain package right, we dont need any extras?

  8. Sarah Parlett

    January 17, 2012

    ive gone through the tutorials and did exactly what it says step by step and when i go to http://blog.immodr8.com/wp-admin all that comes up is the hover website

    • cogdog

      January 18, 2012

      your blog seems to be working now- it takes some time for the name to register so all users access it; until then, it will route you back to hover.

  9. Emily Deane

    January 19, 2012

    I’m unable to log in to the CPanel for my site. Could this be because it hasn’t registered yet? I’m signing in with the username and password for CIC that I created two nights ago.

    Also, how do I know that I’m tagging things correctly for The Daily Create assignments? I did yesterday’s assignment and it’s uploaded to Flickr, I’m just not sure how anyone is supposed to see it.

    • Jim Groom

      January 19, 2012

      Emily,

      If you are hosting with Cast Iron Coding and just set your site up it could take a number of hours. I would let that ride. In the mean time you can point your domain to the nameservers at your web hosting account and let it all propagate. If by tomorrow it isn’t working, email me at jimgroom_at_gmail.com and we will look into it further.

  10. brainysmurf

    January 25, 2012

    Hi, folks. I’m getting my head around the what and how of what you’d like us to do, just not clear on the why. I already have a blog and Flickr account. Why do I need my own webserver and domain?

  11. Chris

    February 4, 2012

    OK im all set for this CT 101 class im taking at York……well atleast I think I am lol

  12. Lindsay Kenney

    February 6, 2012

    My blog works!! :)

    • Reverend

      February 6, 2012

      Lindsay,

      This is excellent news, congrats. I know it has been a hard go.

  13. Renae

    February 9, 2012

    I’ve set up my blog and both my domain and host however I cannot connect the two. I attempted to follow the tutorial for setting up the blog however there is no icon named “Fantastico De Luxe” in my cpanel. Help Please.

    • Reverend

      February 11, 2012

      Renae,

      What hosting service are you using? Is there something called Simple Scripts or just Fantastico in your CPanel? Let me know.

  14. Renae

    February 12, 2012

    I’m using cast iron coding and hover. I tried to get into my cpanel and now it isn’t allowing me. It just brings me to the hover homepage with my name.

    • Jim Groom

      February 12, 2012

      How long ago did you do this? It takes a bit to populate, anywhere from 24-48 hours. Also, if you did point it to the CIC nameservers correctly the DNS record will be changed, so it could take a bit for your network to clear the cache of the Hover page. What is your URL? I can check that part of it from here.

  15. Renae

    February 12, 2012

    I did it over a week ago and a few days ago I was able to access my cpanel. The link is renaealisha.me .

    • Reverend

      February 12, 2012

      Renae,
      I am looking into this now. I’ll be pack in touch.

  16. Renae

    February 13, 2012

    Okay thank you.

    • Reverend

      February 13, 2012

      Renae,
      You need to check your nameserver settings on the Hover domain name account and make sure you only have CIC nameservers and not Hover nameservers for the domain. Everything looks right on CICs end. The nameservers should be ns1.castironcoding.com ns2.castironcoding.com

  17. Renae

    February 14, 2012

    okay I just deleted the hover nameservers that were there however I still can’t view my cpanel to see if I can add wordpress.

    • Jim Groom

      February 15, 2012

      It can a little time an be sure you have two nameservers in there:
      ns1.castironcoding.com
      ns2.castironcoding.com

  18. Renae

    February 15, 2012

    I do thank you. I will let you know how it goes.

  19. Renae

    February 19, 2012

    Hello I’m still having trouble adding my blog. I still don’t have anything called simple scripts or fantastico in my cpanel

    • Reverend

      February 21, 2012

      Renae,
      If you are using Cast Iron Coding then you should see Fantastico (or Fantastico Deluxe) when you login into CPanel towards the bottom of the page. Can’t imagine why you wouldn;t be seeing it, but let me know.

  20. Renae

    February 26, 2012

    I’m still not seeing it. I tried looking at one of the video tutorials from the cpanel as well and I don’t see it there in my site software.

  21. Renae

    February 26, 2012

    I didn’t find fantastico but I did find a way to redirect it to my wordpress.

    • Reverend

      February 26, 2012

      At this point I recommend you setting up an appointment with your instructor to get this squareed away, I can;t seem to help you from afar.

  22. Ibrahim Amidu

    April 26, 2012

    when we have finish setting up our domain what is the next step we have to take

    • Reverend

      April 26, 2012

      Ibrahim,
      You let us know what your URL is here and we will syndicate it into ds106. Are you an open online student? Or are you associated with a school?

  23. Benjamin Decardi-Nelson

    May 8, 2012

    I don’t really understand “your first post on your brand spanking new blog should be a discussion of your process, try and explain what you think is happening technically, “. What actually should be my first post. It it the process of getting the blog or what..thanks

    • Reverend

      May 8, 2012

      Benjamin,

      You have a few options as an open, online student. You can get a blog on a free service like blogger, WordPress.com, etc. —once you have done this just add your blog url to your profile and leave a comment there telling me as much and I will syndicate it in.

      Alternatively, you can get your own domain and web hosting account from a name register and hosting company you see fit. There are some suggestions and resources in this post, but if you contact me at jimgroom_at_gmail.com I can hook you up with free hosting—but you will need to buy the domain. Once that is done send me an email and we will syndicate you in.

      Make sense?

      • Benjamin Decardi-Nelson

        May 9, 2012

        Ok if thats the case then I have already registered with wordpress and I have added the url to my profile. The url is : http://acquireit.wordpress.com/ hpe this info is ok. Anyway thanks for the offer.

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