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How to Make your Next Move to a New Web Host Painless


Two things can go seriously wrong when you move to a new web hosting provider. Follow this simple guide to doing it without too many dramas.

Any move to a new hosting provider can mean huge losses to your business if things aren't done correctly. Specifically:

  1. your web site doesn't "behave" the way it should, and
  2. your email goes "missing" for several days.

SETTING UP THE NEW SERVER

The first problem is easily solved by setting up the new server correctly.

Set up the new server with your existing/main domain name details (but do NOT change the DNS settings - yet).

Once the server is set up, you can then PARK another/spare domain name at the same server.

For example, most servers with cPanel allow you to easily park one - or more - domains on top of an existing one. If you don't happen to have a spare/unused domain name you can use for this purpose, it won't cost much to register a new .com just for this purpose.

Now, make sure that the DNS information for the PARKED domain at the domain name registry points to the new server.

Once you can see your web site under the parkeddomain.com address in your web browser, FULLY TEST IT to make sure all the interactive routines - i.e. search routines, contact forms, forums, RSS feeds, etc., all work as they should.

Once you are 100% certain that it works properly, AND you've got your email sorted out (see next bit) then you can then organise to have the DNS for your main domain name changed to point to the new server.

BIG TIP Make a small, subtle change to your NEW home page so that you can easily tell which site (old or new) you are looking in your web browser. When you can see the change, it means your DNS has been updated.

BIGGER TIP Remember to change ANY/ALL of the setup files that pointed to the parked domain, to point to you main domain name before changing the DNS, otherwise strange things might happen.

DONT LOSE ANY EMAIL

The problem with a DNS change is that it can take some time to go through - usually within 12-48 hours - but it can take up to 72 hours or even longer for it to propagate throughout the whole Internet.

During that time, some of your customers WILL be seeing the OLD version of your site, and if they send you email it can be delivered to the OLD server.

And you might be NOT able to check the mail at the old server because your ISP has updated the DNS and you can only see the new one...

At the OLD server simply set up a FORWARD or REDIRECTION to send all your mail to your existing ISP email account, or perhaps even a Hotmail type address.

Now - for the final time - in Outlook or whatever email client you are using, click on Send/Receive to get any mail that might still be on the old server. After this, any new mail (to your old server) will come in through your ISP email box.

Next, set up your email accounts at the NEW server. You should ALSO set up redirects here to send any mail it receives to your ISP address. That way, if you're unlucky and your DNS takes forever to proagate, you will still get your new email.

Finally, when you are all ready to go, lodge the DNS change with your domain name registrar to point your main domain to the new server.

WHILE THE DNS IS UPDATING...

If everything has been set up correctly, then while the DNS is updating, several things will happen:
  • Any email being sent to the old server is being redirected to your ISP email address, and
  • Any email that's sent to the NEW server is ALSO being redirected to your ISP email address, so you won't lose any.
  • Your email client should keep checking the OLD server until the DNS change goes through. WHEN this does happen, it will most likely display an "unable to connect" ERROR message.
  • Now check to make sure you can see the NEW site in your web browser.
  • If you can see the new site, then change your email settings to the new server settings and check that they work with both sending and receiving.
  • Now remove the redirections from the new server.
Finally - in about another week or so, contact your OLD hosting provider and arrange to close your account. It's an important step, but so many people forget to do it... until they get re-billed for another month, or quarter or year! And lot's of luck trying to get refund!!!

Author Credits ::

Stephen Spry is the webmaster of OzSmallBiz.net and has been helping small business succeed on the Internet since 1997. He can help you make a painless move to a new web hosting provider and bring your existing web site up to date.

More information is available on DNS Propagation.