Hosting FAQs

Q: I've already built my website elsewhere. Can you transfer it over for me?

A:Unfortunately we're not able to do this. Your website data is completely confidential to you, so we're unable to access your files. However, to transfer it over to us you can simply make a local copy of all your files and then upload it to our servers using FTP.

Q: What security / backup measures do you take?

A:We take security very seriously and have a dedicated team of systems administrators on-site 24x7. All shared Linux servers are monitored continuously so we are able to respond immediately to any problems.

There is a multi-layer protection of your data integrity. We use high spec servers hosted in one of our own UK data centres.

Our Linux shared servers are backed up to tape on a regular basis to ensure that if any problems should occur the data from the server is available for restore. The archived tapes are held in a fire-proof safe outside of the data centre. Please note that these backups are designed to provide insurance against any serious server issues or similar - there is an admin charge for restoring files which have been accidentally deleted.

Q: How many visitors or hits can I get per x GB data transfer per month?

A:It's impossible for us to give you a figure. There are many factors that contribute to this. For example if your website is mainly plain text, every hit or visitor is using relatively less bandwidth than a graphics-heavy site. Using the example of 1 GB bandwidth, on a 10 KB page, that will allow 10,000 page impressions.

A:Web traffic is the amount of data sent and received by visitors to a web site. Each time a visitor views a page on a website, they download the html, images and any other components that form that page onto their local computer; this information is then pieced together by a web browser to correctly display the page.

This download of information from your web-server contributes towards your monthly traffic allowance.

A: Streaming is a process that allows web visitors to view media at the same time as downloading it, for example: watching a live TV broadcast or listening to a live university lecture.

Streaming in this sense is not. Visitors to your website will however be able to download video and .mp3 files from your webspace, whilst technically not streaming the majority of media players now allow clips to start playing whilst they are downloaded.

Q: What Java support do you offer?

A:We support Java applets as these are run client-side.

Email FAQs

Q: What restrictions do you have on your email accounts?

A:E-mail is not the most efficient method for transferring large files, so to prevent your mail delivery being hampered by large emails sent by other customers we have set a limit of 10MB on the combined total size of the email plus attachment. We do not have a specific limit on the number of emails you can send/receive, although to protect all our users from the problem of spam this is subject to our acceptable use policy. We would recommend using FTP for the transfer of larger files.

Q: You mention POP3 email accounts. Do you also support SMTP?

A:Yes, we offer POP3, SMTP and IMAP email accounts.

Q: How to access a Mailbox?

Accessing a Mailbox

To collect email from a POP3 account you need to configure your email program correctly. The settings you need to configure are as follows.

eCommerce FAQs

Q: What is eCommerce?

A: eCommerce is the buying and selling of goods online. We offer a comprehensive range of eCommerce packages, making setting up your online shop as simple as possible.

Q: How will I receive my eCommerce software?

A:Actinic Catalog software will be shipped directly to you by Actinic for installation direct on your PC, and includes 30 days free telephone support from Actinic. Prices for the Actinic software starts from only £399 + VAT.

Q: What are the minimum system requirements for Actinic?

A:Actinic eCommerce software installs directly onto your home/ office PC, the minimum system requirements are as follows:

• Pentium PC running Windows 98, 2000, ME, XP, Vista or NT4; minimum 64MB memory, 128MB preferred
• Internet access
• Internet Explorer v5 or hight
• 100MB free disk space
• 65536 colour display recommended
   

Q: Does your Business eCommerce package include credit card processing?

A:In order to accept credit card orders online you will also need to connect your bank account to a payment gateway. For easy integration Actinic is pre-configured to work with many leading payment gateway providers. See E-Commerce page for more information.

Q: How are your eCommerce accounts supported?

A:As with all our packages, your hosting will be supported by our hosting support team 24/7 by email. Actinic software is supported directly by Actinic. Telephone support is free for the first 30-days, after which free email support is available.

Q: What is SSL?

A:Short for secure sockets layer, SSL is a system whereby documents can be sent privately across the Internet. SSL uses encryption and is commonly used for shopping online, for example, the order forms on this site use SSL.

Domain Names FAQs

Q: I have an existing domain name. Will you transfer it over for me?

A:If you would like to simplify management of your website, we can host your domain as well as your website. Because we're part of the same family as respected registrar www.123-reg.co.uk , by transferring your domain to us you benefit from the value and flexibility with which they have become associated. Simply visit the 123-reg website for further information on transferring your domains into our system.

Q: Do I need to transfer my domain to you to use your hosting?

A:If you are happy to leave your domain name where it is at the moment, you can simply get the name servers changed over. We would handle your website and emails, but domain management would remain with your current provider.

Domain names hosted on this server should have their name servers set as follows.

Q: Do I have to have a registered domain name before I open an account?

A:No, you can register a domain name at the point of order if you wish. However, please note that all hosting accounts need to have a domain name associated with them.

Q: What is a sub-domain?

A:If your domain name is yourdomain.com , a sub-domain name is something in front of it - for example site1.yourdomain.com and site2.yourdomain.com.

Q: Can I just buy a domain name without hosting?

A:Yes you can. Select domain names above to go to www.123-reg.co.uk. 

Q: Can I have more than one domain name per account?

A:Yes we can set it up so the new domain names will point to your main account. To do this there will be a one off charge of £9.99. To do this you must transfer your domain to us.

FTP FAQs

Q: What si and how do I use FTP?

A:The process by which files are transferred to the web server is called FTP (File Transport Protocol). You have unlimited access to your web space via FTP 24-hours a day. As such, you can create and maintain your web pages on your own computer and upload files to your web site at your leisure.

FTP Software

To use FTP you need a piece of software installed on your computer called an FTP client. We recommend WS_FTP which can be downloaded for either the PC or Mac from http://www.wsftp.com/. Many popular web design packages also come with FTP software functionality included.

Microsoft FrontPage Users

Customers wishing to use Microsoft FrontPage to manage their site should install the FrontPage Server Extensions and should use only the publishing feature within FrontPage to transfer files. Using regular FTP can corrupt the extensions, disabling the functionality of the FrontPage web and requiring that the site be deleted to reinstall the extensions.

Configuring Your FTP Software

To connect to your site by FTP, you will need to configure your FTP client with the following information.

FTP Host:         ftp.companies-online.co.uk
Username:        Your account username
Password:        Your account password

The initial working directory, port number and all other configuration options should be left at their defaults.