Change web hosting providers
Moving web hosting providers is easy if you have a HTML website but more difficult if you have online forms, CMS or website databases. The instructions below are for HTML websites. If you are in doubt about moving hosting providers, do not attempt to move a website yourself. Request a quote.
- Transfer your domain (No charge for domain name transfer. Standard domain name prices apply if your domain name is due to expire)
- Order web hosting by logging in to your domain name via http://domains.passioncomputing.com.au with the username and password sent to you via email.
- Download your old website from your current hosting provider. You can use www.coreftp.com - a free ftp program , Coreftp has detailed information on how to use the program and it is very easy to use.
- Upload your website files to the ftp details provided in your hosting instructions email. Check that your website is complete by visiting the temporary url provided to you in your hosting instructions.
- Set up email accounts for all email addresses that you currently use. See setting up email accounts You will not be able to test your email until you have changed over your name servers.
- If possible activate mail forwarding at your old hosting provider. Forward email to your ISP email address.
- When you are sure that all your email accounts are set up and your web site files uploaded on your new hosting account, login to your domain name and update your name server records. The easiest way to get to the right area, is to login to your domain name admin, click "edit" next to the domain name that you wish to manage and the name server page will appear. Click on the 'hosting' button, and then "update name servers" and your domain name will start to resolve to your new hosting account.
Warning: if you are transferring from another host, you should download your mail before making the following name server changes, otherwise email may be left on your old hosting account's mail server. You must make sure that you have create mailboxes all mail aliases before you change your name server records or else you will lose email in the process of changing name servers.
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WAIT
You will need to wait till your name servers delegate, before your webmail or mail will work on your new hosting account.
Why does it take 24-48 hours to propogate name server changes across the internet? The internet is made up of many servers and computers all linked together and 11 authoritative name servers that direct internet traffic. When you make a change to your name server records, this change is made at your registrar who is linked to the central authoritative name servers. ISPs hold name server records in cache or memory, for a period of 24 hours and this means that if you have been to your URL, and then changed your name server records, the old record is held in memory until the ISP flushes the cache and the ISP updates your domain name to the new records. If you are careful not to visit your domain name before and just after you initiate a name server change, the change will seem instantenous.
- Once transfer is complete, you can close down your account with old hosting provider.