> Why are there files already in my folder?
> Do I need to register my own Domain Name?
> How long does it take for my domain to become active?
> How do I know when my domain is active?
> My domain is resolving but is still not working or I am receiving 403 forbidden
   errors

Why are there files already in my folder?
Depending on the platform there are certain files and folders that are necessary. Please ensure you do not delete these files as you will have to contact support to have them reinstated. These files are responsible for certain features of your chosen platform, particularly if publishing via Frontpage.

Windows with Frontpage
Frontpage Extensions: Frontpage will create numerous folders upon installation by us or via the control panel. These folders will start with an underscore. If you delete these via FTP you will corrupt your extensions. We recommend if you plan to use Frontpage that you do not use FTP at all.

Do I need to register my own Domain Name?
If you do not have your own domain and require one, we can register this on your behalf. Currently we can register a select number of different domain extensions, however, we can host any domain regardless of the extension if you have already registered it. If you have your own domain and would like to use it you will need to change the nameservers associated with it see. For details on how to transfer your existing domain to our servers please click here .

How long does it take for my domain to become active?
For your domain to be accessible through a browser it can take from 24 to 72 hours. When a domain is registered or transferred InterNIC must announce that your site has been registered and its location. This replication can take varying amounts of time as ISP's around the world must update there records to reflect its new location. During this time you can upload to your site via FTP only. Prior to your domain working, within your FTP client, use the IP address as the host name and the user and password are as specified in your welcome email. If you wish to view your domain before it is active, you can by typing in your browser http://IP_ADDRESS/domainname/ substituting your details for those in italics (a direct URL is given in the welcome email).

How do I know when my domain is active?
To test whether your domain has been activated or transferred properly go the MSDOS prompt and type: ping yourdomain.com substituting your details for those in italic

If the IP address returned is the same as the IP address specified in the welcome email your domain is active on our servers.

If an IP address other than the one specified in the welcome email is returned then your domain is still resolving to your old host and you should return to your domain registrar and transfer your domain, click here for details on how to do this

If you receive a mesage unkown host then you domain is not activated

My Domain is resolving but is still not working or I am receiving 403 forbidden errors
If your domain is resolving to the correct IP and is still not working when you access it via your browser please ensure that you have uploaded a default page for the webserver to execute when your domain is accessed. If you do not have a default page you will receive an error message stating that access is denied.

Below is a list of default pages that are supported by our servers. If you are on Linux platform please ensure that all filenames are lowercase as Linux is a case sensitive Operating System. The default document must be uploaded to the root directory of your domain and not be placed in a subfolder for it to automatically open when http://www.yourdomain.com is entered into the browser. Note the platform pertains to the platform your website is located on, not the platform your personal computer is running.

If you have uploaded a default document and your domain is resolving to the correct IP address (see welcome email for this) and it is still not working you will need to contact support.