Confused: Want to purchase a second domain, how would this work?

osakka · #1 09-30-2006, 04:17 AM

I currently have a semi-dedicated account with HG. However, I would like to purchase another domain.

Basically, I want two domains: www.currentdomain.com and www.newdomain.com and I want them both on my current account.

My question is... where would I go about buying www.newdomain.com? Can I do it through HG? I would prefer to do it through HG.

Also, say I get the new domain, how would this work in cpanel? Meaning how would I go about updating www.newdomain.com? Would I still log into my currentdomain in order to update the new one?

quietFinn · #2 09-30-2006, 04:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by osakka

I currently have a semi-dedicated account with HG. However, I would like to purchase another domain.

Basically, I want two domains: www.currentdomain.com and www.newdomain.com and I want them both on my current account.

My question is... where would I go about buying www.newdomain.com? Can I do it through HG? I would prefer to do it through HG.

Yes, you can buy it through HG, or using any registrar.
Go to http://www.hostgator.com/domains to buy it through HG

Quote:

Originally Posted by osakka

Also, say I get the new domain, how would this work in cpanel? Meaning how would I go about updating www.newdomain.com? Would I still log into my currentdomain in order to update the new one?

You manage the new domain under your main domain cPanel.
In your cPanel go to "Addon domains" and add the new domain there.

slapshotw · #3 09-30-2006, 03:42 PM

I would advise not buying your domain from Hostgator, just because it's always considered better form to seperate your domain registrar and your host. Go with enom or godaddy or something instead.

If your new domain is going to point to the same files and such as the old ones, make it a parked domain.

-Matt

osakka · #4 09-30-2006, 08:07 PM

Slapshot, why is it considered better form to seperate the registrar and host? Is there something bad that could result from buying a domain name from HG?

I believe if I were to get the domain at go daddy (or any other place) I would have to wait 60 days to transfer it to HG.

#5 09-30-2006, 08:38 PM

"I believe if I were to get the domain at go daddy (or any other place) I would have to wait 60 days to transfer it to HG."

You don't need to transfer the domain to HG at all to use a domain registered with another registrar. When you purchase a domain, the most important part of the record is the name servers. In the domain name record, you use the name servers that HG gave you when you registered. Then once you've set things up under control panel, the domain should work.

slapshotw · #6 10-01-2006, 03:58 AM

"Unregistered" is right-- you wouldn't be transferring it to HG at all. Leave it with the other registrar and then just change the DNS/nameservers.

The reason it's good form to separate the two is because you may want to switch away from Hostgator hosting one day, and it may not be the easiest thing to cancel your hosting account with them but ask them to help you with the domain.

It's also an "all eggs in 1 basket" scenario. If something happens to hostgator, in a worst case scenario, with your domain on another registrar, you could switch the nameservers to any other host and be up again in 24-48 hours or less. But if they have your domain, and something's happened to them, it won't be so easy.

I personally would never register my domain with my hosting company.

-Matt

kigoobe · #7 10-01-2006, 04:13 AM

Quote:

I personally would never register my domain with my hosting company.

I fully agree with Matt. Godaddy is one of the cheapests and you have full control over your domain with them, for example. For name server change, you can do it by yourself, and it takes only a few hours before you can see your domain name from godaddy is calling your hosted files at HG.

quietFinn · #8 10-01-2006, 06:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slapshotw

The reason it's good form to separate the two is because you may want to switch away from Hostgator hosting one day, and it may not be the easiest thing to cancel your hosting account with them but ask them to help you with the domain.

That is nonsense, you will not need any help with them if and when you want to go elsewhere, you just do the same thing you'd do anywhere else, i.e. change the nameservers.

kigoobe · #9 10-01-2006, 07:12 AM

hmmm quietfinn... things are getting hot ... well, I haven't yet discovered everything what HG is offering (pretty new here), but if HG is really offering as much freedom as other 3rd party domain vendors, then price may be one factor one may consider before choosing a domain name vendor (though I feel a bit like Slapshotw). Personally I found HG is slightly costlier, what do you think Quietfinn (though a few dollars a year shouldn't make a big difference in one's pocket)?

quietFinn · #10 10-01-2006, 07:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kigoobe

hmmm quietfinn... things are getting hot ... well, I haven't yet discovered everything what HG is offering (pretty new here), but if HG is really offering as much freedom as other 3rd party domain vendors, then price may be one factor one may consider before choosing a domain name vendor (though I feel a bit like Slapshotw). Personally I found HG is slightly costlier, what do you think Quietfinn (though a few dollars a year shouldn't make a big difference in one's pocket)?

I don't even know what HG charges for domains.
But if you are ordering a hosting account in HG and you need a domain as well I see no reason why you couldn't or shouldn't, except the fact that you can probably get it cheaper somewhere else, order the domain through HG as well.

slapshotw · #11 10-01-2006, 01:56 PM

Even if you disagree with my reasoning for splitting the two, HG is still just an eNom reseller for domains, and charges $15 a year. So, let's say you want to disregard everything I said about splitting the two (which I still stick with for good reason, by the way), go with godaddy because it's cheaper- $9 a year, and let's leave it at that. Hopefully quietfinn will be happy because you get a better deal, and I'll be happy because you didn't register your domain name with your host.

slapshotw · #12 10-01-2006, 02:00 PM

Also, check out the 2nd and 3rd message in the below (unrelated) thread to see that Serra and another unregistered person agree with me-- don't register your domain with your host.

http://forums.hostgator.com/showthread.php?t=11070

kmaw · #13 10-01-2006, 02:22 PM

Amen to that...

osakka · #14 10-01-2006, 03:28 PM

Thanks guys, I understand now for the most part. I went ahead and purchased at godaddy.

I really wasn't aware of all this. My original domain was purchased here at hostgator. I did a ton of research too. It took me forever to settle on HG.

All of that being said, I have two questions concerning this topic:

1. I run two blogs. One of them at http://www.currentdomain.com and the other at http://www.currentdomain.com/secondblog . The new domain I purchased at godaddy will be for http://www.currentdomain/secondblog .

My question is... if for some reason I wanted to move on from HG, does that mean I could only move http://www.currentdomain/secondblog (aka http://www.newdomainfromgodaddy.com)?

2. If so, how would I go about doing that?

kigoobe · #15 10-01-2006, 03:35 PM

If you want to move from HG (hope you won't leave us soon

), this is what you need to do.

1. Purchase a server there.
2. Upload all your file there, once you have your ftp address etc.
3. Export your database (zip)
4. Import your database to the new host.
5. Once done, check if everything is working at your second host properly.
6. Once you are sure, go to godaddy, and change your nameserver.
7. Wait for 6 / 7 hours.
8. Enjoy your site at the new location.

9. Once you are sure that hostgator was a better host, repeat the steps from 1 to 8 and come back to HG.

osakka · #16 10-01-2006, 03:44 PM

haha, thanks a bunch. I love HG and I have no plans on leaving HG. I was just curious. I figured it would be a good thing to know.

quietFinn · #17 10-01-2006, 03:52 PM

Well let's try to make this clear:

A domain and a hosting account are two totally separate things.

If I own a domain MyDomain.com, and want to host it (or actually host a website using that domain) in SomeHosting, I set the nameserver entries of MyDomain.com to point to SomeHosting's nameservers.

If I later want to move my site to SomeOtherHosting, I just move the files and databases etc. to SomeOtherHosting (as kigoobe explained), and change the nameserver entries of MyDomain.com to point to SomeOtherHosting's nameservers.

cjnoyes · #18 10-02-2006, 08:47 AM

I want to echo some things that have been said, if your domain is with the hosting company or design firm, they can hold you hostage if you move away from their services when it comes time to renew your domain or move away. Enom is rather expensive if you are not a reseller so if you left gator you wouldn't want to stay with them either.

vtrain · #19 10-02-2006, 08:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cjnoyes

[snip]
Enom is rather expensive if you are not a reseller so if you left gator you wouldn't want to stay with them either.

Enom reseller accounts that HG gives ... are for life.
http://www.hostgator.com/enomreseller.shtml

This is because we are a subaccount of theirs. So they get money everytime you buy a domain to enom

Vtrain

gwyneth · #20 10-02-2006, 12:34 PM

Quote:

It's also an "all eggs in 1 basket" scenario. If something happens to hostgator, in a worst case scenario, with your domain on another registrar, you could switch the nameservers to any other host and be up again in 24-48 hours or less. But if they have your domain, and something's happened to them, it won't be so easy.

I'd like to echo, repeat, and amplify this.

Hostgator is great--in 12 years of doing this they're the fifth, and I hope last, hosting firm I've had.

GoDaddy is obnoxious and greedy, but they do one thing well: register domains and make it easy to set their nameservers.

Right now, it might seem like a theoretical inconvenience if anything were to happen to HG...but if there's one thing we know about the future it's that it's unpredictable.

Every morning I look at Lake Superior, think of the Gulf of Mexico and shudder as I remember how the Gulf overflowed and ruined my house, business and life twice in 366 days--10 and 11 years ago this week.

Even if HG weren't in Florida, stuff can happen. It's a law of nature and systems management that if you prepare for the worst, it probably won't happen.

As an old rock and roll roadie once said in a different context, you can make sure enormous radioactive squid don't consume HG and all its servers, backups, and records by taking a small, sensible precaution.

Goddess Dix · #21 10-02-2006, 12:34 PM

While I have no reason to believe that managing your domain if you changed hosting from HG would be an issue, they are right that it's a good idea to seperate the two. (Not that I really want my clients to do that).

I had a client who had purchased their domain and a hosting account through Yahoo. They cancelled hosting and it was RIDICULOUS trying to get access to that domain after that. We even considered renewing hosting for a month to have access to the domain again, but it didn't work out. After months of fighting, I was finally able to get my client access to their own domain with a fax to Austrailia.

Something to be aware of, for sure.

Sergio · #22 10-02-2006, 10:38 PM

Being a domain reseller my self, I agree with QuietFinn, as the slogan says "don´t have the eggs in the same basket". I have been working with domains for 4 years now and I really like the idea of having all my domains at the reach of my finger tips, so I can do any changes that I want at the momment that I want.

Even my prices are not to high

So, if you need a domain please try to consider my site as an option, too.

Regards.