Considering hosting

[frankedsm]

I'm in the process of designing a website for someone who has already purchased a domain name. I found out that they will only do domain name masking with a placed advertisement.

Is it possible to do domain name masking from the HostGator end?

[frankedsm]

So, Yes or No, can Host Gator do Domain Name masking?

[gtgeorge]

ticket support[at]hostgator.com for an answer to this. I am not sure exactly how masking works. It would be nice if you post the answer you receive back to this thread for others that may have the same question.

[slapshotw]

What is domain name masking?

[gtgeorge]

Originally Posted by slapshotw

What is domain name masking?

From what I have seen it appears to be controlled usually by a registrar whereas a domain name is forwarded to another domain name without you being able to see the forwarded domain name. For example domain.net is forwarded to domain.com and the user sees domain.com in the address bar even though they typed domain.net


http://help.godaddy.com/article.php?...4&topic_id=165

[slapshotw]

So that's a parked domain on HostGator.

[gtgeorge]

Originally Posted by slapshotw

So that's a parked domain on HostGator.

Nope as a parked domain reflects the name of the parked domain when trying to visit it I really wonder what the purpose of fooling someone what domain they are actually at.

[Koni]

Originally Posted by slapshotw

What is domain name masking?

From the little I know, domain masking is used alot for free websites, such as those on GeoCities. The actual website is actually on the free host site and domain masking allows you to have a domain name point to the free site but with the domain name, mydomain.com, rather than the freehost.com/~mysite or mysite.freehost.com.

If this is the case, then you don't need another web host account. You just need to have the current domain name registrar set the masking for it.

Domain masking could be used for other situations but that is the one case that I have had some experience in.

[gwyneth]

I'm glad somebody asked what domain masking is.

koni's definition sounds right, and if it is, it's irrelevant to having an account at HG--you pay for the account, you put your domain content on the server, and your domain shows up in the browser bar. Simple, bigger league than free hosting with an ad.

[slapshotw]

Gtgeorge's description was the opposite of Koni's description. Koni's = domain parking. Gtgeorge's = a redirect. Unless I'm missing something fancy?

[Keith W]

Domain masking is just a way to "try" and hide the real domain a person is actually visiting.

For instance say you have www.mydomain.com and that is what you want the visitors to your site to use and see.

Now the actual web site with the content is www.adomain.com or any content under it www.adomain.com/page.htm and so on, now a visitor to the site should always see www.mydomain.com in the browser address bar.

[slapshotw]

So it's the old frame hiding trick.

I always though that was terribly, terribly lame. And really bad for Search Engines.

[gtgeorge]

Originally Posted by slapshotw

So it's the old frame hiding trick.

I always though that was terribly, terribly lame. And really bad for Search Engines.

Exactly what I was thinking. What I read is it is a giant frame the size of a browser window. I don't understand why someone would want a HG account and then hide the domain name as another. Sounds like the 'ole fake bank site etc scams or similar. Either way it doesn't sound like the host controls this aspect.

[gwyneth]

Originally Posted by gtgeorge

Exactly what I was thinking. What I read is it is a giant frame the size of a browser window. I don't understand why someone would want a HG account and then hide the domain name as another. Sounds like the 'ole fake bank site etc scams or similar. Either way it doesn't sound like the host controls this aspect.

I think we are losing the function for the application--i.e., given the mention of "paid ad" we are probably safe in assuming that to use your own domain name at the host the OP uses, you need to accept an ad for them.

Whether this is accomplished via "parking" or "redirect", the end result would be the same--pay extra to have the address in the browser bar show your domain.

So the answer to the question about HG is that things are different here--your domain's URL really is your domain's URL and no hocus-pocus is required.

[frankedsm]

I'm a bit new to this so all your terminology is confusing me too.

If I purchase hosting at HostGator but do not have a domain name registered at HostGator, what will my URL be?

I have the same question, hopefully anybody here can give an answer. http://www.jobsexposed.com/icon2.jpg I think that you will get a temporary directory / path which you can enter in your browser and then get to your site (not sure!)

[Goddess Dix]

Originally Posted by frankedsm

I'm a bit new to this so all your terminology is confusing me too.

If I purchase hosting at HostGator but do not have a domain name registered at HostGator, what will my URL be?

your url will be whatever domain name you purchase for it, regardless of where you purchase it.

[Goddess Dix]

Originally Posted by dedanko

I have the same question, hopefully anybody here can give an answer. I think that you will get a temporary directory / path which you can enter in your browser and then get to your site (not sure!)

when you change hosting, you must update your domain record with the supplied "nameservers" in order to "tell the internet" where your site is hosted. it takes 1 -2 days for this change to propogate throughout the internet.

in the meantime, you can use a temporary web address to see your site files. the place you put the site files is the same, however, so it's not a temporary directory.

[codesight]

And if you are saying you don't want to use a domain name, your url would be: http://XX.XX.XX.XX/~accountname

Just do what has been said, if they have a domain name and want hosting, just point the nameservers (in their registrars control panel) to the nameservers you receive in your welcome email