New Account:help Needed Soon-thanks

Just opened a new account two days ago with Hostgator Baby Croc Plan, and have a few questions:

1.I bought my domain name at Godaddy, and until a few days ago my domain name was originally simply forwarded to a free host, and my email used to be forwarded to a hotmail account of mine.

I am continuing to keep my domain name hosted at GoDaddy, but instead of forwarding it to a free host, I have configured it to point to my Hostgator nameserver.

I dont think my email forwarding is still working now. Is this just because the 48 hours is not quite used up yet and my domain name hasnt yet started working again?

Am confused about whether I need to set up my email now at Hotgator, or whether I should still use the Godadddy forwarding service? Am still a bit confused about whether teh Hostgator email service only applies to people have actually transferred their domain name to Hostgator. This is quite urgent as I am expecting some important emails today.

2. I tried to sign up for the Peer Support Group, but couldnt find my server details listed on the drop down menu list to select from.

3. I tried going to the Site Studio Build webpage and also the http://www.hostgator.com/changes page to see if I could set up and use Site Studio for my account as suggested in one of your forums, but the Changes page doesnt seem to exist and the Site Studio Builder page seems to be unavailale.

[JZ]

1. Things will not completely work until the domain has propagated completely. This process takes a maximum of 72 hours. You can use email with hostgator no matter who your registrar is, but if you are in the process of propagating dns, some emails may be lost.

2. Justin has to add the newer servers to the dropdown list. Just register for an account and pick a server for now, and send a pm to GatorJustin with your server details so that the information can be added.

3. The url is actually http://www.hostgator.com/changes.shtml but the addons there are just for resellers. Site studio is included with your plan but you do have to request access. To get access, send an email to support@hostgator.com. Once you get your login information, go to http://www.hostgator.com/build/

Thanks very much for such quick reply...

1.Really Sorry for being so new to this side of things, but I still dont understand if my email forwarding account at Godaddy will automatically continue working in the same way as it was before, after my domain name DNS has propagated to Hostgator, or whether my email account with them now needs to be altered in some way to point to my email service at Hostgator.....?

I guess what I dont get is, where is the actual email account now, with you or with Godaddy? (It feels like I have 2 separate email accounts now to configure...) Can I keep the email forwarding setting on at Godaddy, and also use the Email Facility at Hostgator, or do I have to choose one or the other? Should I cancel the email forwarding option from Godaddy, and just set up a new email account on my Hostgator cpanel? Ideally, I just want one email account to maintain and access that has my domain name on it. Also will any emails sent during the 78 hours be lost forever?

2. Also would you kind enough to tell me if I have actually configured my DNS correctly? According to your Flash movie Godaddy dns set up, I just had to change the name servers for my domain:

This is what I put in as my nameservers:
ie: Domain Hosts
NS19.HOSTGATOR.COM
NS20.HOSTGATOR.COM

However on Godaddy there is also another option, asking you to put in a Domain Host?
Im not sure what they mean by a Domain Host.... I did this once before and am wondering if I have to fill this in as well to make the domain name work? see below,


GODADDY DOMAIN HOSTS
It says: Domain hosts are not required unless, for example, you intend to set up your own DNS server. We recommend that you DO NOT use this tool unless you have a thorough understanding of this process.

Please DO NOT enter "www" as your host name. This is not a redirection service; it will not direct your domain to an IP address.

these are the details it asks for:
Host: xxxx .XXXXXXX.com
IP Address: . . .

[JZ]

1. I am not really sure here, maybe someone else can answer this question or you can send an email to support@hostgator.com. I have never used this type of service.

2. You just have to change the nameservers as you described. What you are describing in the second paragraph is if you are setting up your own nameservers. For example, if you have your own hosting company with private nameservers, you would tell godaddy that your nameservers are ns1.mywebhostingcompany.com at ip address xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx and ns2.mywebhostingcompany.com at ip address xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx. This is something you don't need to worry about since you are using host gator's name servers.

Thanks alot Justin!
My domain name is now working, and I can see my website, although I still have to solve the email problem.
I guess what I have to figure out is how one sets up, uses and receives email when the domain name is hosted at Godaddy, and the website it points to, is hosted at Hostgator.
I've emailed both Godaddy and Hostgator support, so hopefully they will get back to me soon, but they may take awhile, and I may loose some very important emails I am expecting today at my old email address...... So, if anyone in the meantime, can tell me how to get my email working again quickly, please do, will be very very grateful!

[sonjay]

Quick quick -- go ahead and set up your e-mail account under your HG-hosted domain. If you've already changed your DNS setting at your registrar, then propagation has begun and at least some of your e-mails will be going to your HG domain. Until propagation has completed, some of your e-mails may end up at your previous mailserver, too, so during propagation there is a brief period where you do sort of have two separate accounts functioning for the same e-mail address.

I just changed my hosting to HG from a different host, and what I did was set both my old mailserver at my previous host and my new one at HG to forward all my e-mails to my personal dial-up account. That way I didn't miss any e-mails during propagation. Then once propagation completed, I cancelled the forwarding at both places and changed my e-mail program to check my HG mail only.

Run, don't walk, to your HG control panel and set up your e-mail account.

Hurrah! It works! THANKS!