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All WestHost clients can take advantage of WestHost's powerful domain management services. If you have a hosting account, there are a number of domain services available whether WestHost is your domain registrar or not. The remaining "Domain Account" services are exclusively for managing domains registered with WestHost.

Hosting Accounts

The following domain tools are available to clients with a hosting account. These tools are found within the Domain Management section of your Site Manager (control panel) (see Figure 1).

NOTE: You do not have to have a domain registered with WestHost to take advantage of these services.

Domains/Subdomains

The Domains/Subdomains section will allow you to add domains and subdomains to your account, and then point them to specific directories. Examples:

• domain1.com and domain1.org pointing to the same directory.
• domain2.com pointing to a different directory.
• subdomain.domain1.com pointing to a different directory.

Web Aliases

Web aliases are simply forwarding rules for URLs. They allow you to reformat or simplify paths to directories within your file structure. For example, a path like /var/www/trips/photos/home/ could be shortened by creating the alias /home/ and then directing it to the above path. For advanced users, WestHost also supports Script Aliases for mapping one directory to another with the added ability of being able to execute the scripts contained in the aliased to directory.

DNS Headers

The DNS Headers section allows you to control your DNS zone file parameters, including e-mail address, max DNS records and refresh, retry, expire and minimum TTL rates (in seconds). This section is for advanced users.

DNS Records

Advanced users have access to manage their own MX/DNS settings within Site Manager. The DNS Records section allows you to add and remove DNS records to your account as well as edit any existing records that you may currently have. Options include Address Record (A), Alias Domain (CNAME), Sub Domain (NS) and Mail Exchanger (MX).

If you need help with any of our Domain Management tools within Site Manager, refer to our Site Manager Documentation.

WARNING: Changes to DNS Records, DNS Headers and Aliases affect ALL domains on an account and cannot be modified.

Domain Accounts

The following services are available to those that have a domain registered with WestHost. If your domain is registered with a different registrar, you will need to contact them for these services.

Changing your WHOIS contacts

WHOIS contacts are the individuals or organizations assigned to a domain name when the domain is registered through any domain registrar. Typically WHOIS contacts include, but are not limited to, a Registrant Contact, an Administrative Contact, and a Technical Contact. Upon registering your domain, it is very important to maintain the accuracy of your WHOIS contacts over the life of your domain.

WestHost allows you to manage your own WHOIS contacts for all domain names registered through our domain registration service. To change the WHOIS contacts listed for your domain, follow these steps:

1. Log in to your domain name manager by going to: http://register.westhost.com/admin/
2. Under the header View/Modify, select the option Contact Information.
3. Update any part of the contact information.
4. Once you have finished your updates, scroll to the bottom of the page and click the Modify button to save your changes.

WHOIS changes can take as long as 24 hours for the registry to reflect accurately. Your username and password were sent to you via e-mail when you registered or transferred your domain. If you do not have access to your username/password for your domain name, you can request that this information be sent to you by contacting the WestHost Accounts Department, or by sending an e-mail to domainreg@westhost.com

Note: If you would prefer to work directly with WestHost when transferring your domain, you will need to visit the Domain Registration/Transfer page.

Changing your Domain Name Servers (DNS)

WestHost allows you the ability to manage your own DNS on all domain names registered through our registration service. To change your DNS, you will need your domain name username and password that was assigned to you when you registered your domain name. DNS changes can be made by following these steps:

1. Log in to your domain name manager by going to: http://register.westhost.com/admin/
2. Under the header View/Modify, select the option Nameservers.
3. From the Use drop-down menu, select Your own Nameservers.
4. Input the DNS you are attempting to change the DNS to.

DNS changes can take as long as 72 hours to propagate and reflect accurately.

Your username and password were sent to you via e-mail when you registered or transferred your domain. If you do not have access to your username/password for your domain name, you can request that this information be sent to you by contacting the WestHost Accounts Department, or by sending an e-mail to domainreg@westhost.com

Changing your Domain Name Password

WestHost allows you the ability to change your own domain name password. To change your password, follow these steps:

1. Log in to your domain name manager by going to: http://register.westhost.com/admin
2. In the field marked Password, input what you would like to change your password to.
3. In the field marked Retype Password, retype this same password.
4. Click the Modify button to save your new password.