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Web Hosting Tips & Resources From NameHero

The Complete Guide To Getting Started With NameHero High Speed Cloud Web Hosting

Ryan Gray

Published on: December 11, 2018

Categories: Announcements 1

Ready to build your new website?

Trying to move your website from another web host? 

Regardless your situation we try to make things as easy as possible for those wanting to get started web hosting with us!

In this guide, I’ll walk you through a basic Web Hosting account setup step-by-step so you can spend time no what’s most important; running your website!

Getting Started With NameHero:

Signing Up For Our Cloud Web Hosting

We try to make the signup process at NameHero as simple as possible with all accounts being automatically provisioned (as long as your billing goes through successfully).

Recently we were asked about how to access cPanel when you first sign-up, as many domains aren’t propagated immediately (especially if you’re moving from your old web host).

Step 1: Select Your Web Hosting Package:

At Name Hero we currently have four different basic cloud web hosting packages.  The main difference between the four is the number of websites you can host with each as well as the resources allocated.

Obviously, the more resources allocated, the more visitors your website can receive.  If you need a web hosting package for more than 100,000 monthly visitors, you should checkout our VPS Hosting packages.

Step 2: Choose Your Primary Domain:

We have three different options when it comes to choosing your primary domain for your web hosting package:

  • Register a new domain – This gives you the option to register a brand new domain for your web hosting package.  If you sign-up for at least 1 year, the first year’s registration fee is on us ;).
  • Transfer your domain from anther registrar – If the domain you’re wanting to use is already registered somewhere else (i.e. GoDaddy, NameCheap) then you have the option to transfer it over to NameHero.  This makes for the simplest setup as our team can ensure the DNS is working correctly.  Also, if you sign-up for at least 1 year, the first year’s transfer fee is free.
  • I will use my existing domain and update my nameservers – For those of you that already have your domain registered and would like to be responsible to updating your own nameservers, you select this option.  Some people may have multiple domains registered with someone such as GoDaddy and would prefer to keep them separate from their web hosting.

Step 3: Review Discount And Checkout:

First-time NameHero customers will enjoy a discount depending on when they purchase their package.  The above example is using our “winter hero” promotion which saves a good bit off the first invoice.  At NameHero, we also reward customers who pre-pay their accounts.  You can save upwards of 50% off by signing up for 36 months.

Since all accounts are deployed on our high-speed cloud, customers can upgrade to a new package at anytime, and apply their remaining balance.  No money is ever left sitting on the table!

Step 4: Access Your Hosting Package In Our Client Interface

Our client portal is very powerful as it gives you full control over your hosting package with us at NameHero.

First, notice at the very top our phone number and live chat links.  Both are available 24/7/365, however it’s important to note that Live Chat is only currently available in English speaking countries: US, CA, UK, AU.  We look forward to adding additional countries in the future!

Next, notice how this page gives you the exact nameservers you need to be using for your domain.  If you chose the option to update your nameservers yourself, you need to make sure your domain reflects this.

The Disk Usage and Bandwidth Usage charts aren’t updated in real-time, please allow for up to 24 hours for them to reflect your actual usage.

Finally, the links under the “Actions” menu on the right are very important.  This is how you can easily access cPanel via single sign-on meaning you don’t have to login again.

Congratulations!  Your web hosting account at NameHero is live and ready to use!  We know you’re going to build something awesome!

Web Hosting Setup Video Tutorial

I’ve filmed a video tutorial where I go through all of these steps and also show you how to request migrations if you’re moving over your existing website:

Migrating Over From Another Web Host

If you’ve ever moved your website to a new web host, you know how challenging this can be.

Running Internet-based businesses for the last two decades, this has always been one of my least favorite things to do.

At NameHero we try to make this as easy as possible as our team has experience moving websites of all sizes to our platform.

10 Free cPanel To cPanel Migrations

If your current web host is using cPanel (such as HostGator, BlueHost, InMotion), we can migrate up to 10 cPanel accounts within the first 30 days of your account as long as:

  • We’re able to obtain a full cPanel backup from your current web host
  • The compressed cPanel move file is 1GB or less in size

Most all cPanel web hosts allow you to generate a full cPanel backup file inside of cPanel, but if they have it disabled, you might need to reach out to their support team to have them do it for you.

I know BlueHost for example disables this link inside of cPanel so you have to get a tech on live chat / the phone to generate it for you and place it in your home directory.

Some of the techs will try to walk you through a file manager backup, this is not the file that is needed!

None-the-less this is the route 9 out of 10 new Name Hero customers choose. To get started on this you can fill out our migration request form and we’ll get it turned around within 24 – 48 hours (most of the time much sooner).

SuperHero Migration Service

If you have more than 10 cPanel accounts, use a web host without cPanel, or have cPanel accounts larger than 1GB compressed, our SuperHero Level III team is here to help make the process as simple as possible.

To complete these type of migrations we work based off our hourly rate.  The first hour for new customers is $35 with additional hours being $75.   Prior to getting started, our team will review your request and give you a quote of how long the process will take.

The majority of migrations can be handled within one hour with two most-of-the-time being the maximum.

If you’d like to get a quotation before signing up with us, feel free to reach out to our SuperHero sales team and they’d be happy to take a look.

Please note all SuperHero migration fees are non-refundable as our time at NameHero is very valuable. ? 

Manually Migrate From cPanel

If you’d prefer to do a manual cPanel migration you can do so.

The easiest way to go about this is to login to your cPanel at your old web host and download a home directory backup:

cPanel -> Backup -> Download a Home Directory Backup

This will compress your entire /home/ directory into a .zip file and put it on your computer.

You can then login to your NameHero cPanel account and restore it:

cPanel -> Backup -> Restore a Home Directory Backup

If the .zip file is to large to restore through the browser, you will need to uncompress it on your computer and manually upload via FTP (using a program such as Filezilla).

If you have any mySQL databases you’d like to bring over, you need to also download them at your old web host:

cPanel -> Backup -> Download a MySQL Database Backup -> Click on the database

This will compress your database into a .sql.gz file and put it on your computer.

You can then login to your NameHero cPanel account and restore it:

cPanel -> Backup -> Restore a MySQL Database Backup

If the file is to large to restore through the browser, please upload it to your /home directory and reach out to our support team for assistance.

cPanel also has the option to download email forwards and restore them in the same way you would a MySQL database.

Manually Migrate WordPress

If your current web host doesn’t use cPanel and you’re wanting to migrate a WordPress website, I have a specific guide for that here.

This same process will work for many other applications besides WordPress in a similar fashion (download the files, export the database, re-import).

Manually Send Us Your cPanel Accounts

If you’d rather send us full cPanel backup files from your old web host, you can do so.

The first 10 are free within the first 30 days of your account and after that it’s a $5 per cPanel account fee.

You can reach out to our sales team to get an invoice generated.

To send a full cPanel backup to our servers login to your old web host’s cPanel:

cPanel -> Backup -> Download a Full Website Backup

You would then want to get your new account email from us at NameHero, select Remote FTP Server, and fill in the following fields:

You would want to enter your email address, so you’re notified when the backup has been completed.

The Remote Server name will be in your welcome email along with your username and password.  The port is 21 and the Remote Dir is left empty.

Once you’ve done that, you can fill out our migration request form, and let the team know you’ve manually sent it over. As stated, the first 10 are free within 30 days of your account and thereafter it is $5 per cPanel account.

How To Migrate Video Tutorial

I’ve filmed a video tutorial where I explain all of these options in detail if you’d like to follow along:

How To Transfer Your Domain(s) To NameHero

We provide domain registration and transfer services to thousands of customers world-wide.

Our Instant Domain Search and domain platform was specifically designed to take the pain out of managing domain portfolios and to allow you the ability to take full control of your business without having to go to multiple companies.

Ask any of our current Resellers and they’ll tell you just how much easier life is when they have their domain(s) registered with us vs. GoDaddy, NameCheap, or another provider.

We don’t spend time spamming you with up-sells and promotional emails either; we simply provide solid domain name management.

How To Transfer Your Domain

If you already have registered your domain at another provider (i.e. GoDaddy, NameCheap), then you can easily transfer your domain to us with the following steps.

Prepare Your Domain(s) For Transfer

It’s important to note you don’t “lose” any time you’ve already paid for.  You’ll only gain an additional year when you renew your domain:

  1. Make sure you have access to the current registrar email contact – This is the email address that will be sent a verification link.  It’s very important you have access to it to begin the transfer.  You can query the Whois database to see what the registrant contact email address is if you’re not sure.
  2. Disable the domain lock at your current registrar – All domain registrars such as GoDaddy place a lock on a domain to keep your domain secure.  Before you can transfer it you need to login to the control panel of your current registrar and disable it.  Ask their support team if you’re unsure.
  3. Disable privacy protection at your current registrar – If you’ve enabled privacy protection at your domain registrar you need to disable it prior to initiating a transfer.  Some web hosts such as BlueHost use the same email address for all domains with privacy protection.  Meaning they’re going to get the transfer email; not you.  Make sure to disable it!
  4. Obtain your EPP / Authorization code for your domain – Most domains, especially top level domains such as .com, .net, and .org require an EPP / auth code before they can be transferred.  Most domain registrars have these available right inside of their interface, most of the time in the same place as the registrar lock.  Regardless your relationship with the company, they’re required to provide this to you.  Ask their support team if you have trouble finding.

Initiate The Domain Transfer

  1. Navigate to our Domain Transfer form
  2. Enter your domain name and EPP/Authorization code
  3. Add extras such as ID Protection/DNS management/ email forwarding if you wish
  4. Enter the name servers you wish to use (if using our web hosting find in your control panel)
  5. Place your order

Once your order is successfully placed you need to be on the lookout for the domain verification email.  Sometimes this gets caught in your Spam folder so it’s VERY important to monitor it as well.  You may even want to make sure to whitelist everything from @NameHero.com.

When you get the transfer email, you need to open it up, and click the verification link inside.  The domain transfer will only begin once this link has been clicked.

Congratulations!  As long as you followed the above steps, your domain will be transferred within 2 – 3 business days depending on when your current domain registrar releases it.

How To Setup And Install WordPress

WordPress is the most popular content management system (CMS) in the world and powers north of 100 million websites.

It levels the playing field amongst entrepreneurs as it allows complete novices the ability to setup a professional looking website in a matter of minutes.

No coding required.

WordPress On The Cloud

Moving your website to the cloud allows you to take advantage of scalable resources with a couple of clicks (without prolonged downtime).

Regardless the number of visitors you get to your WordPress website, you’ll gain tremendous speed benefits by moving to the cloud.

At Name Hero we only offer cloud hosting and can help you make the transition without hassle!

Step By Step Tutorial

I’ve filmed the following tutorial that shows step-by-step the process of creating your WordPress website in the cloud, how to optimize and secure it, and how to get a professional looking template:

Quick Links:

2:20 WordPress Hosting Companies
31:10 NameHero WordPress Hosting
56:13 NameHero Reviews
1:02:30 NameHero Account Setup
1:17:00 Login To cPanel
1:17:48 Create An Email Account
1:20:07 WordPress Setup & Install
1:22:35 Setup Auto SSL
1:30:58 Install LiteSpeed Cache
1:32:08 Install Wordfence Security
1:33:18 Install Really Simple SSL
1:34:08 General WordPress Settings
1:38:10 Enable PHP 7 & Change Upload Limits
1:43:56 Install Custom WordPress Theme
1:53:39 Setup A Contact Form
1:46:30 How To Setup A Menu
1:58:12 How To Create A Page In WordPress
2:01:57 Setup & Install Yoast SEO

Here at Name Hero we believe it shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg to get your WordPress website on the cloud.

Regardless of your website size, you’ll find a package that works for your website.

Remember, with the cloud you can scale to a large package at the click of a mouse.

Setup Free & Automatic SSL On Your Website

At Name Hero we offer free and automatic SSL certificates powered by Let’s Encrypt for all domains and sub-domains (including add-on domains).

Since having an SSL certificate (https) on a website is pretty much standard in 2018, customers like the fact that they don’t have to pay, or do anything complicated to get it active on their website.

At the same time, we also enjoy the feature as it allows us to create an even safer network infrastructure for our customers and their visitors, making the Internet safer overall.

However, looking back at our ticket que over the last 60 days, one of the most asked questions has to deal with these free and automatic SSL certificates.

Since these still are rather “new” there is some confusion I wanted to help clear up in this guide:

Requirements For Free SSL Certificates

There are two main requirements for a domain or subdomain to obtain a free and automatic SSL certificate:

  1. DNS Must Resolve – Check your website with our DNSHero tool to make sure there isn’t any red.  The domain must be resolving to our name servers or your Reseller name servers for the module to work.  If you’ve recently changed your name servers you should give it a full 24 hours to propagate to the entire Internet.
  2. .htaccess File Must Be Writeable – In order for Let’s Encrypt to validate your website it must be able to write to your .htaccess file in your /public_html/ directory.  If you have customized one, you may need to temporarily re-name it to .htaccess1 until the certificate has generated.

If these above two conditions have been met, the free and automatic SSL certificate will generate within 24 hours, most of the time within an hour or two.

How To Verify Your Free SSL Certificate

There are two way to check and see if your website has a free SSL certificate:

Check inside of cPanel:

One of the easiest ways is to login to the website’s cPanel click on SSL/TLS -> Generate, view, upload, or delete SSL certificates.

You should see a table like this: 

If the Issuer doesn’t say Let’s Encrypt, then that means the website isn’t using an auto-ssl generated certificate.  If it says self signed you may wish to click the Delete link so the auto-installer will replace it.

If the above two conditions have been met, Let’s Encrypt should generate.

Check inside of Web Host Manager:

If you have a Reseller Hosting or VPS Hosting package with us, you can easily check the certificates in Web Host Manager -> Manage SSL Hosts:

As with the option in cPanel, you want to make sure the Issuer says Let’s Encrypt.  If it says “Self Signed” or is expired, you may wish to click the Delete link so it’ll be replaced.

How To Force Run The Auto Installer

Since some people immediately need an SSL certificate before the auto-installer runs, cPanel has been nice enough to add the feature where you can manually run it from inside of cPanel:

As stated in the video, you simply login to cPanel -> SSL/TLS Status -> Select domain (s) -> Click Run Auto SSL

This may take a few minutes to run, but you can always use another browser window and follow the above steps to make sure it has generated.

We’re proud to be part of creating a safer Internet for everyone here at Name Hero and are super excited about offering these to all our customers including our Resellers!

How To Integrate Your Website With Cloudflare

Since we offer a free integration with our Web Hosting and Reseller Hosting accounts, I wanted to film an updated tutorial to help those just getting started.

Before we begin, it’s important to understand the difference between a Partial vs. Full Integration with Cloudflare.

In short, a Partial integration uses your current name servers at NameHero, while a full one requires you change your name servers to Cloudflare’s.

If you decide to go with the full integration, unfortunately our team won’t be able to support it, since we cannot access your Cloudflare account directly.

You can however, still use the free Railgun.

Setup Cloudflare Inside cPanel

Quicksteps:

  1. Login to cPanel
  2. Navigate to Cloudflare
  3. Create An Account
  4. Click Provision Account With CNAME Setup
  5. Enable Railgun

Allow 24 Hours For SSL To Propagate

Remember, if you’re using SSL on your website, it will have to be regenerated by Cloudflare.  This process takes up to 24 hours and may create errors on your secure pages.

Personally, I recommend enabling this during the weekend/off peak hours to avoid any interruption in traffic.

Since we have Let’s Encrypt enabled, you can change your Cloudflare settings to FULL but it will still require that time to propagate.

It’s also important that you enable “Development mode” when making changes to your website so you can see them update in real time.

Don’t Overthink Cloudflare

For whatever reason, Cloudflare doesn’t workout for some customers.

If it doesn’t work for you, don’t overcomplicate it.

Our network infrastructure has been designed to be blazing fast for your website without it.  However, if you want a little extra boost Cloudflare is available to do so.

But if it starts to create more trouble than it’s worth, don’t get too stressed out about it.

I personally been using Cloudflare for many years now with a lot of success, but it’s still not the end-all-be-all.

NameHero Account Policies

Finally, it’s important to be aware of our terms of service and policies here at NameHero.

I know, it’s no fun to read Terms of Service, but this will help avoid any confusion once you signup:

If you have any questions, feel free to comment below our reach out to our team via Phone, Live Chat, or our Ticket Desk!

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