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Frequently Asked Questions
Section #1 - General Questions
Section #2 - Advanced Questions
Section #3 - Custom eMail Questions
Section #3 - Domain Services Questions
Section #3 - Domain Transfer Questions
Section #1 - General Questions
What is your Guarantee?
We guarantee everything. We guarantee your satisfaction. Cick here for details.
How can 24x7-Web-Hosting offer hosting service at a price that is 50% to 75% below most your competitors?
Good question. We get asked this so often, we sometimes think we should raise our prices to eliminate the skepticism. In most businesses, you get what you pay for. In the hosting business, this is not always the case. In the late 1990's, when hosting became a new business and many of our competitors set their price, a 2 Gig hard drive cost $200. Today, you can buy a 120 GB hard drive (60 times larger) for just $140. Our focus is to minimize costs by utilizing the latest technologies, and reducing overhead. By enforcing annual and quarterly billing, and given the drastic reductions in hardware costs in recent years, it is understandable how we can be profitable, while offering equivalent or better service at prices 50% to 75% below most our competition.
What is web hosting?
Web hosting refers to the process of publishing a web site so that it is available to the world on the Web. Paid web hosting also involves getting a domain name and not having forced ads displayed on your site.
What is a domain name?
Domain name is the sequence of letters and number determining the address of your site. This site's domain name is "24x7-Web-Hosting.com." You need to register a domain name before your web site becomes accessible at this address.
What are PHP, SQL, Java, IP, etc.?
Those acronyms refer to various features such as programming languages, databases, etc. that might be available with a hosting plan.
What is shared (virtual) web hosting?
Shared (or virtual) web hosting is the most fitting way of hosting for 99% of web sites. It means that a web hosting company will have one or more servers (computers constantly connected to the Internet that run a web server software such as Apache or IIS) that will be running multiple web sites (it will be shared). Unless a web site is exceptionally busy or requires a lot of bandwidth, this is the least expensive way to go to get a real web site. You can still have your own IP address with virtual hosting and the site won't look any different to users. Other options are dedicated, co-location, or doing it yourself web hosting. In those options you have the whole computer to yourself and you can do things like install your own software.
Can I keep my domain name when I change Hosting Services?
Yes. That is the purpose of the DNS information associated with your domain name. When you need to move to another host, you just need to point your domain's name servers to this new host. If you registered your domain name with a host and you now want to move, you should find your registration records or contact this host and ask them how to control your domain name. If you have a problem, you can usually see the name of the registrar by performing a "Whois" query on your domain name and contact them.
Does it make a difference what type of desktop computer I use?
No. This will only make a difference if you develop scripts that you want to use without changes on your web site. FrontPage extensions can also be done on Unix (or Linux) servers.
What is full-service web hosting?
"Full-service" can refer to a variety of services offered in addition to providing web space, transfer, and emails for a web site. For example, it could be 24/7 toll free phone support, web design services, or web site content maintenance services.
What are the numbers listed under "Disk Space" and "Monthly Transfer"?
Space is the amount of "stuff" you can put on your web site. Available space is usually listed in megabytes (MB, millions of bytes). Single letter takes up one byte. HTML files are usually rather small (this file is about 25,000 bytes) but pictures and programs can get quite big. Your scripts, emails and stats will also take up space on your host. Transfer is the amount of "stuff" that visitors to your site can download before you reach your monthly limit. Transfer is usually listed in gigabytes (billions of bytes). After the transfer limit is reached for the month, you will need to pay extra for additional transfer at higher rates. For example, if an average visitor to your site views 3 HTML pages of 20 KB (thousands of bytes) each and 8 small embedded pictures of 10 KB each, and you get 500 visitors per day, you will require at least (3 * 20 + 8 * 10) * 500 * 30 = 2,100,000 KB = 2.1 GB of transfer per month.
Can I Upgrade or Downgrade my plan at any time? If so, what is the Cost?
Yes. We are very flexible with respect to upgrading or downgrading an account. Changes of this sort ar accomplished in the "Hosting Services" section of the web site - Click on "Upgrade or Downgrade". Changes are permitted on a month-by-month basis. Since all our packages are prepaid 3 or 12 months in advance, the prorated change is calculated based on the difference in hosting costs between your existing plan and the one you wish to change to, pro-rated based on the number of months left in your billing cycle. Changes of this sort require considerable administrative labor. We ask that you do not abuse this feature.
How do I pay for web hosting?
Hosting services are paid for in advance. Our hosting fees are 50% to 75% cheaper than most our competitors. One of the ways we are able to offer such low fees, is to minimize our accounting costs. Towards this end, our Plan #1 and Plan #2 accounts are billed on an annual basis. Our Plan #3 and Custom accounts are billed on a quarterly basis. Our prices are so low, this amounts to less than a $100 charge. We currently accept Visa, MasterCard and Paypal as payment.
How do I upload my site?
The main method of uploading files to your site's account is by using FTP. When you sign up with a host, you will probably get an FTP account that lets you access files in your account (usually ftp.yoursitename.com and your main account name and password). Then you can use a built-in Windows or Internet Explorer FTP client, or some other software that supports FTP such as CuteFTP, WS_FTP, or Windows Commander, to transfer files from your hard drive to your account. If you don't get an FTP account or if you prefer a Web interface, you can use your account control panel's File Manager instead. Yet another method is to use an SSH or telnet client software, such as SecureCRT, to upload using Zmodem protocol (sz and rz commands). All these methods will work fine, but we recommend using dedicated FTP programs as the preferred solution because these programs have the best user interfaces and support advanced options like setting file permissions and resuming aborted file transfers.
What is uptime?
Uptime is the percentage of time that a web site is working. For example, if some host has an uptime average of 99.86%, this means that your site will be down for a total about 1 hour each month. We monitor uptime of customer websites of many web hosts and we display this data on the host's details page. Some hosts also offer "uptime guarantees" but this is not as valuable as it might appear.
Can I use Java applets, JavaScript, and Flash pages on my site?
Yes. Those are client-side technologies, so the host doesn't have to do anything to support or enable them. Any browser (such as Internet Explorer or Netscape) that supports them is enough, so any host will do. It doesn't matter whether Java or Flash are listed among plan's features, they are supported by default.
What is involved with canceling an existing account?
As a consumer, there is nothing more bothersome than a hosting company that makes it hard to cancel. We realize that sometimes, customer will cancel, and we have made the process as simple as the process for signing up. Visit http://www.24x7-Web-Hosting.com/cancel_account.html or simply click here to cancel an existing account.
Section #2 - Advanced Questions
How much data transfer will I need?
You can figure out how much data transfer you will require by estimating your average page size (including graphics!) and multiplying it by the number of page views you expect to have in a month. For example with an average page size of 50 KB, and around 2000 page views per day, you will transfer an average of 3 GB per month. In this case, you should get our Plan #3 with 4 GB of data transfer limit per month, so you don't have to worry about overstepping your account's limit, which may cause extra per GB transfer charges.
Can't I just get a DSL line or a cable modem and host the site or my own computer?
Sure, you could do that, but it's not a good idea for several reasons. First, vast majority of ISPs won't let you legally use a residential cable modem or a DSL line to host a public server. You would have to get a more expensive business package. Second, ADSL and cable lines usually have lower upstream bandwidth than downstream bandwidth, so your site may appear to be sluggish under heavy traffic. Third, DSL and cable lines have a much lower reliability than dedicated T1 or better lines. Fourth, you wouldn't have the benefit of data security, data backup, UPS power, and technical support that a host can provide.
Do I need stats?
Absolutely. Stats give you the information required to evaluate the effectiveness of your site. Our CPanel software gives you access to detailed stats about your web traffic on a daily or hourly basis. Stats are available as raw data (numbers) or in an easy-to-read graphical output. Alternatively, you could also use a service like WebTrends, theCounter.com, or Site Meter to get more detailed stats on your users than any host's stats program can provide.
My site is database-driven and uses 50 GB per month in transfer. Can I simply use a host with an unlimited transfer plan for $10 per month?
No. Most hosts are in business to make money and they would lose money hosting your site. They have to pay from $0.3 to $5 per GB of transfer to upstream providers themselves. Almost all hosts that have "unlimited" plans specify in their acceptable use policies that no site can use an "excessive" amount of resources. If you use too much disk space, bandwidth, or CPU time, these "unlimited" hosts will ask you to upgrade or leave.
Is there any advantage to a host that uses a Cobalt RaQ to one that uses a normal Linux computer?
No. RaQs are made specifically for hosting and they have pre-installed software that is optimized for hosting but experienced hosts can build and administer their own server just as well for less money. RaQs do have an advantage of being physically smaller.
Can I run my own software on my site?
All our plans allow running scripts in languages such as Perl or PHP. These scripts must be uploaded to your cgi-bin subdirectory. Our CPanel software allows you to run "cron" which enables you to automatically execute programs or scripts on at a specific time and date.
Do I need to use a search engine submission service?
Not really. Some search engine submission tools are better than others and some big search engines don't like automated submission. You should submit manually to major directories like Yahoo! and Looksmart, and you may also prefer to submit manually to major search engines like MSN and Google. Contained within our CPanel software is a utility that automatically submits your site to a number of major search engines and directories. There is no need to pay extra for this service, it is included with your 24x7-Web-Hosting.com web site.
Should I simply choose a cheapest plan?
We wouldn't recommend choosing any plan below $5 per month if you expect to get a reasonable level of technical support. In most businesses, you get what you pay for. In the hosting business, this is not always the case. Read closely to see what you are paying for. Six years ago, when many hosts set their price, a 2 Gig hard drive cost $300. Today, $200 buys you a 120 GB hard drive. Given these drastic reductions in cost, it is understandable how we can be profitable, offering equivalent or better service at prices 50% to 75% below most our competition.
Will the bandwidth prices fall soon?
Bandwidth prices are gradually decreasing. It is now possible for hosts to pay less than $1 per GB of transfer in chunks of 100 GB. New companies like Cogent Communications are building fiber-optic networks and promise 100 Mbps of bandwidth across their network to multi-tenant office buildings in major cities for $1,000/month. The question is whether they will be able to peer with established telecoms without raising prices.
How can hosts make money offering high transfer limits for low prices?
They count on the fact that the majority of sites won't use anywhere close to the full amount of transfer available. This overselling is usually a valid assumption and it is done in many other business (ex. airlines).
Are there any extra costs involved in hosting a secure site?
Yes, you'll need to get a digital certificate from Certificate Authority such as Thawte or Verisign.
Should I worry that my host is a reseller?
Probably not. It is quite possible to get better support or prices from a reseller than from a base company. Resellers are usually smaller companies and since they don't own the server, sometimes they have to wait for the parent company to perform some tasks.
Should I go with a big or small hosting company?
This depends on your preferences. Large companies might be considered to have better chances of staying in business for a long time and may be able to negotiate better deals for their customers, but small hosts are usually cheaper, provide better support for individuals and small businesses, and are quicker to offer new features.
Are there any advantages to getting a domain name with Network Solutions instead of a cheaper company?
No.
I don't want my site to be down. Ever. What host should I use?
No host can provide 100% uptime. We monitor uptime for many hosts and you could use these data as a guide, but even the biggest and best multi-million dollar sites go down from time to time due to various unforeseen circumstances. The best you can find is an uptime guarantee, with the host offering refunds for downtime.
Can I reduce the amount of data transfer my site needs?
Usually yes. Try to optimize all the graphics on your site. Many GIFs don't look noticeably worse with fewer colors. Don't duplicate graphics files, let the browser cache them. Try to clean up your HTML by using relative paths, short filenames, less extras, and reducing the number of spaces and new lines. If your site is mainly text-based, ask your host about using HTTP compression module like mod_gzip.
Section #3 - Custom eMail Questions
Question: Will my custom email account work with free email accounts like hotmail, yahoo, excite etc?
Yes, your email will be forwarded to any valid email account of your choice. 
Question: Do I have to reconfigure my email software?
No. Your custom email will forward email to your existing account.
Question: Does this mean getting a new Internet Service Provider?
No, this is a separate service being provide by 24x7-Web-Hosting. Your new account will forward email to your existing account (yahoo, hotmail, your work, your home, any valid email account).
Question: Can I change the email address to which my custom account will forward?
Yes, absolutely, any time. Click on the link labeled "change my target email address" in the "Email Services" section of our web site.
Question: How much does it cost?
The cost is very reasonably, just $4 per month billed annually ($48 per year).
Section #4 - Domain Services Questions
With each domain registered, you receive a free business card web page, domain forwarding, unlimited e-mail forwarding, and access to a password-protected account manager.
How do I sign up for the free business card web page, e-mail forwarding and domain forwarding?
Once you've registered your domain, simply go to the account manager through the client login area using your domain and password. Once inside, click on "additional services," and pick the service you would like to add. 
How much does e-mail and domain forwarding cost?
There is no charge associated with these either of these services. However, if you use our free domain forwarding service, a small banner will be placed at the bottom of your web site.
How do I set up e-mail or domain forwarding if I am not going to buy hosting?
1) Check to make sure that your domain is parked on the following DomainPeople name servers:
ns1.domainpeople.com
ns2.domainpeople.com
2) Go to the client login area, click on "additional services," and choose e-mail and/or domain forwarding from the drop down menu.
NB: If your domain was registered through a DomainPeople reseller (such as 24x7-Web-Hosting.com) that offers e-mail and domain forwarding through us, follow the same steps listed above or follow their instructions.
What features does the business card web page come with?
Our customizable business card web page is a great way to establish an immediate web presence using your new domain name. It's easy to set up, and allows you to insert a photo, a page of text, and several links.
Where do I go to edit and update my web site?
It�s in the client login area and you don't need any specialized technical or HTML knowledge to set it up. This simple template allows you to add your contact information, text, a graphic, three links and choose from one of eight background designs. For a step-by-step guide to getting your web page on the Net, read more.
I already have a web site. How can I get my new domain name to point to my web site?
With our free domain forwarding service, you can direct visitors from your newly registered domain to your existing web site. When a visitor enters your new web address, for example, www.newdomain.com, in the web browser, your existing web site appears on the screen. To use our free domain forwarding service, a small banner will be placed at the bottom of your web site.
What web address will people see when I forward my domain?
Our domain forwarding service is framed, which means that when a visitor enters your newly registered domain in the web browser, your existing web site appears on the screen. However, instead of the existing web site's domain (such as www.Domainpeople.com/~userid/index.htm) appearing in the address field, the newly registered domain is displayed.
As a business, how can I use domain forwarding to increase sales?
With domain forwarding, you can point all your domain names for a variety of product lines to your main web site. For example, the owner of a business called bikes.com might have other domain names that reflect product lines such as bananabike.com, kidsbike.com, and speedbikes.com. Domain forwarding ensures that all visitors to these product domain names are automatically redirected to bikes.com. You can modify the destination domain at any time.
Can I use my new domain name to receive e-mail?
Yes, by using our free e-mail forwarding service, this allows you to create an e-mail address that matches your newly registered domain name. Messages sent to your new e-mail address are automatically forwarded to your existing e-mail address. If your new e-mail address is president@newdomain.com, you could have your e-mail directed to dianne@exisitingISP.com.
Can I use these services if my domain is not registered with 24x7-Web-Hosting or another DomainPeople agent?
No. You need to be a DomainPeople customer; however, you may transfer your domain
How do I retrieve a lost/forgotten password?
Submit your domain name, and we'll e-mail your password to all the contacts listed for your domain.
I have a business card web page, but I require more features. How do I upgrade?
If you require a hosting account with advanced features such as, POP e-mail accounts, webmail, Spam Assassin, control panel, FrontPage Extensions, e-commerce and much much more, please go to our Hosting Services or our Custom eMail.
How do I check the status of my domain name registration?
Go to your account manager through the client login by entering your domain name and password to find out the status of your account.
My domain name is not registered after several days. What should I do?
First, access your account by going to the client login, Enter your domain name and password. Once you login, it will display your current registration status. If your domain name is not registered within three business days, e-mail us at support@domainpeople.com and request a domain name registration status report. Please include your domain name and the date of payment.
What should I do if I do not receive a confirmation e-mail?
Please e-mail support@domainpeople.com with your domain name and the date of order.
How do I change my contact information?
You can make changes to your contact information in the account manager. Go to the client login, enter your domain name and password, and change your contact information.
I want to move my domain name to my new web host or Internet Service Provider. How do I do it?
Simply use the client login to modify the Domain Name Server (DNS) information for your new web host. They will provide you with this information. For 24x7 Hosting customers, the DNS information is as follows:
ns1.business-web-pages.com (207.22.218.161)
ns2.business-web-pages.com (207.22.218.155)
Section #5 - Domain Transfer Questions
What is a registrar transfer?
A registrar transfer is the act of moving a domain name from one domain registrar to another. For example, you might move your domain name from your current registrar to 24x7-Web-Hosting ( agent for DomainPeople) to take advantage of our stability, free Business Card web page or live customer support. Transferring registrars will not affect your e-mail or existing web site in any way.
What is a domain name registrar?
A domain name registrar is the organization or company responsible for providing domain name registration services to the public. A domain name registrar is either authorized by ICANN (the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, an organization dedicated to Internet governance) to provide registration services for the .com, .net and .org global top-level domain names, or is authorized by its respective government to register domain names within a specific ccTLD (country code Top Level Domain name extension). CIRA provides this function in Canada. A registrar must also be authorized by the registry of a Top Level Domain to act as an agent of the registry to process domain name registrations, where the agent is not a reseller. The registrar is also responsible for creating and maintaining a WHOIS database for its customers.
What are the benefits of transferring my domain(s) to DomainPeople (24x7 Web Hosting)?
Here are some of the benefits you can enjoy by switching to DomainPeople:
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Absolutely No Transfer Fees
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Discounted annual registration cost - $14.95/yr
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Free one-page web site
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Unlimited e-mail forwarding
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Domain forwarding
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Customizable DNS zone manager allows you to create CNAMES, A records, MX entries, and more,for your domains.
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24/7 toll-free customer support
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Additional year, added to your current registration term (total term not to exceed 10 years) upon transfer
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Real-time domain manager allows you to easily manage your domain names online
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Access to the latest top level domains, from .com to .biz
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Knowledge that you are with an authorized, ICANN-accredited domain registrar
How do I transfer my domain name to DomainPeople (24x7 Web Hosting)?
All you need is a valid credit card and approval from the administrative contact for the domain name (on file with the current registrar). Use our automatic transfer form to submit your transfer request online.
What happens after I've submitted my request?
Once we have received your transfer request, an e-mail is sent to the administrative contact to authorize the transfer request. In the interest of security, each authorization request is completed by logging into a secure web page using a unique order number and password.
If you do not have access to the administrative e-mail address, be sure to change the e-mail contact before initiating a transfer request. The transfer MUST be authorized by the administrative contact.
The next steps
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Once the request has been confirmed, DomainPeople processes the transfer request by contacting the registry.
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The registry then notifies your current registrar of the transfer request.
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The current registrar is given five days to grant or deny the transfer request.
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If no response is received within the five-day period, the transfer request is granted to DomainPeople.
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The current registrar may request additional confirmation from you. Please reply to any such requests promptly to ensure the completion of the transfer.
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The transfer process takes five to 10 calendar days to be completed. It will continue to function throughout the process.
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Once your domain is successfully transferred, we send you notification by e-mail.
What are the guidelines for transferring registrars?
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All top level domain names can be transferred to DomainPeople through our automated service.
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The domain name(s) undergoing the transfer cannot currently be involved in a dispute or on registry lock.
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Your domain name must have been registered for at least 60 days with your current registrar.
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You must ensure that either the administrative contact replies to the confirmation request sent to the e-mail address on file with the current domain registrar.
How much does the registrar transfer service cost?
There is a $14.95 USD* fee for the registrar transfer service, which includes one additional registration year added to your remaining registration term (term not to exceed 10 years.) Your credit card will only be charged once the domain has successfully transferred to 24x7 Web hosting (DomainPeople). Please ensure that the request will be accepted by the current registrar, prior to initiating and paying for the registrar transfer services.
*.ca transfers are US$19.95.
Do you offer automated transfers for multiple domains?
Yes! You can transfer over 100 domains at once time using our automated transfer system. Even better, you will only receive one e-mail confirmation message from DomainPeople for the entire transfer.
What types of domains can you transfer?
You can transfer most global top level domains including .com, net, .org, .net, .biz, .info, .ca, .us and .name.
How long does the registrar transfer process take to complete?
Once you have initiated and confirmed the registrar transfer, the transfer process takes approximately 5 to 10 calendar days to be completed. Be aware that transfers require the co-operation of both registrars, so complications can delay (or even prevent) the transfer from completing.
Will there be any disruption to my web site or e-mail when I transfer registrars?
No. Your web site and e-mail services will not be affected. The transfer does not affect the DNS information, associated with a domain name at the time of transfer. You may modify the DNS after your domain name has been successfully transferred to DomainPeople.
Can a registrar transfer request be rejected?
Your current registrar has the ability to reject a domain name transfer request initiated by DomainPeople in the following situations:
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The transfer request was initiated within the first 60 days of the original registration date.
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A dispute over the domain name.
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A pending bankruptcy of the domain name holder.
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A dispute over the identity of the domain name holder.
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The discretion of the registrar
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The domain is close to its expiry date
You will be notified via e-mail in the event that your domain name cannot be transferred due to one of the above reasons.
Where can I view the current status of my registrar transfer request?
Once you have submitted the registrar transfer form, you will receive an e-mail with a link, an order number and AccessKey so you can track the status of your transfer request.
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