Get a domain name but point it where?

sillygoose

Hi,

Perhaps someone can help me get my head around this...

I have a package with a provider, the usual: a registered domain name, some web space, email and so on I can happily use via cpanel and keep a small web presence site on it. Easy enough.

Now I am considering buying my wife a domain name for Christmas to do with her hobby.

Do I need to also buy a new hosting space sort of in that domain name?

or

Someone suggested I could just use my existing space. Basically just create a folder on my host space, call it wifesweb or whatever.

Then when buying the new domain I would be able to point it at https://www.mycurrentsite/wifesweb and anyone trying to browse to https://www.wifesweb.org (yes going to buy an .org) will land at the site I put in the new folder (starting from index.html I presume) and it will just appear as to be navigating pages at https://www.wifesweb.org (even if it links into other sub folders)?

I hope someone gets what I mean with all that!

All this was taken care of when I bought my package so confused. I have plenty of space on my hosting to add another site.

Thanks.

Probi

Hi,

Once you have purchased the domain name, you can then create an addon domain in cpanel (if your hosting supports this) this will create a folder for this domain and will also setup the server to accept requests for this domain.

You would then need to change the nameserver records for the domain name to point at the same nameservers as your current hosting. (the way to do this will vary depending on who you register the domain name with)

Hopefully this makes sense, if not just ask and i'll try and explain it a bit better.

Cycrow

you can't simply point a domain name at a certain website address.

to do that, you will need a server running that your domain name points at, and it forwards it to another site.
very simple to do,but requires another server to do it. You might be able to get a free redirect server depending on who you go with.


another option, depending on how much access you have to the web server, is have both domains pointed at the web server and get the web server to host separate pages. This may not be possible, if you don't have full access to the web server, you can check in cpanel if you can setup vhosts for the web server

droopsnoot

I think that would work, though it's a while since I've set one up on a hosted site. Generally when you add the domain it will ask where to point to as the root directory for the new domain, so that would be your 'wifesweb' directory.

I think (unless there's a reason not to) I'd try to have the two sites in separate directories, rather than one inside the other as you describe. So if you created your site in the root directory of your hosted space, create a new directory called 'husbandsite' in there and move your site into it, and change your domain config to point to that directory as its root. Create 'wifesite' in the root as well, so it's not part of your site at all, and point her domain to that directory for its root.

So webspace/husbandsite and webspace/wifesite, rather than webspace/husbandsite and webspace/husbandsite/wifesite

sillygoose

Probi wrote: »

Hi,

Once you have purchased the domain name, you can then create an addon domain in cpanel (if your hosting supports this) this will create a folder for this domain and will also setup the server to accept requests for this domain.

You would then need to change the nameserver records for the domain name to point at the same nameservers as your current hosting. (the way to do this will vary depending on who you register the domain name with)

Hopefully this makes sense, if not just ask and i'll try and explain it a bit better.

I was planning on buying it from my existing host as the price is fine, perhaps that would be simpler too as you're suggesting I could also probably manage it via the existing cpanel?

When I took out my original package it was all registered and set up automatically.
When I register the new domain will I already need to have somewhere to point it? (or in other words would it be an easier 'one step' task if I did?)

Thanks!

InsideInsurance

It depends what your hosting account allows.

If it allows multiple domains then you'd do similar to what Probi says, add the domain under the control panel (cpanel, plesk or whatever one it is) with your webhost and then with your domain registration company go in and change the namesevers to that of your webhost.

If this works then it wont be a subfolder but a whole separate site in its own rights.

If your webhost doesnt support multiple domains you could see how much adding another one is or you are going to have to use some form of forwarding which isnt going to be ideal as either it reveals the "real" address (ie https://www.mycurrentsite/wifesweb/contact.aspx) or you have to use frames in which is bad for Search engines, doesnt allow people to link or bookmark to anything but the homepage etc

sillygoose

droopsnoot wrote: »

I think that would work, though it's a while since I've set one up on a hosted site. Generally when you add the domain it will ask where to point to as the root directory for the new domain, so that would be your 'wifesweb' directory.

I think (unless there's a reason not to) I'd try to have the two sites in separate directories, rather than one inside the other as you describe. So if you created your site in the root directory of your hosted space, create a new directory called 'husbandsite' in there and move your site into it, and change your domain config to point to that directory as its root. Create 'wifesite' in the root as well, so it's not part of your site at all, and point her domain to that directory for its root.

So webspace/husbandsite and webspace/wifesite, rather than webspace/husbandsite and webspace/husbandsite/wifesite

Excellent advice... Thank you!

sillygoose

The hosts site suggests my package (Amethyst) supports 2 websites.

https://krystal.co.uk/hosting/shared/

So I will give it a go.

Cycrow

that would seem to imply you can setup multiple domains, so that will most likely be the easiest route.

should be pretty straight forward to set it up via cpanel

Probi

I've used krystal in the past and knowing there support if you are getting the domain from them, I'm sure if you explain the situation they will probably help set your account up for the extra domain for you.