Web Host Chat - The UK hosting forum
Home QLinks Members Your Profile Register FAQ's Hosts Only Area SMS Alerts Game Servers
Go Back   Web Host Chat > Web Hosting Chat > General Chit Chat & Discussion
Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools
Old 6th January 2009   #1 (permalink)
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: London, UK
Posts: 322
MH-Nick is on a distinguished road
IP over hostnames?

When a new client signs up for hosting and their domain name isn't yet resolving, as a temporary URL/login, why are they often given the IP of the server, and not the hostname?

I find this strange for these two reasons,

1. If the IP of the server changes, the clients that haven't updated their (eg.) FTP settings since they first signed up will obviously have problems. You wouldn't have this problem with the hostname.

2. A few years down the line when the client forgets who their hosting company is, and they have the hostname from their old FTP settings, it'll help them out: server1.im-your-host.com (assuming they have their head fixed on).

I know IP's are need for some applications instead of hostnames, but surely hostnames are more useful.
__________________
Nick Hawkins

Market Hosting :: UK Web Solutions :: 0845 459 4314
Market Hosting Limited : Company# 06773403

All views expressed on this forum are my own and not those of my company
MH-Nick is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 6th January 2009   #2 (permalink)
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 640
FH - Tim is on a distinguished road
Well some people use white label servers for resellers and so 2nd point isn't valid.

Also if the ip changes, then you notify any customers affected.
__________________
Tim -Fly High Ltd - UK Shared Hosting - Private Label Resellers - Managed & Self managed Dedicated Servers
█ Custom Nameservers - Domain Resellers - WHMCS - UK Servers
Follow me on twitter even get exclusive specials/sales !

All views expressed in my posts are my own and not those of Fly High Ltd
Company # 05967991
FH - Tim is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 6th January 2009   #3 (permalink)
 
JamieBeeston's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 4,192
JamieBeeston is on a distinguished road
Giving them the IP allows them to know what to point their DNS to if they have externally hosted DNS, or if they want to edit their local hosts file, and it still gets them to the same place!
__________________
Register1.net
.eu £7.95
.com .net .org .uk £5.48
Premium UK Virtual Hosting from £16 a year
Quad Core 2.83Ghz 1GB 2TB 250GB Xeon Servers from £49
Company reg: 04186664 VAT reg: GB 815 5899 88
[Any views expressed on this forum are my own, and may not represent the views of any organisation that I own or am connected with.]
JamieBeeston is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 6th January 2009   #4 (permalink)
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: London, UK
Posts: 322
MH-Nick is on a distinguished road
OK well I can understand it for DNS reasons and resellers, but the majority don't make DNS changes and aren't with resellers. Would have thought the hostnames gives them the extra helping out when they get lost.
__________________
Nick Hawkins

Market Hosting :: UK Web Solutions :: 0845 459 4314
Market Hosting Limited : Company# 06773403

All views expressed on this forum are my own and not those of my company
MH-Nick is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 6th January 2009   #5 (permalink)
 
JamieBeeston's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 4,192
JamieBeeston is on a distinguished road
Why?

They're going to remember the hostname, but not whom they're hosted with?

You're smoking some great stuff eh!
__________________
Register1.net
.eu £7.95
.com .net .org .uk £5.48
Premium UK Virtual Hosting from £16 a year
Quad Core 2.83Ghz 1GB 2TB 250GB Xeon Servers from £49
Company reg: 04186664 VAT reg: GB 815 5899 88
[Any views expressed on this forum are my own, and may not represent the views of any organisation that I own or am connected with.]
JamieBeeston is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 6th January 2009   #6 (permalink)
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: London, UK
Posts: 322
MH-Nick is on a distinguished road
Not sure what you're saying here... If you're lost, often the clue to your web host (or ex web host) is in the hostname.

(Can't smoke, had 2 lung ops! :P )
__________________
Nick Hawkins

Market Hosting :: UK Web Solutions :: 0845 459 4314
Market Hosting Limited : Company# 06773403

All views expressed on this forum are my own and not those of my company
MH-Nick is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 6th January 2009   #7 (permalink)
 
JamieBeeston's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 4,192
JamieBeeston is on a distinguished road
Quote:
Originally Posted by MH-Nick View Post
Not sure what you're saying here... If you're lost, often the clue to your web host (or ex web host) is in the hostname.

(Can't smoke, had 2 lung ops! :P )
But you're saying they'll remember some obscure hostname as it's in their welcome email.. totally overlooking the fact their host will be plastered all over their welcome email.

Their host may also show up in a WHOIS..

I was simply saying of all the reasons to use a temporary hostname for the 24-48 hours it takes to move them over, 'remembering' who they bought from wouldnt be anywhere on my list.
__________________
Register1.net
.eu £7.95
.com .net .org .uk £5.48
Premium UK Virtual Hosting from £16 a year
Quad Core 2.83Ghz 1GB 2TB 250GB Xeon Servers from £49
Company reg: 04186664 VAT reg: GB 815 5899 88
[Any views expressed on this forum are my own, and may not represent the views of any organisation that I own or am connected with.]
JamieBeeston is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 6th January 2009   #8 (permalink)
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: London, UK
Posts: 322
MH-Nick is on a distinguished road
You say that, but a host I used to work for, commonly had people asking if we hosted them (whether they found us through WHOIS, their welcome email, or looking at old configs (mail,ftp). The hosts name/website is usually in the hostname.

Also, when we moved several servers from the US to UK, we had A LOT of customers in that FTP situation, and cPanel login URLs. We even had people supplying IPs from over 5 years ago!
__________________
Nick Hawkins

Market Hosting :: UK Web Solutions :: 0845 459 4314
Market Hosting Limited : Company# 06773403

All views expressed on this forum are my own and not those of my company
MH-Nick is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 6th January 2009   #9 (permalink)
 
JamieBeeston's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 4,192
JamieBeeston is on a distinguished road
So they give you their domain name then?

there's a reason it's like it is, it's that your justifications suck
__________________
Register1.net
.eu £7.95
.com .net .org .uk £5.48
Premium UK Virtual Hosting from £16 a year
Quad Core 2.83Ghz 1GB 2TB 250GB Xeon Servers from £49
Company reg: 04186664 VAT reg: GB 815 5899 88
[Any views expressed on this forum are my own, and may not represent the views of any organisation that I own or am connected with.]
JamieBeeston is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 7th January 2009   #10 (permalink)
 
Paul-UKWSD's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Age: 30
Posts: 447
Paul-UKWSD is on a distinguished road
Quote:
Originally Posted by MH-Nick View Post
When a new client signs up for hosting and their domain name isn't yet resolving, as a temporary URL/login, why are they often given the IP of the server, and not the hostname?

I find this strange for these two reasons,

1. If the IP of the server changes, the clients that haven't updated their (eg.) FTP settings since they first signed up will obviously have problems. You wouldn't have this problem with the hostname.

2. A few years down the line when the client forgets who their hosting company is, and they have the hostname from their old FTP settings, it'll help them out: server1.im-your-host.com (assuming they have their head fixed on).

I know IP's are need for some applications instead of hostnames, but surely hostnames are more useful.
IP's can be used temporarily during dns propagation so point's 1 and 2 are not really relevant as it's only a short period of time. Once dns has updated customers can use the correct login details and as mentioned should an IP change, just communicate it to your customers.
__________________
Paul Ridge | UK Web.Solutions Direct
UK cPanel Web Hosting + Reseller/Multi-domain plans Mailfoundry SPAM Protection 24/7 Support
http://ukwebsolutionsdirect.co.uk
Paul-UKWSD is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
DNS and Hostnames mdj101 Dedicated Servers, VPS and Colocation 9 26th April 2008 09:19 PM

User Information
»REGISTER NOW!
General Chit Chat & Discussion Found any useful information or fun links that is non hosting related. Post them here


Quick forum search
 

Special Hosting Offers

Hot Stuff


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.0
Copyright ©2000 - 2009, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Content Relevant URLs by vBSEO 3.2.0