Top Level Category

Table of Contents

1. Contents of Top Level Category
   1. General Sales Questions (Answers to the most commonly asked general...)
   2. OthelloConnect.net - ADSL / SDSL / DialUp / VoIP (Answers to common questions about ADSL...)
      1. Connect::Voip - IP Based Telephony (Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) Voice over...)
   3. OthelloNames.net - Domain Name Registration and Management (Information on Domain Name registration and...)
   4. OthelloHosts.net - Shared (Virtual) Hosting (Articles and FAQs about Email, Web, WAP,...)
      1. Databases (Articles about database creation, management,...)
      2. e-Commerce (Information about e-commerce and online payment...)
      3. Email / Web Mail (Information on your email and web mail hosting...)
      4. Getting Started (General answers and help on getting your new...)
   5. Control Panels (Information, How-To's and Articles about the...)
      1. Control Panel - Cobalt (Information on the Sun Cobalt control panel...)
      2. Control Panel - CPanel/WHM (Information on the CPanel / WHM control panel...)
      3. Control Panel - DirectAdmin (Information on the Direct Admin control panel...)
      4. Control Panel - Ensim Pro (Information on the Ensim Pro control panel system.)
      5. Control Panel - H-Sphere (Information on the H-Sphere control panel system.)
         1. Email
         2. Errors
         3. Flash Movies
         4. FTP
         5. General
      6. Control Panel - HELM (Information on the Helm for Windows control...)
      7. Control Panel - Plesk (Information on the Plesk control panel system.)
   6. OthelloServer.net - Dedicated Servers & VPS (Virtual Private Servers) (Frequently Asked Questions about Dedicated,...)
      1. Managed Server Solutions (Answers to questions about Managed dedicated...)
      2. Un-Managed Dedicated Server Solutions (Answers to questions about unmanaged dedicated...)
      3. Virtual Private Servers (Answers to your questions about VPS hosting. )
   7. Othello::NOC - Network and Infrastructure (General F.A.Q.s about our setup, hardware,...)
   8. Billing & Accounts (Information about your account / billing with...)
   9. Affiliates (Frequently Asked Questions About The Othello...)
   10. Web Design (Answers to common questions about html, web...)
       1. Scripting (Articles and Hint son ASP, PHP, CGI/Perl and more.)
          1. ASP
          2. CGI / Perl
          3. Databases
          4. FormMail / MailForm (Form to Email scripts)
          5. PHP
       2. Search Engines and S.E.Optimisation (Search Engines, Submissions and Optiomisations)

Top Level Category

Perl script error "CGI open of tmpfile: Permission denied" on Windows hosting.

Perl script error "CGI open of tmpfile: Permission denied"

BEGIN { if ($^O =~ /MSWin32/i) { $ENV{'TMPDIR'}=$ENV{'TEMP'}; } } use CGI; 

General Sales Questions

Do Othello offer re-seller services?

Do you offer phone support?

Please understand that mostly you will be explaining the problem to a support consultant who will be adding it to the Ticket System.
It is therefore much more efficient that you complete the ticket yourself and remain part of the "loop" for solutions.

In emergencies, or when you cannot get to a PC you should of course telephone us on +44 871 277 6875 (National rate - calls cost 10p/min)

What are your hours of operation?

The DataCentre is staffed 24/7 and support technicians are on hand at all times.

We only take sales and administration telephone calls Monday-Friday 10am to 4pm.

Do your CPanel hosting accounts come with BoxTrapper ?

How frequently do you backup the data on your servers ?

We no longer use tape media (formerly backups were onto a Dell DLT3 MultiChanger) as tapes are fragile, wear out and slow to restore from.

We do *NOT* as a general rule backup customer data unless the Hosting / Colo / Server plan comes with that feature - please check if you are in any doubt.

Archive/Backup services are available as an optional extra - We recommend you *always* have backups yourself of any critical information.

Can I resell reseller accounts ?

There are two options if you wish to offer Reseller Accounts to your clientbase:

1. Upgrade to a dedicated server.
   You can then have total control via CPanel or Plesk over the accounts on the machine, which includes the ability to have resellers of your own.
   With this option you get complete control over your resellers, including the administration of their features, disk-space and bandwidth/data-transfer allowances.
   Contact the Sales department for a quotation, we can even arrange to move all your existing hosted acounts seamlessly onto your own server for you.
   
   
2. Resell our reseller plans at a higher price.
   First submit a ticket to the Accounts department so that we know you are responsible for the financials of the new reseller account.
   Then simply sign up for another reseller account with your clients details, but use your email address not your client's, otherwise they will recive the welcome confirmation. Once you have the welcome documents, you go into the control panel and update the contact information to be theirs for future account creation notifications. You then top and tail the welcome emails and forward them on.

Please note that as they have contracted for the account with you, we will be unable to support them directly, and they will remain your customer and your responsibility.

What are the types of RAID ?

RAID0 - Span

RAID1 - Mirror

RAID5 - Stripe and Checksum

RAID6 - Stripe and Checksum with HotSpare

RAID10 (raid1+0) - Span and Mirror

Do you support RUBY ? Do you support Ruby on Rails / RoR ?

What version of PHP are you running ?

Version Control

As a general rule, the versions of applications running on our PRODUCTION servers will be the latest stable release.

We also maintain BLEEDING EDGE systems for those clients who require specific/later versions.

Additionally, certain control panels require particular/older versions in order to operate correctly.

If you have a specific software version / revision requirement, please contact the Sales department to discuss the numerous options.

What version of TOMCAT are you running ?

Version Control

As a general rule, the versions of applications running on our PRODUCTION servers will be the latest stable release.

We also maintain BLEEDING EDGE systems for those clients who require specific/later versions.

Additionally, certain control panels require particular/older versions in order to operate correctly.

If you have a specific software version / revision requirement, please contact the Sales department to discuss the numerous options.

Does your control panel allow for file uploads not using FTP ?

Access to this option depends on the service plan you have purchased, and HTTP file uploads / mangement is considerably slower than FTP based management.

How much is CPanel ? What CPanel licences do you offer ?

Contact the Sales department to discuss your exact requirements.

How much is Plesk ? What Plesk licences do you offer ?

Contact the Sales department to discuss your exact requirements.

How much is Windows ? What Windows licences do you offer ?

Operating System Prices

• Windows 2003 Web £9.95 month
• Windows 2003 Standard £19.95 month
• Windows 2003 Enterprise £29.95 month

How much is Direct Admin ? What DirectAdmin licences do you offer ?

Contact the Sales department to discuss your exact requirements.

How much is HELM ? What Helm licences do you offer ?

Contact the Sales department to discuss your exact requirements.

How do I get to your London DataCentre (datacenter) ?

How to get to our Primary London DC @ Legend IPHouse (IPHouse-2)

By Car

All 5 of Othello Technology Systems London DataCentres are outside London's "Congestion Charge" Zone and offer (limited) free parking to accompanied visitors, subject to pre-notification.

All visits must be booked in advance.

FROM OUTSIDE THE M25 (North of London)

Take the M25 around to the M11, and turn towards London.
Follow the M11 to its end, where it joins the dual carriageway A406 (North Circular Road).
On the A406 follow signs for Docklands, London - East and the A13.
At the end of the A406, follow the A13 towards The City and then follow signs for the Isle of Dogs.

As you turn off the A13 you wil reach the Leamouth roundabout with an Esso garage on one side.
Take the 5th exit back towards the A13, and get in the middle lane (left-hand lane of the two lanes going straight-over/right).
You will be crossing the A13 towards part of canning town, which *almost* straight over the A13. The road splits 4 ways, you want the 2nd lane which is Lanrick Road.

Continue for 500 metres to the left hand bend and the datacentre is on the right-hand side behind the imposing blue metal gates.

FROM INSIDE LONDON (North of the River)

Take your most convenient route to the northern end of Tower Bridge, and then eastward along The Highway and through the Limehouse Link tunnel.
Watch out there are cameras and the speed limit has been reduced to 30 MPH.

Follow signs for the Isle of Dogs.
Continue onto the roundabout at the end.
Take the 2nd exit towards the A13, and get in the middle lane (left-hand lane of the two lanes going straight-over/right).
You will be crossing the A13 towards part of canning town, which *almost* straight over the A13. The road splits 4 ways, you want the 2nd lane which is Lanrick Road.

Continue for 500 metres to the left hand bend and the datacentre is on the right-hand side behind the imposing blue metal gates.

FROM SOUTH-EAST OF THE RIVER

Go to North Greenwich, and then through the Blackwall Tunnel.
From the northern end of the tunnel follow signs for the A13 (eastward)
Once you reach the Isle of Dogs turn off, take the left-hand lane off the A13, but bear 2nd left into Lanrick Road, not immediately left towards the housing.

Continue for 500 metres to the left hand bend and the datacentre is on the right-hand side behind the imposing blue metal gates.

FROM SOUTH-WEST OF THE RIVER
Head for the City.
Cross the river and follow the Embankment eastward to Tower Hill.
From here go eastward along The Highway and follow instructions for FROM INSIDE LONDON (North of the River)

By Train

On leaving Canning Town station, cross the road and turn left following the main rioad to the roundabout, under the flyover (overhead).
Cross the roundabout and head left up the walkway as if following the flyover into London, and the top are teh steps down into Lanrick road.
Come down the steps and 120 meters along the datacentre is on the right-hand side behind the imposing blue metal gates.

How to get to our Connectivity POP @ TelecityRedbus Meridian Gate (Interhouse 2)

PLEASE NOTE THERE IS NO CLIENT EQUIPMENT AT ANY OF OUR CONNECTIVITY-POP SITES

How to get to our Connectivity POP @ TelecityRedbus Sovereign House (Interhouse 3)

PLEASE NOTE THERE IS NO CLIENT EQUIPMENT AT ANY OF OUR CONNECTIVITY-POP SITES

How to get to our Connectivity POP @ TelecityRedbus Harbour Exchange (Interhouse 1)

PLEASE NOTE THERE IS NO CLIENT EQUIPMENT AT ANY OF OUR CONNECTIVITY-POP SITES

How to get to our Connectivity POP @ Telehouse (East)

PLEASE NOTE THERE IS NO CLIENT EQUIPMENT AT ANY OF OUR CONNECTIVITY-POP SITES

Can i keep my domain with xyz registrar ?

We would of course prefer to have your domain in our management systems, so that we can resolve any issues that arise, and that way you only have 1 a$$ to kick if something goes wrong, but we fully understand that it is your domain and you should determine which organisationis responsible for renewals etc.

To utilise your domain with our services only requires that you either:

1. set your nameservers to the appropraite NS for the services you require or
2. add the necessary A/MX/PTR records to your own nameservers for DNS to work

What is your address ?

The Head-Office for all correspondence is ...

The DataCentre addresses for system deliveries are ...

UK

Othello.UK.IPH

Othello.UK.IPH

USA

Othello.US.PTX

Othello.US.NNY

NL

Othello.NL.EAX

Othello.NL.KAM

How soon can you create my hosting account ?

There are some occasions where manual checking and verification of details are necessary, or a specific/custom configuration is required, and we will advise you of any delays.

We aim to have all accounts setup and ready for use within 1 business day.

Do you support JAVA applets & JSP servlets ?

Because JSP can be very server resource intensive we have setup specific systems for clients requiring JAVA and associated features.

Please contact the Sales department to discuss your exact requirements.

What version of APACHE are you running ?

Version Control

As a general rule, the versions of applications running on our PRODUCTION servers will be the latest stable release.

We also maintain BLEEDING EDGE systems for those clients who require specific/later versions.

Additionally, certain control panels require particular/older versions in order to operate correctly.

If you have a specific software version / revision requirement, please contact the Sales department to discuss the numerous options.

Where is your data centre (datacenter) located?

We operate out of multiple POPs

Our main DataCentre is the OthelloSuite, IPHouse 2, London Docklands - at the heart of the UK and EU internet.

We also operate satelite PoPs with our own routers, servers etc at:

• TCRB Interhouse I, II and III in London, UK
• Telehouse East in London, UK
• ThePlanet in Dallas, Texas, US
• NAC in New Jersey, US
• EasyNet-NL in Rijyk Schipol, Netherlands
• Redbus 2F in Amsterdam, Netherlands
  and shortly will be opening in Paris, Frankfurt, Milan and Singapore.

What payment options do you accept ? How can I pay ?

• Credit Cards
  • Visa
  • MasterCard
  
  
• Debit / Charge Cards
  • AmericanExpress
  • VISA Debit
  • VISA Electron
  • Delta
  • Switch
  • Maestro
  • Solo
  • JCB
  • ST*R
  
  
• Online / Virtual Cash
  • PayPal to paypal @ othellotech.net
  • NoChex to nochex @ othellotech.net
  • StormPay to stormpay @ othellotech.net
  • e-Gold to 2514675
  
  
• Bank Transfers
  • BACS
  • CHAPS
  • S.W.I.F.T.
  • Standing Order
  
  Direct to our account at LLoyds TSB PLC...
  SortCode:30-94-51 Account:01252046 Name:Othello Technology Systems Ltd
  
  
• Posted Payment
  • Cheques
  • Postal Order
  • Cash (only paid in to a branch) - We do NOT recommend posting cash under any circumstances.
  • Bankers Draft
  • International Money Order/Check (please confirm with us in advance of sending money orders as additional fees will apply)
  
  

For online card payments we utilise secure payment processor WorldPay.

For offline payments please send to ...
Othello Technology Systems Ltd
1st Floor
Number One Poultry
London
EC2R 8JR
United Kingdom

What version of MySQL are you running ?

Version Control

As a general rule, the versions of applications running on our PRODUCTION servers will be the latest stable release.

We also maintain BLEEDING EDGE systems for those clients who require specific/later versions.

Additionally, certain control panels require particular/older versions in order to operate correctly.

If you have a specific software version / revision requirement, please contact the Sales department to discuss the numerous options.

What is Fantastico De Luxe ?

Main Features

1. add-on domains
2. subdomains
3. top level directories (root of main domain and/or any addon domain/subdomain)

Additional features User Page

1. Overview page (lists all installed apps)
2. Select language
3. Email notifications to user for installations/removals
4. Display a warning when logged in using root or reseller password. You can't proceed to install in these cases.

Scripts being installed by Fantastico De Luxe

Blogs

Portals/CMS

Customer Support

Discussion Boards

E-Commerce

FAQ

Guestbooks

Image Galleries

Mailing List

Polls and Surveys

Project Management

Site Builder

Wiki

Other Scripts

Which applications can come with my Ensim hosting account ?

• Crafty Syntax Live Help 2.7 (1.0-1)
  Live help chat system.
• Formmail PHP Script 4.2b (1.0-34)
  A tool to parse information submitted on any HTML form and send it to specified users.
• Gallery Photo Album Management System 1.4 (1.0-1)
  A tool to create and maintain photo albums on your Web site.
• Invision Bulletin Board 1.2 (1.0-35)
  A forum solution for your Web site.
• PHP Support Tickets 1.5 (1.0-1)
  A simple, secure, and powerful solution to customer relations.
• PHP Web Calendar 0.9.42 (1.0-35)
  Web Based Calendar system built using the PHP language.
• PHP-Nuke Content Management System 6.9 (1.0-34)
  An advanced content management system.
• PHPLinks 2.1.3.1 (1.0-35)
  An extremely efficient link farm with full search capabilities.
• PHPOpenChat Chat System 3.0.0b3 (1.0-34)
  A high performance chat engine.
• PHPlist 2.6.2 (1.0-1)
  Personalized mailing list manager/customer relationship management system.
• PHProjekt 4.0.4 (1.0-35)
  An open source groupware suite.
• PhpBB Bulletin Board 2.0.6 (1.0-34)
  A bulletin-board system built using the PHP language.
• PostNuke Content Management System 0.7.2.6 (1.0-34)
  A community, content, collaborative management system for building dynamic Web sites.
• XOOPS eXtended Object Oriented Portal System 2.0.5 (1.0-1)
  A dynamic object-oriented open source portal system written in PHP.
• b2 Weblog 0.6.2.2 (1.0-1)
  A classy news/weblog tool (aka logware).
• osCommerce Online Store 2.2ms2 (1.0-34)
  An e-commerce solution.

Exact version numbers are subject to change as security patches are released

What Operating Systems are your servers using ?

In the main our systems are running either Windows 2003 Standard or Fedora Core (Linux).

Do you offer telnet or shell access to hosting servers?

If you require a shell prompts for managing your domains/applications, we can supply a dedicated or virtual-private server as required.

Please contact the Sales Team for quotations of VPS and Dedicated Servers.

Do you offer fixed/dedicated IP Addresses for hosting and how much do they cost ?

If you purchase an SSL certificate from us for your hosting, it includes a fixed IP address.

IP address blocks can be purchased in sizes of 8/16/32/64/128/256 blocks for dedicated and collocated servers, at a lower rate of £2.00/month/ip.
However you will need to complete the necessary RIPE justification for for all IP Address allocations.

Please contact the Sales Team to discuss your IP Address requirements.

What is the typical load average on your shared hosting web servers ?

Can I pay monthly / quarterly / annually ?

Do you charge VAT ? Who gets charged Value Added Tax (Sales Tax) ?

• Do your prices include V.A.T. ?
  No, all prices are quoted on the website exclusive of VAT at the prevailing rate (currently 17.5%).
  A VAT invoice will be emailled to your billing email address.
  


• What if I am resident in the Channel Islands ?
  HMC&E state that products shipped to the Channel Islands are not charged VAT. This is because the Channel Islands aren't part of the EC VAT territory. Sadly *services* supplied from the UK are subject to VAT so even with a valid JE or GY postcode in the Channel Islands we have to charge you the VAT.


• What if I am resident in another country outside of the EC VAT territory ?
  Sadly *services* supplied from the UK are subject to VAT so even if you are outside the EC VAT Zone we have to charge you the VAT.


• What if we are a VAT-registered business purchasing from outside of the UK but within the EC VAT territory ?
  Please contact us with a copy of your VAT registration certificate and number if this applies to your Company. We will can then add you to our HMC&E VAT EC Sales List and process your order UK VAT Exempt, and you can pay the VAT in your own country.

What types of scripting do you support ? What scripts can I use ?

Depending on your choice of hosting plan, our sytems can support:

• Perl
• SSI
• PHP3
• PHP4
• PHP5
• ASP
• ASP.Net
• IHTML
• Java
• Ruby
• Ruby on Rails

The type of scripting available depends on your hosting plan, if you need more help, please contact the sales team and they will be able to advise.

What is ADSL ?

It is permanently 'switched on', unlike normal dial up access and is asymmetric in that it uses most of the available bandwidth downstream (towards you) to make collecting your email and browsing the web as fast as possible.

This makes it particularly suitable for end-users who expect to receive more data than they transmit, use of corporate intranets, and reception of digital audio-visual material (streaming media).

The technology also supports a statndard analogue connection (voice line) on the cable, which enables you to make voice or fax calls simultaneously with internet access.

ADSL (BroadBand) can be enhanced with additional services like Connect::VoIP (Voice over IP) giving you a cheaper telephone calls, conference calling and many more features.

What are the benefits of ADSL based services for Home and Business ?

• download Speed. ADSL provides high-speed digital access - upto 150 times faster than a standard 56K modems. Download speeds of 8Mb/s are now possible from Othello Technology Connect::ADSL-Max services
• Use VoB (Voice over BroadBand) to obtain free calls to other VoB users.
• Save time - Connect:ADSL is "Always On" - you no longer have to waste valuable time obtaining a dial-up connection.
• Use the phone and internet at the same time - ADSL does not affect the normal telephone, so you can make and receive telephone calls or faxes whilst you’re online.

Additionally, ADSL based services will allow SME's and Corporates to:

• All the benefits of Home Users
• Take full advantage of broadband capabilities.
• Offer innovative services to your end user base.
• Extend the reach of your Intranet to encompass your remote teleworkers and satellite offices.
• Manage and predict your costs with the flat rate charging scheme

What can I used my ADSL connection for ?

• Internet access
  The access speeds available with ADSL available make it practical for web sites to carry more multi-media rich information such as embedded video clips, animations and good quality audio - significantly enhancing the online experience
• Intranet access
  Fast access to the Intranet makes teleworking an attractive option - which in turn can bring benefits to both the organisation and the individual
• Media Services
  Online TV and Radio based services can be used to deliver interactive applications over ADSL - such as real time video and audio.

Can I get BroadBand where I am ?

1. You must be a BT telephone subscriber
   You must have a valid contract for the use of a BT analogue direct exchange line forming part of the BT network over which the ADSL service will be provided. Note that if you rent your premises, you must have a valid contract for a BT or Calls & Access provided PSTN line. It is not suitable that the contract be held with your landlord rather than yourself.
   What does all that mean ? Simply that *you* must have a BT Line and are responsible for paying the BT telephone bills.
2. Whether BT has upgraded your telephone exchange to ADSL technology
   It is expected that by the end of March 2006 *all* BT Exchanges countrywide will be Connect::ADSL compatible.
3. How far you are from the local BT Telephone Exchange
   ADSL Speeds are dependant on the length of the copper wires connecting you to the telephone exchange - the further you are, the slower the DSL connection will be.
4. That there are no incompatible services on your PSTN line
   Redcare, Alarm lines, ISDN, low-user tarrifs and certain types of internally wired telphone extensions can stop you receiving ADSL
5. That you have sufficient mains power sockets close to the telephone master box.
   Some installations require BT to fit NTE (Network Terminating Equipment) in your premises, you must have a 13amp power outlet within 2 metres of where the phon-line enters the property

What services on my BT line are incompatible with ADSL ?

• Subscriber private metering
• 30k loop
• Private circuits
• Red ABC
• RedCare
• Meterpulse facility
• PBX lines
• Alarm systems

Is my fax compatible ADSL ?

There is no reason why your fax would not work after upgrading to ADSL.

You WILL have to install an ADSL filter to the telephone socket connecting your FAX to the BT Box.

Will ADSL affect my normal voice telephone connection ?

There is no reason why your normal telephone would not work after upgrading to ADSL.

You WILL have to install an ADSL filter to the telephone socket connecting your phone to the BT Box. You may notice a slight change to how your telephone voice sounds at the other end after you have ADSL installed. This is normal for ADSL lines and is not in anyway a fault or something that can be recified.

Your telephone Answering machine similarly will continue to work, but MUST be connected to an ADSL Filter before plugging into the BO Box, to stop feedback being recorded.

Will ADSL affect my burglar alarm, monitoring service or security system ?

You should obtain a separate telephone line for such critical services, and keep your normal telephone line for ADSL and voice-calls.

Can you help / migrate my accounts / websites /emails / databases ?

• reseller with root access
• had a VPS
• were on a dedicated server

If it was a different control panel, or you didnt have full root access then we can advise only, and cannot guarantee a successful transfer.

How do I order Addons like more IP Addresses, extra Bandwidth/Transfer, additional Disk etc.

Currently you can order:

• Servers: KVMoIP, IP Addresses, Private VLANS, Cable sets
• VPS: IP Addresses, Private VLANS
• Hosting: SSL Certifcates, Dedicated IP Addresses, Priavte Nameservers

1. Login to the My:Othello Client Portal at http://billing.othellotech.net
2. Click on the link for "My Products" to see a list of your Servers / Collocation / Reseller / Shared Hosting Accounts.
3. Click on the "[View Details]" button next to the item you wish to order additional features for.
4. Click on "Account Addons" to view and order the available extras for that product.

How do I get SSH / Shell access to my hosting plan ?

To get Jailed SSH access enabled for your account for the rapid deployment and configuration of Ruby and Ruby on Rails applications...

• Create a support ticket for the Host Support Team, attaching a scan of a Utility Bill and (photographic) proof of ID
• Create a support ticket for the Host Support Team, include the date and time and incoming number used to fax a Utility Bill and (photographic) proof of ID

Acceptable forms of ID include
* Passport
* Photo Driving Licence
* Staff Pass (.sch.uk, .nhs.uk, .police.uk, .gov.uk, .ac.uk validated email addresses *ONLY*)

We will enable your jailed shell access for you on verification on of your hotsing account information and validation of the prrof of identity.

What Ruby Gems are installed on the Ruby and Ruby on Rails (RoR) Developer Hosting plans ?

Ruby Version: 1.8.6
Rails Version: 2.0.2

The following Ruby Gems are installed as standard on the Othello::Hosts::Business hosting packages for use in your Ruby and Rails applications...

• actionmailer
• actionpack
• actionwebservice
• activerecord
• activesupport
• fcgi
• feedtools
• gnuplot
• mysql
• payment
• rails
• rake
• sources

The following Ruby Gems are installed as standard on the Othello::Hosts::Developer hosting packages for development of your Ruby and Rails applications...

• actionmailer
• actionpack
• actionwebservice
• activerecord
• activesupport
• fcgi
• feedtools
• gnuplot
• mysql
• payment
• rails
• rake
• sources

New gems now available for developers...

• bluecloth
  BlueCloth is a Ruby implementation of Markdown, a text-to-HTML conversion tool for web writers. Markdown allows you to write using an easy-to-read, easy-to-write plain text format, then convert it to structurally valid XHTML (or HTML).
• daemons
  A toolkit to create and control daemons in different ways
• gem_plugin
  A plugin system based only on rubygems that uses dependencies only
• htmltools
  This is a Ruby library for building trees representing HTML structure.
• tidy
  Ruby interface to HTML Tidy Library Project
• uuidtools
  Generation of UUIDs.
• xml-simple
  A very simple API for XML processing.

Shared/Virtual Hosting Mailing Policy and Limits.

Mail Limits

SMTP/Outbound

There is a 300 per hour email limit per domain. This limit is applied towards mailman mailing lists, php scripts, and local smtp connections (standard email connections).

If you send over this amount in any hour most of the e-mails will bounce back with a undeliverable error or be silently discarded.

POP3/Inbound

Our servers have a limit set of 30 pop checks per hour per domain. If you attempt to exceed this you will get a connection refused or wrong password / login incorrect error message. Simply wait for an hour and your account will automatically be unlocked - there is no need to contact support.
To prevent this from happening again please ensure and automated mailbox checking (in your local mail server or mail program [i.e. Outlook etc]) is set to no more frequently than 10 minutes.

Mailing Lists Rules

1. Anytime you send a message to your mailing list, no matter how large the list of recipients, you must throttle the sending. We recommend you throttle your mail program to a maximum of 1 email every 10 seconds (i.e. 360 messages/hour).
   If the mailing list software you're using does not allow you to throttle you must switch to something that does . We recommend phplist which can be found in your control panel under fantastico for free/open-source users with lists upto 1000 addresses, and Active Campaign 1-2-All for commercial use.
   
   If your mailer is not set to throttle and you try sending to a list of 1000, the server will try sending all 1000 in 1 second which is simply not possible. This will cause the server load to go up significantly, causing all processes to slow down. Any domain which causes a servers load to go > 1.0 will be automatically suspended, the process terminated. Therefore if you choose not to throttle your mailing list you will most likely be spending the next 24 hours suspended for crashing the server.
2. Any mailing list processes should be sent during off-peak times to prevent your normal mail send/recieve slwoing down. Off-peak is defined as 8pm to 8a Monday to Friday and all day Saturday and Sunday.
3. You are EXPRESSLY FORBIDDEN to mail to a mailing list you were given or purchased.
   No matter how it was sold to you, THIS IS SPAMMING because they never agreed to you personally sending them mail, and will not be tolerated. We do not care how you attempt to justify it - sending spam will result in the immediate termination of your hosting account account with no refund.
4. Unsolicited bulk email being sent from your account is notacceptable and could result in termination of your hosting account. ISPs take a zero tolerance stance against sending of unsolicited commrcial or bulk emails.
5. Any mailling list which has international recipients MUST comply with all guidelines set forth by the CanSpam legislation - see US CANSPAM
6. No Direct SMTP mailers are allowed - for example DarkMailer.
   Any mail that is sent through our servers *MUST* be relayed through the local Mail Transfer Agent / MTA (localhost:25) for virus scanning, spam checking and delivery by our mail servers.
7. All recipients of your mailing list must have explicity agreed to be emailled by you.
   You agree unconditionally to...
   • act within 1 working day to remove anyone requesting an unsusbcribe
   • include details of the unscribe technology in every mailing
   • handle any and all sam complaints by removing the email address *permamently*

I didnt get your welcome email - where has my signup email gone ?

Make sure you add billing@othellotech.net to your email whitelists or "buddy list".

How to add us to your Yahoo whitelist:

1. Open your Yahoo mailbox
2. Click "Mail Options"
3. Click "Filters"
4. Next, click "Add Filter"
5. In the top row, labeled "From Header:" make sure "contains" is selected.
6. Click in the text box next to that drop-down menu, and enter the address billing@othellotech.net
7. At the bottom, where it says "Move the message to:" select "Inbox" from the menu.
8. Click the "Add Filter" button again.

For AOL, here's how to receive our emails:

1. Go to "Mail Controls"
2. Select the screen name we're sending your e-mail to
3. Click "Customize Mail Controls For This Screenname."

1. Click "Next" until the Save button shows up at the bottom
2. Click "Save."

To receive our emails with Hotmail, please follow these steps:

1. Click the "Options" tab
2. Under "Mail Handling" select "Safe List"
3. In the space provided, enter the address billing@othellotech.net
4. Click "Add"
5. When you see the address you entered in the Safe List box, click "OK.
6. Repeat for support@othellotech.net

What is SHOUTcast ?

SHOUT cast uses MP3 encoding of the audio content and HTTP as the transport protocol to broadcast Internet Radio over the web.

OthelloConnect.net - ADSL / SDSL / DialUp / VoIP

Can I change the speed of my broadband ?

How fast can my broadband go / whats the fastest broadband ? What speed is Connect::ADSL ?

Presently this is

• ADSL (Std): 2Mb/s download 256Kb/s upload
• ADSL (Max): 8Mb/s download 1024Kb/s upload
• SDSL (Std): 2Mb/s download 2Mb/s upload
• SDSL (Ext): 8Mb/s download 8Mb/s upload

Using bonded-ADSL it is now possible to link upto 4 separate ADSL Lines from the same provider into an aggreagte broadband service, capable of 4 times the speed ...
Fixed : 8Mb/s download, 1Mb/s upload !

ValueADSL.co.uk is one of the select few ISPs able to offer a fully managed bonded ADSL service of 2, 3 or 4 connections, including

• telephone line provision
• adsl activation and ongoing rental
• broadband bonding hardware
• installation and configuration service
• ongoing support

Please contact the sales team to discuss your requirements.

How quickly can I get broadband ?

Can I switch to your broadband ?

ValueADSL.co.uk are very happy for you to upgrade your existing broadband by migrating to our high-speed, low-contention services.

Please contact sales to discus your requirements. Unlike many providers we can also provision your new service as any of our products, not just like-for-like, saving you the time, expense and downtime of a regrade.

How to Use Connect::VOIP with your existing SIP device ...

If you need help entering the configuration into your SIP device, please check the manual that came with your SIP phone or router.

Settings

In order to call via the Connect::VOIP network, enter these settings...

Codecs Supported

• G.711 (64 kbps)
• G.726 (32 kbps)
• G.729 (8 kbps)
• G.723 (5.3 & 6.3 kbps)
• GSMFR (13.2 kbps)

What is ADSL ?

It is permanently 'switched on', unlike normal dial up access and is asymmetric in that it uses most of the available bandwidth downstream (towards you) to make collecting your email and browsing the web as fast as possible.

This makes it particularly suitable for end-users who expect to receive more data than they transmit, use of corporate intranets, and reception of digital audio-visual material (streaming media).

The technology also supports a statndard analogue connection (voice line) on the cable, which enables you to make voice or fax calls simultaneously with internet access.

ADSL (BroadBand) can be enhanced with additional services like Connect::VoIP (Voice over IP) giving you a cheaper telephone calls, conference calling and many more features.

What are the benefits of ADSL based services for Home and Business ?

• download Speed. ADSL provides high-speed digital access - upto 150 times faster than a standard 56K modems. Download speeds of 8Mb/s are now possible from Othello Technology Connect::ADSL-Max services
• Use VoB (Voice over BroadBand) to obtain free calls to other VoB users.
• Save time - Connect:ADSL is "Always On" - you no longer have to waste valuable time obtaining a dial-up connection.
• Use the phone and internet at the same time - ADSL does not affect the normal telephone, so you can make and receive telephone calls or faxes whilst you’re online.

Additionally, ADSL based services will allow SME's and Corporates to:

• All the benefits of Home Users
• Take full advantage of broadband capabilities.
• Offer innovative services to your end user base.
• Extend the reach of your Intranet to encompass your remote teleworkers and satellite offices.
• Manage and predict your costs with the flat rate charging scheme

What can I used my ADSL connection for ?

• Internet access
  The access speeds available with ADSL available make it practical for web sites to carry more multi-media rich information such as embedded video clips, animations and good quality audio - significantly enhancing the online experience
• Intranet access
  Fast access to the Intranet makes teleworking an attractive option - which in turn can bring benefits to both the organisation and the individual
• Media Services
  Online TV and Radio based services can be used to deliver interactive applications over ADSL - such as real time video and audio.

Can I get BroadBand where I am ?

1. You must be a BT telephone subscriber
   You must have a valid contract for the use of a BT analogue direct exchange line forming part of the BT network over which the ADSL service will be provided. Note that if you rent your premises, you must have a valid contract for a BT or Calls & Access provided PSTN line. It is not suitable that the contract be held with your landlord rather than yourself.
   What does all that mean ? Simply that *you* must have a BT Line and are responsible for paying the BT telephone bills.
2. Whether BT has upgraded your telephone exchange to ADSL technology
   It is expected that by the end of March 2006 *all* BT Exchanges countrywide will be Connect::ADSL compatible.
3. How far you are from the local BT Telephone Exchange
   ADSL Speeds are dependant on the length of the copper wires connecting you to the telephone exchange - the further you are, the slower the DSL connection will be.
4. That there are no incompatible services on your PSTN line
   Redcare, Alarm lines, ISDN, low-user tarrifs and certain types of internally wired telphone extensions can stop you receiving ADSL
5. That you have sufficient mains power sockets close to the telephone master box.
   Some installations require BT to fit NTE (Network Terminating Equipment) in your premises, you must have a 13amp power outlet within 2 metres of where the phon-line enters the property

What services on my BT line are incompatible with ADSL ?

• Subscriber private metering
• 30k loop
• Private circuits
• Red ABC
• RedCare
• Meterpulse facility
• PBX lines
• Alarm systems

Is my fax compatible ADSL ?

There is no reason why your fax would not work after upgrading to ADSL.

You WILL have to install an ADSL filter to the telephone socket connecting your FAX to the BT Box.

Will ADSL affect my normal voice telephone connection ?

There is no reason why your normal telephone would not work after upgrading to ADSL.

You WILL have to install an ADSL filter to the telephone socket connecting your phone to the BT Box. You may notice a slight change to how your telephone voice sounds at the other end after you have ADSL installed. This is normal for ADSL lines and is not in anyway a fault or something that can be recified.

Your telephone Answering machine similarly will continue to work, but MUST be connected to an ADSL Filter before plugging into the BO Box, to stop feedback being recorded.

Will ADSL affect my burglar alarm, monitoring service or security system ?

You should obtain a separate telephone line for such critical services, and keep your normal telephone line for ADSL and voice-calls.

What is the minimum ADSL / SDSL / Leased Line period ?

• Connect::ADSL
• Connect::SDSL
• Connect::LeasedLine

Should your line be disconnected by BT during your 12 month contract period, you will immediately become liable for the remainder of the contract term.

Who do I report ADSL / SDSL / Leased-Line faults to ?

We will then perform a number of line tests to determine the nature of the fault, and escalate to the appropriate internal department or external company.

The only exception to this is if the fault affects yor voice telephony services, in which case you should report the fault to BT in the normal manner

What are the ADSL contention ratios ? Explain contention ...

Can you explain how the contention ratios work ?

At peak times if *everyone* who has ADSL at that exchange are connected at the same time, it means you will be guaranteed only 1/Nth of the connection speed you are subscribing to. Where N is the contention level.

Home ADSL
50:1
The BT Exchange connection can be shared by upto 50 concurrent users (N = 50)

Low-Contention Home ADSL
40:1
The BT Exchange connection can be shared by upto 40 concurrent users (N = 40)

Business ADSL
20:1
The BT Exchange connection can be shared by upto 20 concurrent users (N = 20)

Low-Contention Business ADSL
10:1
The BT Exchange connection can be shared by upto 10 concurrent users (N = 10)

Uncontended ADSL
1:1
The BT Exchange connection is *exclusive* to you and not shared by other users (N = 1)

Each connection being is given its own port on the exchange terminating equipment (DSLAM) for that contention service, so it has no effect on your business DSL connection how many home users connect to the exchange.

How do I improve my VoIP call quality ?

1. Upgrade Your Internet Connection
   VoIP is highly dependent on data-transfer speed (upload and download). If experience hissing or pauses during a Connect::VoIP call then the first thing to examine is your ISP connection. Switching to an Othello Technology Connect::ADSL service from an over-crowded generic ISP will enhance your data-transfer rates and reduce hops to the VoIP services
2. Improve Your Contention Ratio
   Contention is the number of people connecting to the internet through the same BT Exchange conection. At any given time there will be many other users connected to the same equipment, and the more users connected and downloading simultaneously the slower your service will operate. Many ISPs run contention as high as 400:1 - yes 400 users sharing the same BT connection ! Pipex, AOL, Wanadoo are set at 100:1
   Switching to a low-contention Connect::ADSL service, or upgrading your existing ISP connection to a lower contention ratio will improve performance - for effective VoIP we recommend 40:1 or less (1:1 DSL being the absolute best)
3. Optimise your Configuration
   A typical home computer is little short of appallingly optimised. M$-Windows and Mac OS X are by default poorly setup to handle the transfer rates of a broadband connection. There are many free applications which will change your networking settings enabling the best use of the internet.
   Try:
   • Broadband Optimzer (OS X)
   • SG TCP Optimizer or Web Optimizer (Windows)
4. Upgrade Your VoIP Phone
   If you are using a soft-phone (computer based voip) rather than a handset, then make sure you upgrade to the latest version. Never rely on beta software, use only released stable releases. Keeping your software up to date allows you to experience mprovements in the codecs (compression/decompression) technology used for your calls. Selecting a high-quality headset makes soft-phone voice quality (spoken and listened to) as clear as standard PSTN landlines.
   For soft-phones, we recommend using an ethernet link not wifi, to ease processing requirements on your workstation/laptop, this reduces interference and significantly improves the codec processing.
   
   If you are using a VoWiFi handset (phone that uses a wireless network to make a call) then the greatest improvement to call quality is to improve the strength of your WiFi signal.
   
   If you are using Connect::VoIP with a standard telephone and adapter, switching to a quality DECT VoIP phone, from an Argos £4.99 unit makes a huge difference. Another advantage of using a DECT phone and adapter is that you can still make an emergency call or standard landline calls in the event your internet connection is unavailable.
   
   
5. Reduce Simultaneous Connections/Calls
   A VoIP call requires 32Kb/s dedicated bandwidth, So multiple simultaneous calls or using your conection for BitTorrent/FTP/iTunes etc will deteriate the call quality. So pause downloads etc whilst calling, and limit calls over ADSL to a maximum of 4 at the same time.
   A call can drop out completely or experience noticable delays while media is downloading, simply because the connection cannot handle so much data or so many packets. Stop any non-essential internet traffic while you make your calls, or get a dedicated Connect::ADSL line for business VoIP calls.

Why does my email not arrive at hotmail ? Missing / Lost emails to xyz@hotmail.com

It is NOT going to be, and never has been a problem with any of our servers or services ... EVER.

We cannot fix something which is another ISPs issue.

THESE ARE ALL HOTMAIL *PROBLEMS* SO PLEASE CONTACT THEM AND NOT US FOR SOLUTIONS

The emails will be delivered quite correctly to Hotmail (unless they 're incoming mailservers are down yet again - Hotmail.com are averaging 3 outages a day as at 1st August 2007 ! In which case our correcty configured and managed email servers will keep trying until MSN email servers come back online again)

For some idea just how bad Hotmail's systems are for delivering email see Hotmail Fail To Deliver Email

The decision on what happens to your emails now they have been delivered to hotmail are 100% entirely down to them and there is NOTHING we can do to change their system(s).

In many cases of claims of mail not arriving at xyz@hotmail.com it is most often because it has been caught by the hotmail aggresive junk filter - junk being a good description for the hotmail technologies !.
Almost 90% of all VALID mail sent to hotmail addresses goes into the junk folder or simply vanishes ...

• Any mail generated by an online application/webform/script from a server not running Microsoft Windows is automatically considered junk.
• Any mail sent by anything other than a Microsoft email program like Outlook or O-Express is automatically considered junk.
• Any mail when hotmails servers are under load and too busy to check the sender is automatically considered junk
• Any mail sent during one of hotmail's 3 times a day 'hiccups' is simply lost with no warning or explanation.

If by some miracle your email is still considered valid after all that, then the final test is if someone (not necessarily the recipient of your current email) has once tagged an email you sent as spam because they are either

•  they have not deleted the unwanted mail
•  or not differentiated between real spam and emails they do not want to read

 Here are the tools to help you "investigate" and troubleshoot the issue...

MSN's Email Wizard

M$ guidlines

Hotmail troubleshooting

THESE ARE ALL HOTMAIL *PROBLEMS* SO PLEASE CONTACT THEM AND NOT US FOR SOLUTIONS

Connect::Voip - IP Based Telephony

How do I improve my VoIP call quality ?

1. Upgrade Your Internet Connection
   VoIP is highly dependent on data-transfer speed (upload and download). If experience hissing or pauses during a Connect::VoIP call then the first thing to examine is your ISP connection. Switching to an Othello Technology Connect::ADSL service from an over-crowded generic ISP will enhance your data-transfer rates and reduce hops to the VoIP services
2. Improve Your Contention Ratio
   Contention is the number of people connecting to the internet through the same BT Exchange conection. At any given time there will be many other users connected to the same equipment, and the more users connected and downloading simultaneously the slower your service will operate. Many ISPs run contention as high as 400:1 - yes 400 users sharing the same BT connection ! Pipex, AOL, Wanadoo are set at 100:1
   Switching to a low-contention Connect::ADSL service, or upgrading your existing ISP connection to a lower contention ratio will improve performance - for effective VoIP we recommend 40:1 or less (1:1 DSL being the absolute best)
3. Optimise your Configuration
   A typical home computer is little short of appallingly optimised. M$-Windows and Mac OS X are by default poorly setup to handle the transfer rates of a broadband connection. There are many free applications which will change your networking settings enabling the best use of the internet.
   Try:
   • Broadband Optimzer (OS X)
   • SG TCP Optimizer or Web Optimizer (Windows)
4. Upgrade Your VoIP Phone
   If you are using a soft-phone (computer based voip) rather than a handset, then make sure you upgrade to the latest version. Never rely on beta software, use only released stable releases. Keeping your software up to date allows you to experience mprovements in the codecs (compression/decompression) technology used for your calls. Selecting a high-quality headset makes soft-phone voice quality (spoken and listened to) as clear as standard PSTN landlines.
   For soft-phones, we recommend using an ethernet link not wifi, to ease processing requirements on your workstation/laptop, this reduces interference and significantly improves the codec processing.
   
   If you are using a VoWiFi handset (phone that uses a wireless network to make a call) then the greatest improvement to call quality is to improve the strength of your WiFi signal.
   
   If you are using Connect::VoIP with a standard telephone and adapter, switching to a quality DECT VoIP phone, from an Argos £4.99 unit makes a huge difference. Another advantage of using a DECT phone and adapter is that you can still make an emergency call or standard landline calls in the event your internet connection is unavailable.
   
   
5. Reduce Simultaneous Connections/Calls
   A VoIP call requires 32Kb/s dedicated bandwidth, So multiple simultaneous calls or using your conection for BitTorrent/FTP/iTunes etc will deteriate the call quality. So pause downloads etc whilst calling, and limit calls over ADSL to a maximum of 4 at the same time.
   A call can drop out completely or experience noticable delays while media is downloading, simply because the connection cannot handle so much data or so many packets. Stop any non-essential internet traffic while you make your calls, or get a dedicated Connect::ADSL line for business VoIP calls.

OthelloNames.net - Domain Name Registration and Management

How long should it take DNS to propagate throughout the Internet ?

In order to reduce traffic (and therefore cost) a number of ISPs including:

• NTL
• Demon
• Wanadoo

This can further extend DNS resoliution times by anything upto a week.

You can check the current DNS settings for your domain at
DNS Report

Can i keep my domain with xyz registrar ?

We would of course prefer to have your domain in our management systems, so that we can resolve any issues that arise, and that way you only have 1 a$$ to kick if something goes wrong, but we fully understand that it is your domain and you should determine which organisationis responsible for renewals etc.

To utilise your domain with our services only requires that you either:

1. set your nameservers to the appropraite NS for the services you require or
2. add the necessary A/MX/PTR records to your own nameservers for DNS to work

How can I transfer my domain to you?

I want to register a domain that has expired, but it says domain not available.

How can I change my domain TAG?

What does the transfer email look like?

What is your Nominet IPS TAG (IPS-TAG) ?

Can I register just a domain?

Can I register just a domain?

Yes you can register just a domain without any associated hosting services at OthelloNames.net Domain Registration

I was a DC-DOMAINS.com (dc domains .com) customer - how do I manage, update, see or renew my domain ?

DC-Domains.com has become OthelloNames.net

To self-manage your existing domain names visit the new Client Portal at http://www.Myothello.net
- it uses the same details you used at dc-domains.com (email address and password)

You can click "My Domains" and see a list of your currently owned domain names and on each you want to change click "View Details" and then the renew button, or you can wait until 21 days before expiry and you'll get an automated invoice to pay

If you would like them to "auto-renew" you can simply add "add funds" to your account which will be spent on the renewals as they are required completely automatically.

Any you dont want anymore you can mark as "allow to expire", and (unless you return to change back to "invoice for renewal" will simply be cancelled at the end of their registered term.

How to Transfer your .UK domain from Namesco / Names.co.uk to your OthelloNames.net Account ...

At the time of writing, this charge was £10+vat (11.75) per domain to update the Nominet IPS-KEY (TAG).

To Transfer your .uk domain away from names .co.uk to OthelloNames.net ...

• Request an Incoming Domain Transfer at http://www.othellonames.net/transfer.htm
  use your existing Othello Client Portal account if you already have one, or simply signup for a new free domain management account
• Log into your control panel as namesco http://admin.names.co.uk/
• Select the .UK domain name you want to transfer
• Click the Transfer Options link
• Take the option Change Nominet TAG
• Enter our Nominet TAG "OTHELLO" into the entry box and click OK

Nominet will then confirm with us the migration (which we will auto-accept because you requested it) and as soon as the transfer completes (between 30 minutes and 48 hours depending on when NamesCo release the domain, you will get an automated email informing you the domain is ready to manage in the Domaiounr management section of the Client Portal

OthelloHosts.net - Shared (Virtual) Hosting

Do your CPanel hosting accounts come with BoxTrapper ?

How do I access the Cobalt control panel ?

i.e. if your domain was MyCobaltSite.co.uk then your Sun Cobalt CP logon would be at ...
http://MyCobaltSite.co.uk/siteadmin

Why am I seeing a 500 Internal Server Error ?

1. script not uploaded in correct format
   Usually this means that you have FTP'd the script to your webspace in BINARY instead of ASCII. The only time a cgi script should be uploaded in BINARY is if it is an encrypted php for ioncube.
2. file permissions set incorrectly
   For scripts to execte correctly they should be world-executable, and not world-writable - i.e. CHMOD 755
   Any script you try to run that hasn't been set with chmod 755 will result in an internal server error.
3. Your script is accessing files outside of your hosting path
   Any script trying to access files outside of your own directory tree will have that access denied. This is a security measure. Please ensure all the files required by your script are within the directory sructure allocated to you.
4. You have incorrectly set the path to Perl in your script.
   Try /usr/bin/perl
5. error within the script itself
   Often this is you have used invalid Perl arguments
6. missing a required PERL module(s)
7. script attempts to use restricted system/executable commands
8. script is banned from our systems
   example of banned scripts are
   • IRC relays/bouncers/eggdrops used by script kiddies
   • know exploitable formmail scripts used by spammers
   • insecure buletin board and chatroom software

Always check your Error Logs when troubleshooting any script problems.

We don't provide support for customer script installation, but if you are having serious problems, please submit a support ticket with as much detail as possible and we will see if we can help (please be aware an consultancy fee of £75+vat will apply)

Can I resell reseller accounts ?

There are two options if you wish to offer Reseller Accounts to your clientbase:

1. Upgrade to a dedicated server.
   You can then have total control via CPanel or Plesk over the accounts on the machine, which includes the ability to have resellers of your own.
   With this option you get complete control over your resellers, including the administration of their features, disk-space and bandwidth/data-transfer allowances.
   Contact the Sales department for a quotation, we can even arrange to move all your existing hosted acounts seamlessly onto your own server for you.
   
   
2. Resell our reseller plans at a higher price.
   First submit a ticket to the Accounts department so that we know you are responsible for the financials of the new reseller account.
   Then simply sign up for another reseller account with your clients details, but use your email address not your client's, otherwise they will recive the welcome confirmation. Once you have the welcome documents, you go into the control panel and update the contact information to be theirs for future account creation notifications. You then top and tail the welcome emails and forward them on.

Please note that as they have contracted for the account with you, we will be unable to support them directly, and they will remain your customer and your responsibility.

Do you support RUBY ? Do you support Ruby on Rails / RoR ?

When are my Web Stats updated ?

What version of PHP are you running ?

Version Control

As a general rule, the versions of applications running on our PRODUCTION servers will be the latest stable release.

We also maintain BLEEDING EDGE systems for those clients who require specific/later versions.

Additionally, certain control panels require particular/older versions in order to operate correctly.

If you have a specific software version / revision requirement, please contact the Sales department to discuss the numerous options.

What version of TOMCAT are you running ?

Version Control

As a general rule, the versions of applications running on our PRODUCTION servers will be the latest stable release.

We also maintain BLEEDING EDGE systems for those clients who require specific/later versions.

Additionally, certain control panels require particular/older versions in order to operate correctly.

If you have a specific software version / revision requirement, please contact the Sales department to discuss the numerous options.

My CGI script is not working, what permissions do I need to set for them to function properly?

Owner:Read/Write/Execute Group:Read/Execute World:Read/Execute

How do I access the Ensim control panel ?

i.e. if your domain was aconixhosting.com then your Ensim CP logon would be at ...
http://aconixhosting.com/admin

How do I create a MySQL Database in the Ensim control panel ?

Ensim will prefix the database name with [yourdomain_com_-_] so if you choose [blob] as your database name, the actual name of the database for use in your website scripts will be [yourdomain_com_-_blog]

In brief ...

• Login to your Ensim control panel as usual at:
  www.yourdomain.co.uk/admin replacing yourdomain.co.uk with your actual domain name.
• From the Dashboard, click on shortcuts
• From the shortcut list, click on MySQL Admin Tool
• From the MYSQL tools, click on Create Database
• In the input box, enter a short name for your database.
  The Full reference name to your database will be prefixed with a code based on your domain name.
• Click on [Save]

Detailled explanation:

When you load your control panel you should see something resembling the following screen...

Click the [MySQL Admin Tool] link next to the database icon.

If you do not have a database icon, click the [Services] link in the left navigation panel. Then click the pencil icon in the row labelled [MySQL]

You should then be presented with options to:

• Manage Databases
• List Databases
• Create Database
• Change MySQL Password

If you click List Databases you will see all current MySQL databases for your hosting account...

Notice the format of the database name which is prefixed with yourdomain_com_-_

Click the [Create Database] link. This will show the screen where you can create a database ...

Type the database name you want into the entry field and click [Save].

This will create your database and take you to the list database screen, where you should see the database you created.

How can I block people from specific IP Addresses so they cannot access my web site ?

You can add the following to the .htaccess file in your www directory:

<Limit GET>
order deny,allow
deny from 63.11.187.103
</Limit>
(change the ip address to the appropriate ip you wish to block)

This will block them from seeing not only your web pages, but any pages in subdirectories below the main site. If you wish to block them from seeing only one, or a small subset of, subdirectories, place the above code in the .htaccess file of the highest level directory that you want blocked.

What are MIME types and how do I add a MIME type to the server ?

A web server uses MIME types to tell browsers what type of document the server is sending. For files, the server determines the MIME type by the file's extension (the file extension is the last part of file name, such as .htm for HTML document, or .jpg for JPEG graphic etc).

There is a standard set of MIME types defined at the server level, however, you aren't limited to the types defined there. MIME types may also be added through the use of the AddType directive in your .htaccess files.

How do I add a MIME type ?

AddType mimetype ext

Where:

• mimetype is a MIME type like application/futuresplash
• ext is a file extension like spl

Can i keep my domain with xyz registrar ?

We would of course prefer to have your domain in our management systems, so that we can resolve any issues that arise, and that way you only have 1 a$$ to kick if something goes wrong, but we fully understand that it is your domain and you should determine which organisationis responsible for renewals etc.

To utilise your domain with our services only requires that you either:

1. set your nameservers to the appropraite NS for the services you require or
2. add the necessary A/MX/PTR records to your own nameservers for DNS to work

How do I access the Plesk control panel ?

i.e. if your domain was designRweb.co.uk then your Plesk CP logon would be at ...
http://designRweb.co.uk/plesk

You do not need to (and possibly cannot) access it by IP address.

The control panel information is encrypted with SSL, but it is a standard application self-signed certificate which may give you a security error to acknowledge first.

If you view the certificate (issued under name plesk) and then install the certificate, you will bypass the security message on all future visits.

How soon can you create my hosting account ?

There are some occasions where manual checking and verification of details are necessary, or a specific/custom configuration is required, and we will advise you of any delays.

We aim to have all accounts setup and ready for use within 1 business day.

Do you support JAVA applets & JSP servlets ?

Because JSP can be very server resource intensive we have setup specific systems for clients requiring JAVA and associated features.

Please contact the Sales department to discuss your exact requirements.

What version of APACHE are you running ?

Version Control

As a general rule, the versions of applications running on our PRODUCTION servers will be the latest stable release.

We also maintain BLEEDING EDGE systems for those clients who require specific/later versions.

Additionally, certain control panels require particular/older versions in order to operate correctly.

If you have a specific software version / revision requirement, please contact the Sales department to discuss the numerous options.

How do I access the CPanel control panel ?

i.e. if your domain was BeyondPerception.net then your CPanel CP logon would be at ...
http://BeyondPerception.net/cpanel

How to Backup your MySQL DB databases

For those looking to get a regular backup of your MySQL database, the command to add as a cron.job ...

/usr/bin/mysqldump -u{mysql_username} -p{mysql_password} {mysql_db_name} |gzip |uuencode {mysql_db_name}backup.sql.gz |mail -s \"database backup\" {emailaddress}

replace :

• {mysql_username} with the database owner username
• {mysql_password} with the database password
• {mysql_db_name} with the database name
• {emailaddress} with your email address

Please only add the backups as jobs *after* 2am to keep load down on the server duriung peak hours, and be warned it will use up your bandwidth/data-transfer allocation quickly, so weekly backups are recommended over daily ones if your DB is relatively static.

What is the server path to my files ?

Plesk (linux)

CPanel (linux)

Cobalt (linux)

HSphere (linux)

Ensim Pro (linux)

Direct Admin (linux)

HSphere (windows)

HELM (windows)

Plesk (windows)

What version of MySQL are you running ?

Version Control

As a general rule, the versions of applications running on our PRODUCTION servers will be the latest stable release.

We also maintain BLEEDING EDGE systems for those clients who require specific/later versions.

Additionally, certain control panels require particular/older versions in order to operate correctly.

If you have a specific software version / revision requirement, please contact the Sales department to discuss the numerous options.

How do I create a MySQL database in Cpanel ?

1. Login to your control panel
2. Click on the MySQL Databases icon.
   This may be under the Server or Database sections depending on the theme of your control panel
3. Enter a name for your database in the Db input field
   Click the Add Db button.
4. Go back to the MySQL Administration page by clicking the go back link
5. Scroll down to where it says Database Users and create a new username and password for your database
   Click the Add User button.
6. Go back to the MySQL Administration page by clicking the go back link
7. Scroll down to where it says Database Users and select the new user and the database
   Click the Add User to DB button.

Remember:Your cpanel username is used as a prefix to databases and database users.
So if you created a database named mydb for access by your cgi scripts and applications it\'s actually going to be called cpaneluser_mydb. Similarly with database users.

Details of the MySQL DB and DB User can be seen in the control panel in the MySQL Administration page.

You may add MySQL Databases and Users as long as there are remaining resources available in your hosting plan.

How do I create a MySQL database in Plesk ?

1. Login to your control panel
2. Select the domain you want to the database associated with.
3. Click on the Databases icon.
4. Enter a name for your database in the Database Name input field
   Click the Add button.
5. Enter a name for the database owner in theNew User input field
   Click the Add button.
6. Enter and confirm a password for the new DB User
   Click the Update button.

Details of the MySQL DB and DB User can be seen in the control panel in the Database Administration page.

You may add MySQL Databases and Users as long as there are remaining resources available in your hosting plan.

How do I repair a damaged MySQL table, rebuild index or prepare for backup ?

from the SSH prompt, change directory to the location of the database
(usually /var/lib/mysql/databaseName)
and execute the MySQL ISAM Check command:
myisamchk -r *.MYI

What is Fantastico De Luxe ?

Main Features

1. add-on domains
2. subdomains
3. top level directories (root of main domain and/or any addon domain/subdomain)

Additional features User Page

1. Overview page (lists all installed apps)
2. Select language
3. Email notifications to user for installations/removals
4. Display a warning when logged in using root or reseller password. You can't proceed to install in these cases.

Scripts being installed by Fantastico De Luxe

Blogs

Portals/CMS

Customer Support

Discussion Boards

E-Commerce

FAQ

Guestbooks

Image Galleries

Mailing List

Polls and Surveys

Project Management

Site Builder

Wiki

Other Scripts

Do you offer telnet or shell access to hosting servers?

If you require a shell prompts for managing your domains/applications, we can supply a dedicated or virtual-private server as required.

Please contact the Sales Team for quotations of VPS and Dedicated Servers.

Do you offer fixed/dedicated IP Addresses for hosting and how much do they cost ?

If you purchase an SSL certificate from us for your hosting, it includes a fixed IP address.

IP address blocks can be purchased in sizes of 8/16/32/64/128/256 blocks for dedicated and collocated servers, at a lower rate of £2.00/month/ip.
However you will need to complete the necessary RIPE justification for for all IP Address allocations.

Please contact the Sales Team to discuss your IP Address requirements.

What happens if I exceed my allocated monthly bandwidth/data-transfer allowance?

Once you have exceeded your limit, your account is suspended for the rest of the current month.

You should contact us and purchase more bandwidth/upgrade your plan prior to exceeding your bandwidth allowance to keep your website online, and keep email working normally.

Please contact the Sales Team to discuss your Bandwidth/Transfer requirements.

What do I need to do to get my Perl / ASP / PHP script to work ?

You may also need to set the correct extension on the file:

• Perl files need to have the extension .pl or .cgi 1st line must read #!/usr/bin/perl
• Debug Perl files need to have the extension .pld or .cgid
• ASP files need to have the extension .asp
• PHP files need to have the extension .php
• iHTML files need to have the extension .ihtml

We recommend that each script is placed in it's own sub-directory within /cgi-bin/

Why dont my PHP pages work ?

There are two causes of PHP pages not to work correctly

1. The page does not have the correct .php extension
2. You have an error in your script

Why dont my SSI pages work ?

There are THREE causes of SSI pages not to work correctly

1. The page does not have the correct .shtml extension
2. You have an error in your script
3. Your OthelloHost plan does not support SSI

The definitive guide for SSI use with your OthelloHost package is http://httpd.apache.org/docs/howto/ssi.html

Why dont my JAVA / JSP pages work ?

There are two causes of JSP pages not to work correctly

1. The page does not have the correct .jsp extension
2. You have an error in your script

How do I serve up WAP / WML Pages ?

1. Make a new folder /wap for your wap pages
2. Set the extension of your wap deck to .wml (WAP Markup Language)
3. Upload the deck in ASCII format
4. Create a file called .htaccess [Note the DOT!] with the following content :

             AddType text/vnd.wap.wml               wml           AddType text/vnd.wap.wxml              wxml           AddType image/vnd.wap.wbmp             wbmp           AddType applicationtext/vnd.wap.wmlc   wml           AddType text/vnd.wap.wmlscript         wmls           AddType application/vnd.wap.wmlscriptc wmlsc           AddType application/vnd.wap.wbxml      wbxml           AddType application/vnd.wap.sic        sic           AddType application/vnd.wap.slc        slc 

How do I backup and restore my Website and databases ? How do I move my sites from my current host to Othello ?

Backup your site
1. Login to your old cpanel and click "backup"
2. Once in backup click "download a home directory backup" This will backup all your email accounts, files, and a few other things. It will not backup your mysql databases.
3. If you have any mysql databases you will download them now.
4. If you have any Alias/ Filter Backups download them.

Restore your site
1. Login to your new cpanel and click "backup"
2. Under "restore a home backup" Click "Browse" and find the home backup you have you have already downloaded, and click upload.
3. Do the same for your mysql databases.
4. Do the same for your Alias/Filters.

Fixing Databases after restore After you have restored your database you may get an error when trying to view a page that users the database (forum, script, phpmyadmin etc).

Warning: mysql_connect(): Access denied for user: 'domain_dbse@localhost' (Using password: YES) in /home/domain/public_ht