Changing Web Hosting Providers
If you would like to cut costs or are no longer satisfied with their current web host provider maybe it is time to think about changing web host providers. Take time to plan your transfer so that you won't lose any files and data.
Web Hosting Change Checklist:
- Domain name:where is your domain registered?
- How do you login and change nameservers?
- Your current IP address________ and your new IP address____________
- Your login username and password for old web host__________ and new control panel or shell access via SSH username and password __________________
- Make a list of email addresses including usernames and passwords
- Make a list of databases, usernames and passwords
- make a list of installed software
Checkout your new web host control panel, get familiar with how things work at your new host and to try everything out, including sending test emails and uploading files.
Change Your Domain Record
Login to your domain registrar and change your name servers. This usually occurs within 72 hours, often much sooner. Dome domain registrars can transfer a domain within 2 hours, so check the new IP address often and upload files as soon as possible to avoid website "downtime".
Transferring the Site to the New Web Hosting Provider:
Download files: Open your FTP program and enter the FTP address at your old web host (e.g. ftp.yoursite.com). Once logged onto the server, right click on your main folder (normally public_html or www) and choose download.
Choose a local folder on your own computer to store the files, Click OK, and watch all your files being downloaded onto your computer. You will still have all your files on the server too. Please downloads can take a quite abit of time depending on the number and size of files.
Download databases: Login to your old web hosts Control Panel Go to databases ( usually My SQl), and use either phpmyadmin (usually located towards bottom of page) or a similar program . Choose the databases you want to download and click on "export". You will then come to a screen information about the database. towards the bottom of the page look for; "Normal or None", "GZip", or "Zip". chose one and press download or submit. Save this file to a folder on your computer. Repeat for each databases.
Upload files to the new host: Using your FTP program connect to your new web host. Right click on the folder (e.g. public_html or www -- or if not present no folder maybe required- ask your web hosting provider if you are unsure) and choose upload. When asked where to upload these files from, choose the folders and files to upload.
Upload databases: login to the control panel at your new web hosting provider, go to Mysql, and use phpmyadmin or a similar program. Choose the insert or upload option and select the location of the database file you downloaded before that is stored on your computer. Click "ok or submit". During the import you will see some database commands, but towards the bottom it will tell you if it failed or was successful. Be patient, don't interrupt this process, wait for the final statement telling you if the import was successful. Repeat this process for all of your Mysql databases.
Final Steps
Set up email address using your new control panel. Use the "help" if needed to learn how to do this at the new web host.
- check that all your software on your new web host site is working properly.
- you might have to change config files if Mysql databases, username or password are different from your old web host.
- If something doesn't work check the permission rights of your scripts.
- Make sure that all links work.
Reccomended Web Hosting: http://www.site-webhosting.com . Excellent Customer Service Plans for all size websites $5-$20/month
About the Author
Geraldine Jensen is the owner of several ecommerce websites. She is the publisher and editor of http;//www.familiesonlinemagazine.com,
which was chosen as Hotsite by USA Today in October 2004 due to it diverse opinions and good content. She was Webmaster for a nonprofit organization for 10 years. Her newest project is Today's Family Forum. she has personal experience transferring websites to http://www.site-webhosting.com