LESSON#25: Changing Name Servers & Getting to Know Cpanel

By | October 4, 2008

A couple lessons ago, we went through the process of registering a domain name. Then in the previous lesson, we signed up for web hosting.

Now its time to put those things together, to make sure our domain is pointing to our web hosting, and then begin to familiarize ourselves with the web hosting control panel…

(Watch this video…)

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Main points:

  • I recommend registering your domain with a domain registrar other than your web hosting company.

  • DNS = Domain Name System (on the video I said Domain Name Server, which is also a commonly held definition for the acronym)

  • Your name servers should be listed in the welcome email from your web host.

  • Log into your domain account, and change the DNS to your assigned name servers

  • (Video shows how to set up an account using WHM – the administrative side of Cpanel, which is included with Hostgator reseller accounts)

  • After you change the DNS in your domain account, it can take anywhere from a few minutes up to a couple days for it to propagate throughout the web.

  • To log into the cpanel for your account, you would go to:

    http://yourdomain.com/cpanel or http://yourdomain.com:2082
    or https://yourdomain.com:2083 (secure)

    If your domain’s DNS hasn’t resolved to your hosting account yet, you can access your control panel using the server’s IP address in place of the domain.

    Action step:

    1) Set your domain’s DNS to point to your hosting account

    2) Look around in your Cpanel control panel, and familiarize yourself with it

    In the next lesson, I’ll show you how to set up email account(s) on your own domain.

    As always, you are welcome to post your questions and comments below 🙂

    Have a great day!

  • 207 thoughts on “LESSON#25: Changing Name Servers & Getting to Know Cpanel

    1. Dennis

      Would you please make your flash video able to full
      screen capable.

      Reply
      1. Simone

        Hi Eric

        I may take some time to get started hopefully not too long as the time is now and I really want to keep up with the lessons. I will get there, Simone

        Reply
    2. Eric Post author

      That’s a good idea. I don’t have time to go back and do it now, but I’ll keep it in mind for future development.

      Reply
    3. Karen

      Hi Eric,
      A little confusing when you went to your hostgator account. The whm screen is within hostgator? You sort of flew through that mentioning a reseller account. MOST of us aren’t to that point yet, if it is a reseller account. I will finish watching and search for what I need.

      Karen

      Reply
    4. Nombulelo

      Hi Eric
      I may be slow but working through the lessons. If I can’t keep up with the pace of the advanced learners I’ll catch up so please keep the lessons coming. Again thanks a lot. These are the first comprehensive lessons I have ever had and courtesy of your generosity! You take one by the hand through the steps systematically so now I know I will get there. Thanks for giving me hope.

      Reply
    5. Jay

      Great tutorial Eric! Keep em coming. I’m a little more advanced so looking forward to when you start digging deep.

      Reply
    6. Barbara

      Eric – great information here and I shall recommend your site !
      It took me ages before I finally understood this – great stuff, thanks !

      Reply
    7. Mario Bruneau

      Hi Eric,
      Congratulations for your site. I just discovered you from a “how to point domain name servers in cpanel” Google search.
      I am happy to know you. You seem a very generous and brilliant person.
      I too am going your path that is, teaching people the ins and outs of Internet Marketing.
      A lot of “Gurus” have specific “programs” to teach you this or that but very few will take you by the hand and really show you what’s important to know to succeed on Internet Marketing.
      They don’t show you the “mechanics”, they only teach you “concepts”
      This frustrated me so I decided to do like you, really teach what Internet Marketing is all about and help people succeed online.
      After this comment, I will subscribe to you list.
      PS I do like some “Gurus”. Here are my favorite:
      Brendon Burchard, Eben Pagan, Russel Brunson, Mark Joyner, Mickael Koenig (Traffic Geyser) and you Eric!
      PPS I don’t like HostGator neither GoDaddy. I prefer HostTheName and Netelligent
      Thanks Eric

      Reply
    8. Nedra

      Remember the deer in the headlight expression-:) But, I am glad to be explosed to areas I have had questions, but did not know how to ask the right question to get my answer. Now, you have taken the mystery away BUT I will need to revisit this lesson for a better understanding. Thanks,Eric!!! As usual-:)

      Reply
    9. Marija

      Hi,
      I have registered my Domain name at Go daddy for 1 year. What happened after one year? Do I need to contact them or they will find me to prolong the contract? Marija

      Reply
    10. Micah

      Hello Marija,

      You should be able to renew your domain from right within your Godaddy account. Typically, they also send reminder emails to you, when it’s time to renew.

      Reply
    11. Brian Sharman

      Hi Eric,

      First, let me thank you for your excellent video tutorials which I am enjoying both in terms of their quality and for the way they have caused me to realise that until the present time, I have certainly lacked focus, vision and the ability to set realistic goals. I have allowed myself to become a victim of online, offline and personal distractions and the consequences of information overload. As a result, I have flitted from one business plan to another and achieved nothing. All the blame is entirely at my door and whilst I am tempted to blame certain of the “internet gurus”, I now understand from your teachings that I need to focus on one business concept or plan, stick with it and take action.

      I am based in the UK and to date, I have a few domains hosted by Hostgator but none of these domains have any content. For some time, I have been paying for hosting which so far has been a waste of money. I am also paying subscriptions to Aweber which again is money down the drain. Thanks to your guidance, I am hopeful that things are going to change.

      So far, I have viewed the first 25 videos in your Tips program and it looks like we are now getting to the nuts and bolts of setting up an online business and choosing an appropriate niche and domain name. I am also working my way through your “No Cost Income Streams” and “Upgrades” programs which are also brilliant and have made the conscious decision to rely on their contents to grasp an understanding of the essentials I need to know in order to create a successful online business. Every video I have viewed also appears to be right up to date which is of primary importance in the ever changing internet world.

      Eric, could I trouble you to consider a marketing strategy which has been occupying my mind for some time and let me know whether it holds water. I would not normally trouble anyone about this but I have noticed that you above all others, have taken the time to read the comments left on your Blog and provided real answers to the concerns your subscribers have expressed.

      My plan is to target “local businesses” of all descriptions offering advice, services and products either of my own making or as an affiliate and I would do this in a number of locations both in the UK and abroad. My idea is to create sales Blogs for various business formats such as hairdressers, plumbers, electricians, accountants, lawyers, undertakers and so on in various geographical locations both home and abroad on the basis that it will be easier to get a higher ranking at a local level as opposed to a global level. From the research I have done, it did surprise me to discover the big numbers of searches made on a monthly basis for local services of this kind. I would achieve this by the creation of sub domains feeding off a generic root domain name. Here is the basis of my plan and I am sorry that it is not shorter but I really wanted you to get a complete understanding of where I am coming from.

      First, I would register a generic root domain and look to keep the domain name as short as possible. This may be something like “addmorecustomers.com”. If my target market is hairdressers, I would create a sub-domain such as “HairdressersLondon.addmorecustomers.com”. My thinking is that since it is not always possible to obtain names that are laser targeted to our specific niche program, product or service because the name and derivatives of the name are already taken, we then have to think more and become more creative in order to move on. All of this takes time and if you are not particularly creative and I would fall into that category, it becomes another hurdle to jump over. My belief is that the creation of blogs by way of sub-domains eliminates those problems and provides the opportunity to use names which can be laser targeted at products and services without having to worry about the names which competitors are using. Google itself has used sub-domains rather than create complete stand alone sites. I also understand that Google and other search engines regard sub-domains as completely separate sites and on that assumption and going to my strategy, if the names “HairdressersLondon.com” or “LondonHairdressers.com” are taken, I would have no problem naming my Blog something like “Hairdressers London – How to Increase Your Customer Base” or something similar because this ultimately links to my registered domain “addmorecustomers.com”. Using a common Theme, I would then clone the Blog and simply change the name of the location. I would then follow the same procedure for other types of business, using a different theme for each type but all feeding from my root domain “addmorecustomers.com”. I would also follow the same strategy for the promotion of physical or digital products and again, the sites would feed off a generic but relevant root domain. It would be my ambition to develop a brand and it would also be part of my strategy to offer a free newsletter service which I would write and this would have the prospect of building a list. I would also have affiliate links on the blogs and possibly a link to Amazon products. This may be useful if anyone simply searching for a particular business service clicked on to the site and then decided to buy something from Amazon rather than getting a haircut.

      Eric, I am very sorry to take up your time but I would be eternally grateful if you could give me your advice on my strategic plan.

      Regards
      Brian Sharman

      Reply
    12. Micah

      Hello Brian,

      Those are good ideas, but in all honesty, you may be biting off more than any one person can chew.

      You might find that because those subdomain possibilities are endless, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with where to start.

      It takes time to build each subdomain, but more importantly, it takes a great deal more time to manage and do upkeep for each of those subdomains. Making just one correction, or update to pages on 1,000 subdomains could present a few sleepless nights.

      In the case of FaceBook, they just started with a few universities, before getting financing and staff to expand to people everywhere.

      I would recommend that you scale back your idea, and test it out with a few local niches, perhaps limiting yourself to a specific region.

      In fact, you might want to focus locally, as this could benefit from some offline interaction between you and the businesses you want to highlight!

      Reply
    13. Brian Sharman

      Hi Micah
      Many thanks for your comments which do give me encouragement.I will heed your advice and review my strategy accordingly.

      Regards
      Brian Sharman

      Reply
    14. Dianne Stevenson

      Hi,
      I have learned a lot from your tips and thinking of signing up for your coaching course quite soon. The question I have is that
      I am having an ecommerce site set up, which has nearly been completed. The monthly cost is £19.99 which includes insertions into directories. As I will require guidance on SEO, which this service does not provide, I would like to buy my domain and hosting by your suggestions and not the ecommerce organisation I am with currently.
      Could you give me some advice on taking the necessary steps.

      Thank You and God Bless
      Dianne Stevenson

      Reply
    15. Eric Post author

      Hi Dianne,
      The web host I recommend is Hostgator (See lesson #24). The best value is to pay for a year or two in advance, and use this coupon code: TAKE25PERCENT That will take 25% off the entire bill. If you’re only paying for one month at a time, then you may want to use coupon code ERICSTIPSCOUPON which saves $9.95 off your first bill only.

      You can register your domain through Hostgator for about $15/year. Or if you want to save a little money, you can register it through my recommended registrar: Lifedomains for under $10/yr.(See lesson 23) Then you can point the domain to your Hostgator hosting, using the instructions in this lesson (#25).

      Hostgator will give you FTP access to your account, which can be used to upload the Ecommerce site.

      Reply
    16. Babylon66

      Hey Eric,
      I have followed your advise and have set up a domain name with lifedomain.net & my hosting with HostGator. I think I have set up/pointed my domain name to the host company however I got a little lost as to how a create an account in the WHM page. Where do I find this page? I have looked everywhere and can’t seem to work it out. Can you please help. I bought your package in your recent fire sale if that help.
      Just wanted to say I’m really enjoying your teachings and look forward to continuing listen to your lessons.

      Reply
    17. Eric Post author

      I’m assuming you signed up for a reseller account, which comes with the WHM panel where you can set up accounts. Otherwise, it would just be a cpanel control panel for the one domain.

      You should have received an email from Hostgator with a link to the WHM login page, and your username and password. If you would like your welcome email resent again, please contact HostGator support and they will be glad to resend that to you.

      The login address usually looks something like:

      https://(IP ADDRESS HERE):2087
      or
      https://(IP ADDRESS HERE)/whm

      Reply
    18. Babylon66

      Hi Eric,
      I thought I bought the reseller but when i checked my email I bought the baby! I thought that that was what was said in the lesson? Do I or should I upgrade? I was under the impression that you can have moe than one domain name with the Baby? As always I look forward to hearing from you.
      Thanks for all your help thus far

      Reply
    19. Eric Post author

      You can have multiple domains with the Baby, using what’s called “Add on” domains. I have a lesson here which explains this in more detail:

      How To Host Multiple Domains On One Web Hosting Account

      The difference with the Reseller account is every domain can have its own cpanel account. You could always start with the Baby for now to save some money, and then upgrade to the Reseller later. Hostgator can upgrade your account at any time.

      Reply
    20. fran

      Hi Eric,
      I watched your webinar with Paul; Newschest; about having a website and getting into Google News. I am fairly new to this kind of thing but very interested. Do you think it would be suitable for me as a beginner in these things? I would really appreciate your suggestions. kind regards and loving your lessons.

      Reply
    21. Anil Kulkarrni

      Somehow I have not received lesson 24. How can I get it?

      Reply
    22. Micah

      Hello Fran,

      I don’t see why not, if you are dedicated, and willing to invest some time and hard work!

      Reply
    23. Eileen

      The http://www.lifedomains.net do not have the same information that you are showing us on your Video 23 or Video 24. The site is a blank blue and white page and have nothing to click on to make any changes.I was told that the site was updated but choosing to change your DNS is not available. Is it possible that the site have a new owner and what you are showing us on your video does not exist anymore. Anxious to hear your answer. Thank you

      Reply
    24. Bernie

      Eric, I haven’t been able to view the videos since my phone
      doesn’t accept flash. Have tried two apps w/no success.
      Been following along w/ur comments. This vid is 1 I really
      need. Otherwise keep up the good work.

      Reply
    25. Micah

      Hello Bernie,

      We recommend that you watch the videos on a friend’s computer, at the library, or at a coffee shop that has free computer access!

      Reply
    26. Ken Klug

      Erik,
      I lost you when you said if you want to be a reseller or set up a reseller account. Then you showed WHM which I can access from cpanel.

      What is a reseller? and what is WHM? and why do I need to do that?

      Thanks, Ken

      Reply
    27. Micah

      Hello Ken,

      It sounds like you are only needing a personal web hosting account.

      If you don’t want to sell web hosting to others, then you may disregard that information.

      Reply
    28. Doralyn

      Hi Eric and Team!

      I am about to embark on a Masters in Internet Marketing. I am wondering if you could provide advice on how coaching with you, LOL 🙂 would be just as beneficial (and cheaper). If you would, please be frank 🙂 I am now stuck on this 25th tip; with this brainstorm. Please advise. All supported by hubby, so is okay.
      I look forward to you and/or anyone’s feedback. Appreciated.

      Reply
    29. Eric Post author

      It all depends on what you want to do. If you want to get a job in the Internet marketing world, I’d recommend going for the masters. There are all kinds of tech companies you could work for, as well as non-tech companies that need Internet marketers.

      If you want to start building a business right now, especially if it’s an information marketing business, then my coaching club would be a great option.

      I certainly do not claim my coaching club to be better than a university masters program. But if you want to know the advantages from my perspective… I see it as a matter of learning directly from people who are active and successful marketers, rather than learning from textbooks and teachers.

      I’m sure there’s a big variance in the quality of masters programs out there. Some are probably relevant and taught by successful entrepreneurs. Others are probably a little dated. It would be a shame to finish a degree only to find out that half of what you learned is already obsolete.

      But again, having a masters is also a long term asset in terms of acquiring a job…

      Reply
    30. Hannah

      Hey Eric,

      Thanks so much for the wonderful teachings…I am moving forward!

      Blessings, Blessings and more Blessings!

      Hannah

      Reply
    31. Bill Elliott

      Tuesday, November 26, 2013 ( 11:21:58 AM )

      Good day,

      Eric, I wish you would have “turned on” the Full Screen Button when you uploaded your videos to the video player you are using because especially when you are now giving instructions to different things it is bit hard to see the screen. If we had the option to hit the “FULL SCREEN BUTTON” it would make a world of difference.

      Thx.

      Bill

      Reply
      1. Eric Post author

        Thanks for the feedback. I do have that turned on in later lessons. And I plan on re-exporting these ones with that option in the near future.

        Reply
    32. Anita Anderson

      Hi Eric – enjoying your tips.

      I have a realty website through LinkUsystems, which specialize in websites for Realtors. But I really have not fully utilized it. When I was a very active and busy Realtor, I used it mostly to collect and answer leads that came in from the website.
      I an now semi-retired, and left ‘Corporate America Real Estate Company’ and hung my license with a small local realty. Maybe now I will find time to start a realty blog, and link up all my support vendors that I have worked with for so many years.
      I am also going through old, completed transaction files to see, if I can connect with past clients again, something I badly neglected when I was so busy in real estate.
      Even though this website is costly, I feel I need to keep it, because of the IDX facilitation — immediate connection to my MLS system to search for property listings- that this website affords visitors.
      For the time being I’ll plan to just leave that website alone, just utilize it more.

      I also have another website which I started recently to blog and chat about one of my hobbies, namely Organic Container Gardening. The domain is: http://www.Anitaswebsite.com, and the webhost is Godaddy.
      I guess I can use this website to sell, advertise products, etc. – right?

      If I start selling on the internet ( I am also interested in Affiliate Marketing), should I change from Godaddy to Hostgator or GetGator?
      I have no idea who my webhost is, or if I even have one (how do I find out?), and I certainly don’t have a cpanel server.
      In spite of all the “stuff” I already have, I am by no means an expert–in fact, I am rather still internet-challenged, and trying to set up a viable business on the internet, I often feel like I am trying to drive a Ferrari, when I am still only educated to driving a Volkswagen with stick shift.

      Any comments, suggestions and advise are appreciated. Thanks.

      Reply
      1. Micah

        Hello Anita,

        If you search your email, using your website name, you should be able to find your webhost information.

        I would recommend that you choose a domain name more specific to organic container gardening, if that is going to be a niche you wish to build a business in.

        Please see Eric’s lesson, Choosing and Registering a Domain Name:

        LESSON #23: Choosing and Registering a Domain Name

        Reply
      1. Micah

        Hello Anita,

        Your site appears to be just fine for its purpose. Adding any other income streams to your site, might deter people who are actually looking to purchase real estate.

        Reply
    33. Meir Ezra Business Coach

      Hello! Would you mind if I share your blog with
      my twitter group? There’s a lot of people that I
      think would really enjoy your content. Please let me know.
      Thanks

      Reply
    34. Kevin

      Help! The user interface on Lifedomains.net for changing the DNS is quite different from the video. Even the terms are different. I can’t figure out how to change the DNS as you teach in this lesson #25. It shows informational names and a lot of other stuff that I am completely unfamiliar with and you don’t discuss. Please help, as I cannot go any further in your lessons without this. Thank you
      Kevin

      Reply
    35. Aworinde Sam

      Thanks for the lesson. Please, what is your take about this issue. i have register a domain and host it in the same place where i purchase my domain before i came in contact with your lesson!

      Reply
    36. Mark

      I registered my domaine at lifedomains.net and also created a hostgator account. I was able to change DNS and I was able to sign in to my cPanel. There is no Fantastico any more and it says that they have replaced with QuickInstall but when I go to access it there is nothing there. it says QuickInstall is a flexible and powerful script auto-installer, is available on all Shared and Reseller plans. I signed up for the Hatchling Plan and I am guessing it is not available for that plan. I am a newbie and do not kknow what to do.

      Reply

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