Web Hosting

Plesk 12: Upgrade to PHP 5.6

Screen Shot 2015-05-16 at 16.44.12By default, all hosting accounts are provide with the latest revision of PHP 5.4.x. This is a stable version and has proven suitable for production use.

There may be cases where you would like to use a higher PHP version.

Upon request, we can upgrade your PHP as below:

  • PHP 5.5.x
  • PHP 5.6.x

Simply contact the helpdesk and your version can be upgraded immediately without any impact to your files, account or site operational status. If you wish to revert back to the previous PHP version that is also not a problem.

If you manage your own Plesk server, you can change this yourself:

  1. Login to the Plesk Panel as admin
  2. Find the domain you wish to modify
  3. Select “Hosting Settings”
  4. Select the desired PHP version
  5. Hit “Ok” to activate the changes

The PHP upgrades are on an individual domain basis. If you have multiple domains and sites then you will need to repeat the process for each domain. This enables you to use specific PHP versions with specific sites.

How to fix: (98)Address already in use: make_sock: could not bind to address 0.0.0.0:80

sshApache Error: (98) Address already in use

Occasionally your VPS or dedicated server will just not play ball.

Whenever Apache gives up the ghost it usually a case of restarting the service and within seconds your sites are back online, as if nothing happened. Great!

# service httpd restart

Most of the time, this resolves the issue. But, on occasion, apache simply doesn’t want to play. The most common issue we hear about is the Address already in use issue, which looks something like this

# service httpd restart
Stopping httpd:                                            [FAILED]
Starting httpd: (98)Address already in use: make_sock: could not bind to address [::]:80
(98)Address already in use: make_sock: could not bind to address 0.0.0.0:80
no listening sockets available, shutting down
Unable to open logs
                                                           [FAILED]

How to resolve this apache issue

Unless apache is restarting at the time you are trying to restart manually then what we have here is a locked process. Thankfully the resolution is quite simple. We just need to find the locked process, kill it then restart apache as usual.

Let’s find the locked process id

# netstat -ltnp | grep ':80'

This will return something like this

tcp  0  0 :::80  :::* LISTEN      3826/sudo

Now we have identified the PID as 3826, we just need to kill it

# kill -9 3826

With a little luck, a simple apache start will now get everything working

# service httpd start

Starting httpd: [  OK  ]

If the problem persists then review the apache error log to locate the issue:

# tail -500 /var/log/httpd/error_log

How to: Transfer your Web Site to UKC

transfer-iconTransferring your Web Site to UKC without Downtime

Moving your site from an old host to a new host might sound complicated but it is actually very easy.

Our technicians are moving all types of sites (self built, WordPress, Joomla, shopping carts) on a daily basis. Leave the complexity to us.

We will help you transfer your web site, data and mysql databases to our hosting service and minimise (if not eliminate) the need for any downtime whatsoever.

Here are the steps to follow:

  1. Order your new hosting plan from UKC. Do not cancel your old hosting plan (yet).
  2. Is your old host using Plesk? If so, all you need do is run a full backup in Plesk Backup Manager and provide us with the backup file. We can restore from here.
  3. You will now have access to two hosting accounts.

What we need from you

In order for us to successfully transfer your website, we need the following:

  1. A backup of your hosting account run from your old host (if you have one)
  2. The panel login details of your old hosting plan
  3. The FTP details of your old hosting plan
  4. If you have SSH with the old host, then these details can also help

From here we can take care of the transfer of all of your site data and databases.

Going live without downtime

We will transfer all of your web site, data and mysql databases before the “going live” date which we will agree with you beforehand.

Once we go live, the switch will simply be a name server change on your domain name. At this point, your web site will now be live using a UKC hosting plan. Once you are happy with the operations of your new site you can then proceed to cancel your old hosting plan.

If you have any questions now (or along the way) simply contact the Helpdesk who are there to help.

Cheap web space – with a free .UK domain name

Cheap web space – with a free .UK domain name

server-imgNot all cheap webspace packages are the same. It’s not what you get that matters, it’s what is missing that really matters most.

All our cheap webspace solutions are backed by our unconditional 30 day satisfaction money back guarantee. No quibble, no questions, no risk.

With free webspace setup, no advertising banners, and no FTP dial up or upload restrictions – there really is no catch with our web hosting solutions.

What’s the difference between webspace and hosting?

During the early days of the internet (not so long ago!) the space that you would store your website on a server was referred to as webspace. Only later, as more and more features were added that webspace began to represent the amount of file space that you get with your hosting package.

Hosting now refers to the full service, which means webspace and other services provided usually include email, webmail, ftp, pop incoming mail server, smtp outgoing mail server and more. So, as you can see, webspace now only refers to a single part of the hosting package.

Why use UK Cheapest as our webspace provider?

We keep our servers up to date. Fast response, highest security.

  • You don’t have to worry about your SMTP server being blocked by your ISP. You can use any ISP to send email even if your ISP blocks SMTP port 25 outgoing email (eg AOL, Orange, BT etc), we offer port 587 as an effective workaround.
  • Essential services such as POP, SMTP, Webmail, Password Management, Unlimited FTP upload access, web statistics, PHP, CGI, Perl and much more are included as standard in ALL cheap web hosting accounts.
  • Website visitor statistics in all manner of charts and figures are included as standard with all hosting accounts.

I would like a free .UK domain name with my cheap webspace, what do I do next?

No doubt you have already thought about your desired domain names? If not, it’s time to start thinking! Or simply experiment, type potential domain names in to the search box below and have a look what is available. All “Unlimited” plans come with a free .UK domain name.

How easy is it to upgrade my cheap web space package in the future?

Upgrading is easy and can be done at any time. Your will receive account upgrade options with your order so do not worry about ordering a package that is too small. Order what you think is necessary and upgrade as when needed.

How to Create Password Protected Directories

header_ppp_circle_270x274Protecting Files and Folders in Plesk

If you have directories in a site that only authorised users should see, restrict access to these directories with password protection.

To protect a directory in your site with a password and to specify authorised users:

  1. If you are subscribed to several hosting packages and have access to several webspaces associated with your account, select the required webspace in the Subscription menu at the top of the screen.
  2. Go to the Websites & Domains tab and find the site’s domain name.
  3. Click Password-Protected Directories.
  4. Click Add Protected Directory.
  5. In the Directory name box, specify the path to the directory that you want to protect with a password.

    This can be any directory existing in the site, for example: /private. If the directory that you would like to protect has not yet been created, specify the path and the directory name – Plesk will create it for you.

  6. If you are using a Linux-based account, you can also protect your CGI scripts stored in the cgi-bin directory. To do this, leave ‘/’ in theDirectory name box and select the cgi-bin checkbox.
  7. In the Title of the protected area box, type a resource description or a welcoming message that your users will see when they visit the protected area.
  8. Click OK. The directory you specified will be protected.
  9. To add authorised users, click Add User.
  10. Specify the username and password that will be used for accessing the protected area. The password should be from 5 to 14 symbols in length. Click OK.

To add an authorised user of a protected directory:

  1. Go to the Websites & Domains tab and find the site’s domain name.
  2. Click Password-Protected Directories.
  3. Click on the name of the directory you need.
  4. Click the Add User icon.
  5. Specify the username and password that will be used for accessing the protected area. The password should be from 5 to 14 symbols in length.
  6. Click OK.

To change password for an authorised user of a protected directory:

  1. Go to the Websites & Domains tab and find the site’s domain name.
  2. Click Password-Protected Directories.
  3. Click on the name of the directory you need. A list of authorised users will open.
  4. Click on the user’s name.
  5. Specify the new password and re-type it for confirmation.
  6. Click OK.

To revoke a permission to access the protected directory from a user:

  1. Go to the Websites & Domains tab and find the site’s domain name.
  2. Click Password-Protected Directories.
  3. Click on the name of the directory you need. A list of authorised users will open.
  4. Select a checkbox corresponding to the user’s name.
  5. Click Remove. Confirm the operation and click OK.

To remove password protection and make the resource available to the public:

  1. Go to the Websites & Domains tab and find the site’s domain name.
  2. Click Password-Protected Directories.
  3. Select a checkbox corresponding to the name of the directory from which you want to remove protection.
  4. Click Remove Protection. The protection will be removed and the contents of the directory will be accessible to the public without restrictions.

Watch the Video Tutorial