What is the benefit of having a shared web site on Unix Server?
The reliability, speed, and functionality of UNIX webhosting is unrivaled. Streaming audio and video, database development, java servlet support and superior account management via our web-based control panel are hallmarks of our UNIX packages.

What kind of hit volume can the Shared Web Site system support?
The Shared Web Site system is designed to handle a small to medium hit load (under 30,000 hits a day or 12 Gigabytes of data transfer a month). If a site begins to receive over 30,000 hits a day web page response will begin to be effected. For web sites expecting large number of hits they should consider purchasing a dedicated server. Dedicated servers can accommodate well over one million hits a day.

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How much bandwidth do you have coming into each cluster?
Multiple OC3's for redundancy 100 Mb connection from *each* of our servers to their backbone.

If I have my own exchange server can you point the mx record to it?
Yes.

How does the Shared Web Site system work?
Very simply put, each Shared web server is divided into multiple Shared compartments. Each of these compartments will house a customers web site and they may design their web site however they like. They may customize this web site using the Shared services that are available to them through the Customer Control Panel.

When a request comes in for a particular web site it first passes through a number of steps before it even makes it to us (DNS). It then passes through our firewall to prevent any unwanted entries and then the load balancer prevents any over use of one of the web servers, or reroutes traffic if any of the web servers are not available. The web site is then retrieved and any events are logged to the user’s log directory so that they may make web site access inquiries and print them out.

Cox has developed a fully redundant, fail safe, web server configuration for both the NT and UNIX platforms. The operating system and application configurations reside on several, identically configured computers. All web site data is stored on a redundant, data filer. The sole goal of the web server architecture is to ensure redundancy, that is, to eliminate single points of failure. Through the use of load balancers, redundant servers, and a data filer, Cox has implemented a web server architecture that seriously diminishes the likelihood of ever conveying the impression of server failure.

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Which search engines do you post to?
Cox does not offer search engine registration services. Customers are responsible for registering their site.

How many Shared servers are located on one host system?
Our Shared servers are utilized to 70 per cent of their capacity. This allows for spikes and peaks in traffic and resource consumption to be handled flawlessly and without any incidents of demonstrable performance decrease. The load on the host system is closely monitored to have an aggregate hit count of 250,000 to 500,000 hits a day. At this level the server load is kept significantly below the capacity of the system.

How large can my databases be?
Access databases can be as large as the account and an MSSQL can be 50MB total (40 data, 10 log files)

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Do you backup your servers?
Cox backs up the entire contents of its server farm on a daily basis. In the event of a server failure, all data will be recovered. However, we strongly encourage our customers to maintain backup archives of their web sites on their own hard disks.

Do I need a specific browser to be able to view the Control Panel?
In order to view the Control Panel you must have version 4.0 or later of Netscape or Internet Explorer.

How long does it take for an account to be setup, or to receive email setup instructions?
Generally, accounts take a period of 24- 48 hrs to go online. If after two days the domain does not show our virtual hosting construction page, it is assumed the account was not setup properly. Setup instructions are sent a few hours after an account is setup. If you don’t receive your email from us after a few hours, it is recommended you contact us indicating that you did not receive your setup instructions. We will be glad to make sure you get them right away.

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I would like to have my own SSL certificate.
That is no problem, you will be responsible for purchasing the certificate from a valid certificate assigning authority such as Verisign or Thawte. There is some specific information we will need in order to install the certificate on our server. Please contact our technical support desk and they will ensure that you have all required information.

STATISTICS
How often will my statistics be compiled?
Your statistics will be compiled on a regular basis but the actual frequency depends on the platform you choose. If you choose NT then your statistics will be compiled every seven days. If you choose Unix, your stats will be compiled every day.

Is it possible for me to preview what the stats look like or to view some help files?
Yes. Just go to www.webtrends.com for NT accounts or www.webaliser.com for unix accounts to find out more information.

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Do my log files count against my data storage allotment?
Yes. That is why we purge the log files on a regular basis. For NT we delete the files once a month and for Unix we delete the files every day.

I don’t want to have the graphical files, I would like to compile my own. Is there any way I can do that?
Yes. You just need to request to keep your log files. Keep in mind, you can only have one or the other, if we give you the log files you will not get the graphical files.

DOMAIN NAMES
How long can my domain name be?
Your domain name can be 64 characters long, but it is not recommended to be this long. A domain name should be easy to remember, 64 characters becomes long and cumbersome.

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What is a domain pointer?
A domain pointer is almost like a virtual domain name. Domain pointers allow a customer to have another domain resolve to their root. You must purchase all domains, including those you will use as domain pointers. Eg. www.mywebsite.com can point to www.mywebsite.net

Can my domain pointer point to a sub-domain?
No, your domain pointer must point to your root directory.

Can I have email addresses that are linked to my domain pointer?
No, POP3 email accounts are only available with second level domain names. Therefore, you can only have user@mydomainname.com not user@mydomainpointer.com. Domain pointers are only a few dollars a month to have and that is why they have limited functionality.

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How can I request a domain pointer?
Before adding any additional pointers, the domain must be already be registered, with the domain name servers pointing to our servers.

How do Domain Names Work?
Domain name hosting is comprised of two basic components: The registration of the domain name with the InterNIC (or other domain name authority), and the virtual hosting provided by our servers.

Once I register my name how does it get found on the Internet?
The location that domain names point to is determined by Internet organizations known as Network Information Centers, or NICs. NICs are third-party authorities through which domain names must be registered before they can function on the Internet.

Cox online registration forms work exclusively with the InterNIC. The InterNIC is the agency, which governs the registration of domain names ending with .com, .net, .org, .edu, .mil and .gov. When you register a domain through Cox, our system contacts the InterNIC, and registers the domain with them so that the domain will be accessible throughout the Internet.

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If I register my domain name with you who owns the domain name?
When you submit an order with Cox for a domain name, you become the owner of that domain. You are listed as the administrative and billing contact for the domain. If anyone tries to move the domain or change any of your domain information, the InterNIC will contact you for authorization. Cox, as technical administrator of your web site, is listed as the technical contact for your domain only.

How much does it cost to register a domain name?
Because the InterNIC acts as a controlled registry, it levies a fee for domain name registration. Presently, that fee is $70 U.S. for the first two years of registration, and $35 U.S. per year thereafter.

How do I know which registrar I am with?
If you don’t remember then you can do a ‘whois’ to find out this information from the Network Solutions web site.

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How do I contact the InterNIC?
You can reach them by calling (703) 742-4777 and selecting option number 2 or you may e-mail them at hostmaster@rs.internic.net. Be sure to reference your NIC ticket number when contacting the InterNIC. Your NIC ticket number is generated by the InterNIC, and sent to you directly once a domain name request is received.

DNS
I already have an existing web site, what will I have to do in order to transfer to your web server?
You must ensure that you first have copy of web content locally in order to be ready to upload it to our servers, it will be your responsibilty to transfer the web content over when your account has been provisioned here. You should also be aware that it may take a few days for the DNS propagation so you may want to wait for the DNS to propagate, upload your web content prior to cancelling with your current hosting provider.

I already created my website using a Site Builder Tool (also referred as "Click & Save," Wizard," etc.) will it work when I transfer my website over to you?
I am afraid that the website is not transferrable, we do have an easy to use site builder tool that you can use to create a new site.

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I want to transfer my web site to you but I want my DNS/Email to stay with my existing company.
This is possible, however you are responsible for updating your "A" records and we will not be able to monitor, or troubleshoot if a problem arises with the domain or the DNS/Email server.