Subdomain

Legacy Dynamo
1

I’ve never understood why every subdomain I’ve ever created is only accessible at HugeDomains.com and not at subdomain.siteroot.com. Is there a cPanel or DNS setting I’ve been overlooking?

Todd

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2

Some servers are set to convert any subfolder into a subdomain, using what’s called a “wildcard” dns. But usually, if you want a subdomain to appear, in addition to creating the subfolder, you also have to create an A record pointing the subdomain to the CNAME of the server. Have you done that part?

Walter

On Feb 16, 2014, at 11:08 PM, Todd wrote:

I’ve never understood why every subdomain I’ve ever created is only accessible at siteroot.com/subdomain and not at subdomain.siteroot.com. Is there a cPanel or DNS setting I’ve been overlooking?

Todd

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3

Actually, no. I assume that’s done in the cPanel Advanced DNS settings? But not sure what to enter.

T.

you also have to create an A record pointing the subdomain to the CNAME of the server. Have you done that part?

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4

Maybe I’ve been doing it wrong - I’m using cpanel for this as well.

http://portfolio.thebigerns.com/ and
http://www.thebigerns.com/portfolio/ both go to the same page, but
Google shows search results as
http://portfolio.thebigerns.com/

So, I’d be interested in anything you two have to add, like… Todd, what is
your issue more specifically?

–

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Ernie Simpson

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5

When I try to access http://subdomain.site.com it redirects me to http://site.com/subdomain. This isn’t technically an issue because the subdomain works, it’s just that I’ve never been able to actually get a url like http://subdomain.site.com and I would like to.

Todd

So, I’d be interested in anything you two have to add, like… Todd, what is
your issue more specifically?

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6

I just heard from my host (A2 Hosting) and they said it’s an .htaccess thing. A lot (but not all) of what’s in the file is specific to my CMS so I’m reluctant to mess around with that part but I suppose I can try removing the other stuff and see what happens.

T.

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7

I don’t know how to do this in cPanel specifically. Plus, cPanel has fragmented so badly over the years that saying cPanel is like saying “xerox” any more. Each host may have its own flavor, forked from a particular version of the core.

Basically, DNS boils down to CNAMEs and As. The CNAME (canonical name) is meant to map 1:1 to an IP address, while any given CNAME may have any number of A (alias) records pointed to it. These are not hard-and-fast rules – I have seen multiple CNAME records point to the same IP address, for example – but they are accepted norms. The alias, as you’d expect, gives the CNAME another nom de guerre and makes it simple for Apache to host multiple sites behind a single IP address with Name-Based Virtual Hosting.

If your control panel gives you a separate area for defining subdomains (GoDaddy’s flavor of cPanel does this, that’s the only one I’ve seen lately) then they are probably exposing the “make an A record” part of the scheme to you in that space.

I’d say have a hunt through the millions of panes of cPanel, and see if anything leaps out at you. If you never find it, then your host may have that option sequestered in another control panel. If you launch cPanel as one of many options in the “main” admin area for your account, then look there, up a level in the hierarchy of control.

Walter

On Feb 16, 2014, at 11:49 PM, Todd wrote:

Actually, no. I assume that’s done in the cPanel Advanced DNS settings? But not sure what to enter.

T.

you also have to create an A record pointing the subdomain to the CNAME of the server. Have you done that part?

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8

In my cpanel controls, there be a specific section for Domains with these
items…

 Subdomains
 Addon Domains
 Parked Domains
 Redirects
 Simple DNS Zone Editor
 Advanced DNS Zone Editor

This last two sound more like what You’re talking about, Walter. The Simple
choice lets you add an A record or a CNAME record, and shows a list of
“user-defined” records such as

 webdisk.portfolio.thebigerns.com.
 autoconfig.portfolio.thebigerns.com.
 autodiscover.portfolio.thebigerns.com.

which makes me wonder which “user” defined these (clearly I have homework
to do).

The Advanced DNS is similar - you can add a TTL and Address (IP) to the
record. There are more records listed there, including strange-looking
versions like

 www.portfolio.thebigerns.com.

I should mention that the individual records may be edited or deleted in
either Simple or Advanced options. I am apparently using CPanel 11.

Walter Lee Davis wrote:

I don’t know how to do this in cPanel specifically. Plus, cPanel has
fragmented so badly over the years that saying cPanel is like saying
“xerox” any more. Each host may have its own flavor, forked from a
particular version of the core.

Basically, DNS boils down to CNAMEs and As. The CNAME (canonical name) is
meant to map 1:1 to an IP address, while any given CNAME may have any
number of A (alias) records pointed to it. These are not hard-and-fast
rules – I have seen multiple CNAME records point to the same IP address,
for example – but they are accepted norms. The alias, as you’d expect,
gives the CNAME another nom de guerre and makes it simple for Apache to
host multiple sites behind a single IP address with Name-Based Virtual
Hosting.

If your control panel gives you a separate area for defining subdomains
(GoDaddy’s flavor of cPanel does this, that’s the only one I’ve seen
lately) then they are probably exposing the “make an A record” part of the
scheme to you in that space.

I’d say have a hunt through the millions of panes of cPanel, and see if
anything leaps out at you. If you never find it, then your host may have
that option sequestered in another control panel. If you launch cPanel as
one of many options in the “main” admin area for your account, then look
there, up a level in the hierarchy of control.

–

–
Ernie Simpson

dynamo mailing list
email@hidden
Update your subscriptions at:
http://freewaytalk.net/person/options

9

Yep, that’s exactly what mine looks like too.

T.

In my cpanel controls, there be a specific section for Domains with these
items…

Subdomains
Addon Domains
Parked Domains
Redirects
Simple DNS Zone Editor
Advanced DNS Zone Editor

This last two sound more like what You’re talking about, Walter. The Simple
choice lets you add an A record or a CNAME record, and shows a list of
“user-defined” records such as

webdisk.portfolio.thebigerns.com.
autoconfig.portfolio.thebigerns.com.
autodiscover.portfolio.thebigerns.com.

which makes me wonder which “user” defined these (clearly I have homework
to do).

The Advanced DNS is similar - you can add a TTL and Address (IP) to the
record. There are more records listed there, including strange-looking
versions like

www.portfolio.thebigerns.com.

I should mention that the individual records may be edited or deleted in
either Simple or Advanced options. I am apparently using CPanel 11.

Walter Lee Davis wrote:

I don’t know how to do this in cPanel specifically. Plus, cPanel has
fragmented so badly over the years that saying cPanel is like saying
“xerox” any more. Each host may have its own flavor, forked from a
particular version of the core.

Basically, DNS boils down to CNAMEs and As. The CNAME (canonical name) is
meant to map 1:1 to an IP address, while any given CNAME may have any
number of A (alias) records pointed to it. These are not hard-and-fast
rules – I have seen multiple CNAME records point to the same IP address,
for example – but they are accepted norms. The alias, as you’d expect,
gives the CNAME another nom de guerre and makes it simple for Apache to
host multiple sites behind a single IP address with Name-Based Virtual
Hosting.

If your control panel gives you a separate area for defining subdomains
(GoDaddy’s flavor of cPanel does this, that’s the only one I’ve seen
lately) then they are probably exposing the “make an A record” part of the
scheme to you in that space.

I’d say have a hunt through the millions of panes of cPanel, and see if
anything leaps out at you. If you never find it, then your host may have
that option sequestered in another control panel. If you launch cPanel as
one of many options in the “main” admin area for your account, then look
there, up a level in the hierarchy of control.

–

–
Ernie Simpson

dynamo mailing list
email@hidden
Update your subscriptions at:
http://freewaytalk.net/person/options

dynamo mailing list
email@hidden
Update your subscriptions at:
http://freewaytalk.net/person/options