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Getting Started
This document provides information about domain names, editing HTML, and accessing the control panel. It serves as
a basic introduction to web hosting and is intended for beginners. Experienced users may skip this document, except
for the section entitled Accessing the Control Panel for the First Time.
Registering a Domain
Domains are a unique way to identify yourself on the Internet. There are two parts to a domain: the name and the
extension. The name is the description of yourself or your site (for example, the name "dogfood" in
dogfood.com). The extension represents the domain category. For example, the .com extension means "
commercial," .net means "network," and so on. There are many extensions available today: .biz
(business), .info (resource sites), .us (American sites), .ca (Canadian sites), to name a few. The "www"
is automatically inserted by the web server that hosts your site and is not part of the domain name.
You cannot use a domain name until you register it. In addition, you cannot register a domain name that is owned
by someone else. The registration process is fairly simple:
1. Decide on a domain name and extension.
2. Select a registrar and register your domain name.
3. Find a host for your domain name.
Deciding on a domain name and extension is difficult because most names are already taken, especially with the .com
extension. We highly recommend nameboy.com, a free
service that finds not-yet-taken domain names based on one or two words describing your site.
There are many registrars on the Internet. A simple search engine query for "domain name registration"
will return hundreds, if not thousands of results. Be sure to choose a registrar that supports the extension you want
(for example, not all registrars will sell the .cc extension). Comparison shopping is wise because registration fees
can vary greatly between registrars. Domain names are leased, and the registration fee usually represents the cost
for one year of ownership.
Once you have purchased a domain name you will need somewhere to host it. The domain name is just an address; that
is, it points to files on a web server.
If you are still confused about domain names, our Customer Service staff will be happy to assist you in the domain
registration process and ensure that everything is configured properly.
Transferring a Domain
Transferring a domain can mean two things: switching the domain name to another registrar, or altering the domain record
to make the domain point to a new host. We are concerned with the second definition. A domain has to be told
which web host to direct visitors to, and this is done by changing the domain's name server records.
For example, for Seanet to host your domain the following name servers must be listed in your domain record:
dns1.seanet.com (199.181.164.1)
dns2.seanet.com (199.181.164.2)
If your domain is not already pointing to these DNS servers, you will need to visit your domain registrar's home page,
sign in, and edit your domain record. Each registrar is different, but there will be fields in your domain record
called "name severs," "primary/secondary name servers," etc. The registrar may or may not
ask for the IP address of the name servers (199.181.164.1 and 199.181.164.2 in this example). It takes 12-48 hours
for the change to take effect.
Editing HTML
HTML, or hypertext markup language, is the language that tells web browsers how to display a page. For example,
to <b>bold</b> text in HTML, you would start with the <b> tag and end with </b>.
Anything between these tags will appear bold (visitors will not see the <b></b>). When someone visits
www.yourdomain.com, they are actually accessing the index.html file in your main web site directory.
Editing HTML requires software specifically designed for the task. Examples include
Microsoft FrontPage, and Macromedia
Dreamweaver. There is also shareware and freeware HTML editors available from popular download sites such as
download.com.
Even the best HTML editing software can be confusing for beginners. If you fall into this category, we suggest using
an online site builder / HTML generator. No knowledge of HTML is required -- online site builders ask you questions and
then form a web site based on that information. Some site builders allow you to control the look of the site, insert
graphics, scripts, etc. Most site builders are free but the more advanced ones charge an access fee. Some free
site builders include:
http://www.uweb.ucsb.edu/generator/basic.php
http://www.3zweb.com/free/index2.htm
http://www.searchbliss.com/free_web_tools_html.htm
http://www.applelinks.com/tools/webpage.shtml
Accessing the Control Panel for the First Time
 There are several ways to access the control panel:
https://control.seanet.com:2222 This is the official hostname for the Control Panel and will take you to an SSL protected login panel.
When your domain transfer has propagated you will also be able to access the control panel from http://www.yourdomain.com:2222
NOTE: Your browser will redirect you to the server's IP address, and likely prompt you for acceptance of an unmatched SSL certificate.
You can safely accept this certificate in order to access the Control Panel securely.
A login panel (similar to the one pictured on the right) will appear.
Enter your username and password. Once signed into the control panel you should do two things.
First, click on the "Message System" link at the top-right of the page. Important messages about your
account may come through the message system, so we recommend that you enter your e-mail address at the bottom of the
screen and check the checkbox. If you do this, the control panel will e-mail you when a message comes in.
Second, return to the main menu and click on the "Statistics / Logs" icon. About halfway down the
screen there will be a box to enter your e-mail address. Confirm that the e-mail address in the box is accurate.
If not, change it and click on the "Save" button. It is important to have a valid e-mail address in this box
because the control panel will e-mail you whenever your account is close to going over its bandwidth limit.
The Ticket Support System
The control panel features a built in message system. Clicking the "Message System" link at the top of
the screen will bring you to the message system menu. "N messages waiting" will always be displayed next
to the link. Messages may contain important information, so read them as soon as possible.
The message system has two components: a ticket support system and a private message system. If you needed assistance,
you would click the "Create a Ticket" link. Your hosting company's support staff would respond to this
ticket and you would click on the ticket name to read it. Private messages are shown in the same table.
Private messages are different because they are not responses to a support ticket. Private messages can include
scheduled downtime alerts, system-wide announcements, and warnings that your account is reaching its limits. To
read a private message, click on its title.
Creating a Ticket
1. Click the "Create a Ticket" link.
2. Select message priority:
Low: Problem is not causing immediate difficulty.
Medium: Problem is causing immediate difficulty.
High: Problem needs to be addressed right away.
3. Enter a subject that describes the problem in a few words.
4. Explain the problem in full detail.
5. Click "Save."
The support staff will respond to your ticket and close it. A ticket will be closed when the problem is resolved;
that is, there is no need for the ticket any more. If you have new messages waiting and don't see them in the ticket
listing, click on the "View Closed Tickets" link. If you feel that your problem has not been resolved
then you may reply to the closed ticket.
Changing Your Password
To change your password, click on the icon located towards the top of the screen. You will be asked to enter
your current password and then your new password twice. Click the "Submit" button to confirm and save
. The control panel will reject your password if it is too short or contains inappropriate characters.
Important note: This feature only changes the password for your username. Other e-mail accounts, databases,
FTP accounts, etc. will not be affected by the password change.
Signing Out
To sign out of the control panel, click on the logout icon. You will be taken to a screen confirming that you
have signed out successfully. Click the the link to sign back in.
Important note: Many browsers keep your control panel session in memory even after you sign out.
If you are not the only one that uses your computer, then be sure to close all running copies of your browser before
leaving your workstation. This will clear the browser's memory and make it impossible to sign into the control
panel without the correct password.
Need more help?
If you need further assistance with any Control Panel feature, please contact our Customer Support department.
Helpful information is also available in the DirectAdmin support forums.
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