Frequently Asked Questions

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Why would I need a website?

A website offers several benefits that you may not get from any advertising in any other media. Also, as an automated service center or store front promoting your products or services 24 hours, it can reduce your cost, maximize your profit and give your business an exposure that a traditional business office or service center can't provide. For more information on the advantages of having a website, please check out our web advantage page.

What is web hosting service?

Web hosting service provides a means of making your website available to the internet by placing it in a server connected to the world wide web (WWW). Once in the server, the site is available to anybody in the world who has a computer with internet connection and a web browser (software). A web server is a pre-configured, electronic space that hosts the website. The server is configured and network connected so that it delivers the contents (hyperlinked texts, images, audio and video) of your website to browser requests from around the world.

What is a virtual server?

A virtual server is a web server with a logically-partitioned space in a network-connected computer. A virtual server allows you to host one or multiple websites without requiring you to buy, install, and maintain your own server hardware and software.

What is virtual hosting? How is it different from a virtual server?

Virtual hosting is another way of hosting a website without requiring you to buy, install, and maintain your own server hardware and software. Virtual hosting accounts usually support one website, while a virtual server can support multiple websites within the same account.

What is a subdomain or a subdirectory hosting?

A subdomain hosting account uses a pre-existing domain name.  Either you or your hosting service provider must own that pre-existing domain name.  A subdomain account does not require you to have your own domain name, and therefore it does not involve separate domain registration fees. An example of a web address (URL) with subdomain account would be:

http://yourcompany.globalfront.net/

Subdirectory hosting is another way of presenting your company to the web. Subdirectory hosting is preferred by smaller companies and organizations that would like to get their website hosted at a minimal cost. With subdirectory hosting, your URL looks like this:

http://www.globalfront.net/yourcompany/

What is a domain name?

Domain names are names that humans can use and memorize as substitutes for IP address numbers used in the internet to provide addresses for specific network connected components in the world wide web. For instance, when you are visiting this page, you are using our domain name globalfront.com as part of the URL of this site. The most commonly known usage of domain names is in the URL of websites and email addresses. Whether a web user is aware or not, most user is using some domain names to connect to the internet, visit websites and exchange emails.

Does it matter if I have a virtual hosting account or a subdomain or subdirectory account?

Virtual hosting and virtual server accounts allow you to use your domain name to access any directory and subdirectory in your website. So, you can use http://www.yourdompany.com/ as well as http://www.yourcompany.com/anydir/anypage.html for your URLs. Also, you can use yourname@yourcompany.com for email purposes including email accounts, forwarding addresses, autoresponders and mailing lists. Additionally, since you are using your own domain name, your web addresses and email addresses would not change even if you change your ISP or web hosting company! Finally, a domain name represents your business in a more professional way to your clients than a subdomain or subdirectory address would. More than ten thousand domain names are being registered every day in the USA alone, and the names are available on a first-come first-served basis. There could be hundreds of companies or corporations named ABC company in the whole world, but there is only one abc.com site in the entire internet. Can you afford to let somebody else register your business name as their own domain name making the domain none of your business anymore?

How much does a domain name cost?

The industry standard for domain registry fee is $35.00 per year for any .com, .net, or .org domain. But when you order a virtual server, virtual hosting or a domain name service account from us, we register your domain name for you for just $14.95 per year fee. This fee includes domain registry fee and is non-refundable. For all domains that we register for you, you own the domain. The domain registration fee and registration renewal fee is required for every domain name that you register, irrespective of the ISP or web host you buy your hosting services from. Please visit our domain services FAQs page for more information on domain registration information.

So, how can I order my own domain name?

You can order a domain name through us with or without a hosting account. If you order a virtual hosting or server account from us, we register your domain name for you, configure it in our server and point the domain to the web hosting account you order from us. If you would rather like to order a domain for use with domain service only (without a virtual server or virtual hosting account), then please visit our domain services page for more information on how to get your domain name. In either case, you can order a new domain name using our online order forms.


My domain is currently hosted by another company. Can I move my domain to your server?

Yes. Once we process your order and setup your account, we will provide you with the FTP host name or IP address and your login information, so you can move your files from your previous website to your new account in our server. (If you upload your website files to your new account before moving the domain, then the transition from your previous host to the new account would be totally transparent to the visitors of your web site). We will also provide the names and IP addresses of our nameservers that you would need to use to update your domain name record with your registrar. If you know how to modify your domain's nameservers, then you can simply update your domain name record with our nameserver information. If you are not sure, then please ask us during or after you place an order for an existing domain, and we will provide the required information. Most registrars authorize only the current Registrant or Administrative contacts for a domain to request or approve update of the nameserver information for the domain. If you or your company is the registrant of your domain name, YOU (NOT your ISP) have the ultimate rights to select your web host and move your domain to the ISP or web hosting provider of your choice.

How do I verify that I am the Registrant or Admin Contact for my domain?

To instantly check the registrant and contact information for your domain, please visit our domain lookup page, enter your domain name, and click on "Check Domain" button. Once our lookup script reports the domain as "not available" for registration, click on the "More Information" button and the script will automatically locate and display the Registrant and Contact information for your domain from your registrar's database! Our proprietary domain lookup system works fine for all .com, .net and .org domains, provided your registrar shares this information with a whois server and the server is not busy.

How long does it take before my domain name is active?

Once we register a new domain for you and send you confirmation, it usually takes 24 hours for the domain to become functional across the internet. For domain move (officially known as domain modification) where you update the nameservers for your domain with your registrar, it takes upto 24-72 hours for the domain to start using our DNS servers. This 24-72 hours delay is due to the propagation of domain registry updates, and depends on how frequently various DNS servers in the internet check and accommodate for the updated settings for your domain.

How do I transfer files to my web site and update my site?

Files can be transferred to our web servers via any standard File Transport Protocol (FTP) client software and most standard web design software.  You can download FTP client and HTML editor, or other web design software from http://www.download.com/ which is a source of many internet applications with ratings and reviews so that you can decide which applications are the most appropriate for your particular need. Also, for every hosting or server account, we provide you access to a comprehensive, password-protected online manual that you can use to get more information on most of the features in your account, and how to maintain and update your website.

Will I have unlimited access to update my pages?

Yes. For all web hosting accounts we offer FTP access to your website so that you can access and update your website 24-hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year, from anywhere in the world. Most web design software have a built-in FTP client, so you could use a variety of web designing or web publishing software to design and update your website. For availability of specific features, please check the details of your account features in the hosting services page(s) in our website. You would need to have access to the internet and the appropriate software or FTP client software in your computer.

How to I update emails and other features for my website?

With all Basic and Value virtual hosting accounts, we provide you access to Global Web Control Panel, our own proprietary software that allows you to setup, manage, and update several features related to email alias, email redirection, autoresponders, mailing lists, listservers, list subscribers, and password protected web directories for your account, all with a "point-and-click interface" accessible with your browser from anywhere in the world, 24 hours a day, in real time.  Additionally, for Econo hosting accounts and EBusiness virtual server accounts, we offer cPanel Control Panel for managing your email account and other features of your account.

How long does it take to set up a new account?

The following schedule applies to web hosting and virtual server accounts ordered during business days: Basic, Value and Econo hosting accounts are setup within 0 to 8 hours, and EBusiness virtual servers are setup within 4 to 12 hours after we receive and process your payment. Orders received over the weekends are usually processed within 2 to 24 hours after we receive and process your payment. Please note that it takes 24 to 72 hours for any new domain to be functional across the internet and for any moved domain to start using our servers. This is due to propagation of InterNIC updates, and depends on how frequently DNS servers check and accommodate registry changes for any new or modified domains. While you won't be able to access your account with your domain name until the propagation is over, you will have alternative access to your account to upload files as soon as you receive our confirmation email stating that your order has been processed.

The following schedule applies to domain registration and forwarding services ordered during business days: domain registration and forwarding service orders are processed within 0 to 8 hours. Orders received over the weekends are usually processed within 2 to 12 hours after we receive and process your payment. Please note that it takes 24 to 72 hours for any new domain to be functional across the internet or for any moved domain to start using our servers. This is due to propagation of InterNIC updates, and depends on how frequently DNS servers check and accommodate registry changes for any new or modified domains. While you won't be able to use your domain and email forwarding features until the propagation is over, you will have access to Global Domain Control Panel to verify or change settings for your domain as soon as you receive our confirmation email stating that your order has been processed. Please note that Global Domain Control Panel access is not available for "Domain Registration and Parking" orders.

Web design service and web presence service orders are delivered in 3 to 30 business days, depending on what you are asking for, but for most small to medium websites, the process does not not take more than 7 days after we receive all the contents (electronic or paper copies of text, images, pictures, and other information for your website) that you would like us to put on your website. Depending on the design services you are requesting, we usually give you a time-frame that we may need to work on your website.

Can I use my account for commercial purposes?

Yes, of course you can. All of our services can be used for commercial purposes. The world wide web has become the most efficient and cost-effective means of making information available to your clients and we encourage our customers to optimize their use of our services as long as it does not violate any of our policies and any of the US Federal, State or Local Government laws.

Can I subdivide my space and resell it?

With our EBusiness and Reseller virtual server accounts, you can offer friends or clients space in the subdirectories of your account, as long as it is within our policy guidelines. If necessary, you could also order our domain forwarding services to forward additional domains to subdirectories of your account. Also, we offer some very profitable associate plans if you are planning to promote our services with or without your private label or brand. Please check out our associate plans for more information on our reseller, referrer and web designer programs.

Can I have additional domains forwarded to my main domain?

Yes. For feature details and pricing, please check out the domain forwarding options in our website. This is a great way to expand the marketing of your present business, as people will be able to find your website using multiple domain names. For instance, if you were selling computer hardware and software from your website, you might wish to have multiple domain names, like computers.com, hardware.com and software.com, forwarding to different subdirectories of your account, provided the domain names are available. This increases the visibility of your site in the search engines, and also attracts more visitors to your site.

Can I register additional domains forwarded to a subdirectory of my main domain?

Yes. For feature details and pricing, please check out the domain forwarding options in our website. For example, if your domain name is giftworld.com, you might wish to have two additional domains, namely christmasgifts.com and birthdaygifts.com forwarded to two subdirectories of your existing account (www.giftworld.com/christmastgifts and www.giftworld.com/birthdaygifts). Our proprietary Global Domain Control Panel is one of the best ones available in the internet for such domain forwarding, and it supports both cloaked and non-cloaked forwarding to any URL and IP address.

Can I access my domain with or without the "www"?

Yes, for all hosting and domain accounts, your domain can be accessed with or without the "www" in front of the domain name. For example, either http://www.yourcompany.com/ or http://yourcompany.com/ will bring your website to the visitor browser window.

Do you offer internet access?

Currently we do not.  We concentrate on providing web hosting, virtual server and domain name services.  However, you would need to have internet access from an ISP or internet service provider to use our services.

How can you provide accounts packed with so many feature for so little price?

We have automated many of the configuration processes in our servers. Additionally, compared to many fortune 500 companies, we spend very little money in advertising as our satisfied clients help us promote for our services. We fully believe that each one of our satisfied customers can promote our business to several potential clients in a much effective way than any of the traditional advertising methods could.

My question is not answered here. What do I do?

If you have any question or concern about your order or payment, then please visit our Payment FAQs. If your question is related to domain services offered by us, then please check out our Domain FAQs pages. If your question is related to services for an existing hosting or virtual server account in our servers, then you may find your question already answered in our extensive Online Support Manuals, or you can contact our support team at support@globalfront.com. If you would like to discuss with us about your web site needs, then please feel free to contact us, and we would be glad to help you. Thanks.


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