CheaperWebHost.com - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

At this time we are accepting applications from US billing addresses only. If you want an account for a business or organization that has a US presence, have someone who is in the US submit the application.

Are there any setup fees?

Some services or features may have a setup fee associated with them. If it is not stated in the description on our website then contact us at sales@domainorders.com and we will let you know.

Are your prices fixed, or will they likely increase at the end of my subscription?

Our goal is to do our best to keep your price fixed (not counting increases for account upgrades, etc.) for as long as you maintain an active account. However, there is no way that we can predict the future and we have no control over the prices that our suppliers will charge us. If our costs go up then we may have no choice but to increase the price you pay at renewal time. If it is necessary for us to raise your cost, we will give you sufficient notice before your renewal date.

I found a better deal somewhere else. Will you match it?

Let us know about it so that we can try to beat it. Send details to sales@cheaperwebhost.com including the specific plan, pricing, and the website address (URL) where it can be found.

What forms of payment do you accept?

We use StormPay as our payment processor for orders placed via our website. StormPay accepts various forms of payment, including Visa, MasterCard, E-checks, money orders, and more. Note that your payment will be processed by StormPay and that your service charges will appear on your statement(s) (such as your credit card or bank statement) under the name of "StormPay Inc. Online Sale." If there are any questions regarding these charges you should first contact us at billing@cheaperwebhost.com before contacting your credit card company or bank.

Is my credit card and/or bank information safe with you?

We do not store any credit card or bank information on our servers. We use StormPay to process your payments and they are one of the most respected and secure payment processors on the Internet. Your credit card and bank information will be totally secure.

How long will it take for my account to be set up?

We will review the information you submit with your order and barring any problems we should have your site set up within 48 hours, usually much sooner than that. Note that if we elect to contact you to verify any information then there may be a delay if we have trouble reaching you.

I would like to try your hosting service first. Do you offer a free trial period?

We offer a 21 day trial period and money back guarantee on all Web Hosting and E-Mail packages. If you are not completely satisfied with the Services, you may cancel within 21 days from the date your account was first activated and we will refund your money, less any setup fees. This offer is valid for only the first term of the Services that you order from us or, if you are ordering on behalf of a business or organization, the first term of the Services that anyone orders on behalf of your business or organization> it is not valid for subsequent terms you order, whether or not the subsequent terms are contiguous with the first term. Please see Section 7 of the Service Agreement for details of this provision and how to apply for your refund.

How do I cancel my subscription?

Please send an e-mail to sales@cheaperwebhost.com indicating your request to cancel. You must include the type of service you are canceling, your e-mail address, account name, and if canceling web hosting, the domain on which you want to cancel. We will respond to you with an e-mail confirming your cancel request. If you are on a recurring billing plan, then in order to ensure that automatic billing of your account is discontinued, be sure to send your cancel request at least one week prior to your next billing date. Please see Section 8 of the Service Agreement for full details about canceling your service.

I want to cancel my subscription. Do I get my money back for the time I have not used?

There are no refunds after the initial 21 day trial period has passed.

Can I upgrade my account to add more space, bandwidth, or features?

You may upgrade your plan or add features at any time. You will be responsible for any additional costs associated with the upgraded plan. The additional costs will be determined by taking a pro-rata share of the new plan costs as compared to a pro-rata share of the former plan costs. There may also be setup or other fees associated with the upgrade. Upgrading your plan will not change the end date of your current term.

For example, suppose you signed up for a one-year plan for $48. After 3 months you want to upgrade to a plan that costs $60 per year. We would figure you used $12 on your original plan (3 months is 25% of the year, so 25% of $48 is $12) and the remaining 9 months of the upgraded plan would be $45 (75% of $60 is $45). Your total cost for the year would be $57 ($12 + $45), you already paid $48, so you would owe an additional $9 (plus possibly a setup fee). Your term would still end 9 months later.

If you want to upgrade your plan, contact us at sales@cheaperwebhost.com and we will let you know what your additional charge would be and whether or not there would be a setup fee.

Can I downgrade my plan?

You may not downgrade your plan or remove features during your current term. You may only downgrade your plan or remove features to take effect with a subsequent term after the end of your current term. If you want to downgrade your plan, contact us at sales@cheaperwebhost.com. Note that if you are on an automatic recurring billing plan then you need to let us know at least one week prior to the end of your current term so that we can make the necessary changes to put the downgraded plan into effect.

My account was suspended. How do I get it reactivated?

It depends on why it was suspended. If it was simply because you exceeded your monthly bandwidth, then it will reset automatically at the beginning of the next calendar month. Or, you can upgrade your plan sooner by contacting sales@cheaperwebhost.com. If your account was suspended for lack of payment, then contact us at billing@cheaperwebhost.com. You will have to pay all charges due and there may be a reactivation fee. If your account was suspended for violations of our Agreement or Acceptable Use Policy then it may be that we will not reactivate your account. Contact billing@cheaperwebhost.com for further information.

How do I notify you of a change in my contact information?

Send an email to support@cheaperwebhost.com with your new information. Be sure to include the domain name you are asking about. Note that in accordance with the Service Agreement you agree to notify us within 10 days of such change.

Do you offer Technical Support?

We offer free e-mail support. For any questions or support related issues, please see our Support Page. Note: we do not offer telephone support.

Do you offer both Linux/UNIX and Windows hosting?

We offer only Linux hosting; we do not offer Windows hosting.

Since your hosting is Linux, do I have to have a Linux computer to manage my site? Or will my Windows or Mac computer work?

It makes no difference what operating system you are running on your PC; Windows and Mac should work just fine. All you need is Internet access, a web browser that will let you get out on the Internet and access your site, and an FTP program that you can use to connect to your site.

Will you place advertisements, banner ads, or pop-ups on my site?

No. We do not place any advertisements, banner ads, or pop-ups of any kind on your website.

Do you oversell? What is overselling anyway?

No, we do not oversell. Overselling is basically selling more than you have, usually gambling that your customers will not take or use everything they bought. In web hosting, overselling is usually selling more space and/or bandwidth than you have available counting on the fact that most people do not use anywhere close to what they are allotted. As a simple example, say we had 10 GB of space to use for our accounts and we had only a single hosting package and it had 1 GB of space. When we sold 10 accounts, that would account for the 10 GB of space. But we might figure that on the average no one would use more than 50% of their allocated storage, or 500 MB. As such, there would be a lot of unused space, so we might decide to sell 20 accounts instead of just 10. As long as the average did not exceed 500 MB per account then everything would be okay; nobody would have any space problem, there would be less unused space, and we would make more money because we sold more accounts. However, perhaps you can see that if the average went above 500 MB per account then there would be problems. We'd run out of space and you'd get to where you couldn't save or add new information, and that wouldn't be good. You paid for 1 GB of space but you wouldn't be getting it. Since our focus is on providing superb service and not opening outselves to the possibility of creating such problems for our customers, we do not oversell. In our simple example, we would sell only 10 accounts so that there would be no way for anyone to run out of space. Sure, there will be more unused space, and we will make less money since we won't be selling as many accounts, but again, our focus is providing superb service and making sure our customers get what they pay for.

Does your service include access to the Internet?

No, we do not offer Internet access at this time. You have to obtain your own Internet access separately.

Do I have to have a domain name to use your web hosting services, or will you provide me a domain name like http://www.cheaperwebhost.com/~myname?

You have to have your own domain name in order to use our web hosting services.

Can you register a domain name for me?

We offer low cost domain registration, as low as $8.95/year, via our sister website DomainOrders.com. We invite you to visit that site to register your domains.

Can I use my website for commercial purposes?

Yes. However, you must observe the provisions outlined in our Acceptable Use Policy with regards to permissible email usage, permissible types of files, etc. If you have any questions about what would be permitted, you can contact us at sales@cheaperwebhost.com.

Does my account come with a cgi-bin? Can I install my own CGI scripts?

Yes, every account comes with its own cgi-bin and you can install your own CGI scripts. Be sure that the scripts conform to the provisions in our Acceptable Use Policy and that you set the mode (chmod) on them to 0755 (rwxr-x-r-x) so that they will run.

Do you offer POP3, SMTP, and IMAP?

Yes, all three are included with every account. Note that SMTP requires access to port 25 and that some ISPs block access to port 25 which would prevent you from using your SMTP erver via your mail program.

Can I get telnet or SSH access with my account?

We do not offer telnet or SSH for security reasons.

Do you restrict access to the .htaccess file or can I modify it as desired?

You have full control over your .htaccess file. Just make sure that whatever you do conforms to the Acceptable Use Policy.

Does my account include SSI (Server Side Includes)?

Yes, all accounts include SSI.

Does my account include PHP support?

Yes, all accounts include PHP.

Do you support ASP?

No. We offer Linux hosting only and ASP is for Windows hosting.

Do you support FrontPage Extensions?

Yes, all accounts come with FrontPage Extensions installed. But, we recomend that you always use FTP client. FrontPage does not run very well on Linux servers. We only support the ability for you to connect to your site, for any other assistance you will need to refer to FrontPage manuals or related documentation.

Can I get a static or dedicated IP address?

In general, a static or dedicated IP address will only be available in conjunction with SSL. Please contact us at sales@cheaperwebhost.com with your needs.

Can I host multiple domains on my account?

You can do this with add-on domains (on cPanel) or domain aliasing (on Ensim).

Can I subdivide my space and resell it?

No. If you are interested in being a reseller, contact us at sales@cheaperwebhost.com.

Do you offer a shopping cart?

Yes. Because of the space that shopping cart software uses, we do not normally install them on all accounts. On our Ensim accounts we offer Miva Merchant software; we offer the software for free but you must purchase a Miva Merchant license in order to use it. On our cPanel accounts we offer Agora and Interchange shopping carts.

Do you do server backups of my data?

It is your responsibility to backup your site and its data. Web Hosting accounts include a Backup manager that can be accessed from the administrative control panel. It is very easy to use, you run the backup function and it creates a compressed file of your site that you can download and save to your hard drive. We recommend that you periodically and frequently backup your site and its data to your local computer, or another computer. PLEASE LIMIT YOUR BACKUPS TO BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 11 PM to 4 AM EASTERN TIME. Refer to the online help for more information on using the backup function.

Do you provide server stats? Can I monitor my website traffic?

Each account provides access to log data which includes, among other things, the number of hits to each page of your site. You also can view the total bandwidth and space used in your account.

What if I reach my allotted space or bandwidth allocation?

If you run out of space on your account, then parts of your website may continue to work. Note that you will not be able to send or receive email through your account and other functions that require space will no longer work. Bandwidth is allocated on a calendar month basis. If you use all of your bandwidth during the month then your website will quit working until the beginning of the next calendar month.

Can I purchase additional space or bandwidth?

The most practical and cost effective thing usually is to upgrade to another account. But if you have special space or bandwidth requirements that our standard plans do not meet, we will be glad to provide a custom quote for you.

Do you offer an uptime guarantee?

Our web servers have been maintaining a 99.5% or better uptime. For any calendar month having one or more confirmed unplanned and unannounced interruptions lasting 48 or more contiguous hours, we will credit you with one month service which we will apply by adding one month to the end of your current Service term. Please see Section 21 of the Service Agreement for details of this provision and how to apply for your credit.

How do I sign up for an Email Only account?

We are still in the process of developing this product offering and as such you cannot sign up for it at this time. Please check back with us.

Technical Questions

Do you offer Technical Support?

We offer free e-mail support. For any questions or support related issues, please see our Support Page. Note: we do not offer telephone support.

What is your DNS information?

If you have a cPanel plan, you would use:

     Primary DNS = ns1.vhhq.net
     Secondary DNS = ns2.vhhq.net

If you have an Ensim plan, you would use:

     Primary DNS = ns3.vhhq.net
     Secondary DNS = ns4.vhhq.net

How do I change the DNS information for my domain name?

If your domain is registered through our sister company DomainOrders.com then we can either make the changes for you or give you the necessary details on making the changes. Otherwise, different domain registrars have different ways of managing domains and we cannot know all of those methods. It would be best to contact the support group of your domain registrar if you need help making the DNS changes.

Can my website be accessed both with and without the "www"?

Yes, you can access your website as either http://www.yourdomain.com or http://yourdomain.com (for example)

Can you help me with building or coding my website, cgi scripts, etc.

No, we do not have the resources available to offer such assistance. We can only provide you information regarding file locations and the like.

How do I get the files loaded onto my website?

We recommend using an FTP (File Transfer Protocol) program. Many versions of Windows have a built-in FTP program, many other FTP programs are available on the web. If you are transferring an existing site to us, we recommend that you first upload all of your site files to your account by using FTP to the IP address we give you in your introductory email. Once you make sure everything appears okay then you can change the DNS settings on your domain. When you are able to access your account using your domain name, then you can FTP to your website by using your domain name.

Your control panel also includes a File Manager that can be used for uploading files to your site. But you will probably find that it is much easier to use FTP.

Note: you should not delete any directories in your account that you did not create. This includes the "cgi-bin" directory even if you do not plan to use cgi-bin.

What is my logon ID and password for FTP?

This information was included in the introductory email that was sent to you. If you no longer have that email, send an email to support@cheaperwebhost.com with your request. Be sure to include the domain name you are asking about.

I just changed the DNS configuration for my domain but I cannot access my site by using the domain name.

When you make a change to a domain's DNS configuration, that change has to be propagated throughout the Internet. It can take up to 72 hours for everything to be synchronized with the new information.

How do I access webmail?

How do I access the control panel for my website?

What is my logon ID and password for my control panel?

I forgot the password for my control panel.

Send an email to support@cheaperwebhost.com with your request. Be sure to include the domain name you are asking about.

What is the server path to my files?

If you have a cPanel account: When transferring your files, the "home" directory of your website is /public_html. That is, your index.html (or similarly named file) for your main site page should be in /public_html. When you use the URL http://www.yourdomain.com, it will be looking at files in /public_html. Your cgi-bin is /public_html/cgi-bin. Your cgi scripts would be referenced by the URL http://www.yourdomain.com/cgi-bin/scriptname.cgi Be sure that you change the permissions on your cgi files so that they are executable by everyone, such as rwxr-xr-x or 0755. Note: For simplicity, you can use /www instead of /public_html in your paths.

If you have an Ensim account: When transferring your files, the "home" directory of your website is /var/www/html. That is, your index.html (or similarly named file) for your main site page should be in /var/www/html. When you use the URL http://www.yourdomain.com, it will be looking at files in /var/www/html. Your cgi-bin is /var/www/cgi-bin. Your cgi scripts would be referenced by the URL http://www.yourdomain.com/cgi-bin/scriptname.cgi Be sure that you change the permissions on your cgi files so that they are executable by everyone, such as rwxr-xr-x or 0755.

The main file for your website should be named index.html and this file should be place in your "home" directory as indicated above.

What is the path to perl? To sendmail?

Perl is /usr/bin/perl. Sendmail is /usr/sbin/sendmail

What version of Perl do you use?

Version 5.8.1

How do I configure my mail program to access my email?

With the variety of different email programs that are available, we cannot provide all the details for each and every one of them. All of them should have the same basic required settings for accessing your email. These are:

For POP3 and IMAP access to read your mail, set your Incoming Mail Server to: mail.yourdomain.com

For SMTP access to send email using your SMTP server, set your Outgoing Mail Server to: mail.yourdomain.com

Be sure to enable "SMTP Authentication" or "Outgoing Mail Server Authentication" (or the corresponding option in your email software) or you may not be able to send outgoing mail. Note also that SMTP requires access to port 25 and that some ISPs block access to port 25 which would prevent you from using your SMTP server via your mail program.

How do I use SSI? Do my files have to end in .shtm or .shtml?

There are a number of SSI tutorials available on the web. By default, only .shtm and .shtml files are parsed for SSI statements but you can modify your .htaccess file to allow .htm and/or .html files to be parsed. For example, to parse .htm files for SSI, add the following line to your .htaccess file:

AddHandler server-parsed .htm

You say I get unlimited features, but when I log into my Control Panel it says that I am limited to some number like 1000. Why isn't it unlimited?

As explained in the Footnotes in the feature listing on our home page, by unlimited we mean that we do not limit to a particular number, although the quantities will be limited by available system resources. In some cases we may initially specify a limit on the order of 100-1000 which is more than sufficient for most purposes. If you use up what has been specified for your account and you need more, send an email to support@cheaperwebhost.com with your requirements. Be sure to include the domain name you are writing about.

I get a Server Error when I run my cgi script. How can I fix that?

First, make sure that the permissions on the file are set properly for execute permission. By default, the permissions are 644 (rw-r--r--) and do not allow execution. You need to change the permissions, or the mode, on your cgi script to 755 (rwxr-xr-x). Some FTP programs allow you to change file permissions, if yours doesn't, then you can use the File Manager in your Control Panel to change the permissions. Second, make sure that you uploaded your cgi file using ASCII mode instead of Binary mode.

If the permissions are set properly and you uploaded the file properly, then the Error Log may give you an indication about what and/or where the problem is that is causing the Server Error. On cPanel accounts, log into your Control Panel to view the contents of the Error Log. On Ensim accounts, the error log is /var/log/httpd/error_log.

I want to change my Control Panel. For example, I have cPanel and I want to change to Ensim. Can I do that?

This is not easily done as the cPanel server is a different server than the Ensim server, plus the file structures are different as well. We would need to set up your account on the other server, you would need to copy your website files to the other server, and you would need to change your DNS pointers. Because of the effort involved, we would charge a setup fee if you want to do this.

Questions about the Acceptable Use Policy (AUP)

Where can I find a copy of your Acceptable User Policy?

Click here: http://www.cheaperwebhost.com/aup.htm

Can I use my website for commercial purposes?

Do you allow adult-oriented websites, including sexually explicit material and/or nudity?

No.

Can I run a contest or sweepstakes from my site?

You can run a contest or sweepstakes from your site provided there is no entry fee or other type of payment required for entering the contest/sweepstakes, and provided that the contest/sweepstakes conforms to your local laws and regulations. You may also have links to such contests/sweepstakes on your site.

You may NOT run any type of gambling, betting, casino, or lottery operation on your site, nor may you post links to any of these on your site, even if it's something that offers something like "We'll give you $200 free to start!"

If you are unsure if what you want to do is permitted, send an email with the details to support@cheaperwebhost.com and we'll let you know.

Can I send Unsolicited Bulk E-mail from my account? What if it is not a commercial ad?

No, unsolicited bulk e-mail of any kind is not permitted. Unsolicited commercial e-mail is strictly prohibited.

I am going to use a mailing service to send unsolicited bulk e-mail for me, I just want to receive the replies in my account on your service. Can I do that?

No. Any involvement with unsolicited bulk e-mail that involves our services in any way is prohibited.

Can I run a warez or hacker site? Can I run a site offering codes for breaking into software and bypassing their registration requirements and/or disabling their expiration features?

No.

Can I run a chat room?

No.

Can I post my MP3 library to my website for other people to download?

If it's illegal MP3, then definitely not. If it's legitimate MP3 for which you hold a copyright or license and you are legitimately offering it to others, such as for sale, then you would have to be sure that you do not exceed the server resources. If downloads exceed 50% of your traffic then they would be limited, but we may also have to limit them if server resources become taxed otherwise.

Can I subdivide my space and resell it?

No. If you are interested in being a reseller, contact us at sales@cheaperwebhost.com.

I know of someone violating the Acceptable Use Policy. What should I do?

Please let us know by sending an email to abuse@cheaperwebhost.com. Be sure to include sufficient information, such as a URL, email message and headers, etc., so that we can investigate the situation.

Other/Miscellaneous Questions

Something in this FAQ or elsewhere on your site seems to contradict the Agreement or Acceptable Use Policy.

Please let us know by sending an email with the details to support@cheaperwebhost.com so that we can check on it and make any needed corrections.

I have a question that is not answered here.

Please send an email to support@cheaperwebhost.com and we'll respond with an answer, typically within 2 business days.

CheaperWebHost.com Web HostingFrequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

CheaperWebHost.com Web Hosting
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)