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Step by step answers for domains, SSL, email, website errors, control panel tasks, VPS access and billing.
Domains and DNS
3 articlesA record vs CNAME: which DNS record should you use?
Use an A record to point a name, including your root domain, at your server's IP address. Use a CNAME to make a subdomain such as www follow another hostname. A CNAME cannot sit on the root domain.
ReadDNS propagation: why your domain change is not showing yet
DNS changes are not pushed out to the internet. Resolvers keep old answers until their cache time (TTL) runs out, so a change can look live for you and stale for someone else for anywhere from a few minutes to 48 hours.
ReadHow to change nameservers and point your domain to ODHOST
Log in to the company where you registered the domain, replace its nameservers with the ones in your ODHOST welcome email, save, and allow up to 48 hours for the change to take effect everywhere.
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Website errors
6 articlesHow to fix "Error establishing a database connection" in WordPress
WordPress shows this message when it cannot log in to its MySQL database. In most cases a value in wp-config.php is wrong or the database user lost its privileges; less often the database server is down or a table needs repair.
ReadHow to fix "too many redirects" on your own website
A redirect loop happens when two settings keep sending the browser back and forth, most often between HTTP and HTTPS or between www and non www. Find the two rules that disagree and remove one of them.
ReadHow to fix 503 Service Unavailable on your own website
A 503 means the server is reachable but cannot handle the request right now. On hosting this usually comes from a stuck maintenance mode, hitting your account's resource limits, a traffic or bot spike, or a stopped web service on a VPS.
ReadHow to fix a 403 Forbidden error on your own website
A 403 means the server found the page but refused to show it. The usual causes are wrong file permissions, a missing index file, a deny rule in .htaccess, an IP block, or a security rule such as ModSecurity.
ReadHow to fix a 500 Internal Server Error on your own website
A 500 error means the server hit a problem it could not describe to the browser. The real reason is almost always written in an error log, so start there, then check .htaccess, permissions, PHP memory and plugins.
ReadHow to show a "down for maintenance" message on your website
For planned work, show visitors a short maintenance page that returns HTTP status 503 with a Retry-After header, while you keep access from your own IP address. Keep the message specific, keep the downtime short, and switch it off as soon as you finish.
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SSL and security
2 articlesHow to fix "Not secure" warnings and mixed content errors
If the padlock is missing after SSL is installed, either the certificate does not cover the name you visited, or the page still loads some images, scripts or styles over http://. Check the certificate first, then find and update the insecure links.
ReadHow to secure your hosting account
Use a unique password for every login, store them in a password manager, turn on two factor authentication wherever it is offered, protect the email address your billing uses, and remove old users and FTP accounts.
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Emails going to spam: how to find the cause and fix it
Most domain emails land in spam because SPF, DKIM or DMARC fail, the message looks like bulk mail, or the sending server or domain has a poor reputation. Read the headers of one test message first; they tell you which.
ReadHow to set up your business email in Outlook, Gmail and your phone
Copy the exact incoming and outgoing server settings from your control panel, choose IMAP so mail stays in sync on every device, and use SSL/TLS on ports 993 (IMAP) and 465 or 587 (sending).
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Control panel tasks
4 articlesHow to back up and restore your website in cPanel
Use cPanel's Backup or Backup Wizard to download your home directory and databases and to restore them from a file you saved. To restore from ODHOST's weekly backups, open a support ticket and say exactly what and which date you need.
ReadHow to change the PHP version in cPanel
Open MultiPHP Manager or Select PHP Version in cPanel, pick a supported PHP version for your domain, and test the site straight away. Keep the old version noted so you can switch back if something breaks.
ReadHow to create a MySQL database and user in cPanel
Open cPanel's MySQL Database Wizard, create the database, create a user with a strong password, and give that user All Privileges on the database. Your app then connects to localhost with those details.
ReadHow to upload website files with File Manager or FTP
For a few files, use cPanel File Manager and upload a zip you then extract. For many files or regular updates, create an FTP account and connect with FileZilla using explicit FTP over TLS on port 21.
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VPS
1 articleBilling and account
2 articlesHow to open an ODHOST support ticket
Log in to the ODHOST client area, go to Support and open a ticket, choose the department, and describe the problem with the domain, time, exact error and steps you tried. For urgent issues you can also call +91 9114422066.
ReadHow to pay an invoice and renew your ODHOST hosting
Renewal invoices appear in the ODHOST client area before each due date. Open Billing, pay the invoice with a payment method shown at checkout, and keep your billing email up to date so reminders reach you.
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Existing Windows customers
1 articleStill need help?
Open a ticket from your ODHOST account so the team can see your services, or call during business hours.