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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
General Information
- After I submit my order, when will my account be set up?
If you provided sufficient contact and account information, you can expect to receive setup information within 24 hours. - Will I receive a real IP address for my site, or is it a virtual shared IP?
12 Point Design provides static (real and unshared) IP addresses for our clients who have a need for them (an additional charge may apply).
A static IP will allow clients full access to their Web space even without a domain name. This includes email services and other 'bound' services. - Once my domain is hosted, can I access it without "www" in the browser?
12 Point Design goes the extra mile by making this additional adjustment in the account setup for all its clients. If, for any reason,
you would like this domain mapping removed please contact us and we do so. - Is it possible to have two domain names going to the same place?
A Domain Pointer, which is an additional domain that resolves
to the default page of your Web site, can be set up for your account. - Does 12 Point Design monitor its systems?
All systems are continuously monitored for optimal performance. Our data center also provides redundant
Internet connections and power sources. - Does 12 Point Design have its own equipment?
Yes.
Publishing Your Web Site
- How can I publish my Web site?
Although there are many ways to upload your Web site, the most
common methods are FTP (file transfer protocol), which is used to
transfer files from one computer to another, and Microsoft FrontPage. - How do I publish my Web site using FTP?
Make sure you are connected to the Internet. Once you receive
your setup e-mail, you may upload your site using the domain name.
NOTE: If your domain has not transferred, you can still upload your
site using the IP address provided in the setup e-mail.
Make sure you publish your site content to the /www/ directory. In
order for a default page to load automatically when someone accesses
your site, you have to upload a default.asp, default.htm, index.htm,
index.html, or index.asp page to the /www/ directory.
If your site contains a database, upload the database to the /database/
directory. Uploading your database to this directory, allows your
database to inherit the correct file permissions.
If your site uses secure pages, upload these pages to the /ssl/
directory.
Many web development applications now feature FTP functionality
directly within the application. Each applications help file indicates
how to setup your site within the application to ease your upload.
If you are using an FTP program such as WS_FTP or CuteFTP, the
following links will provide additional information:
- How do I publish my Web site using SecureFTP?
Your SFTP program or application may have an option to enable
'secure' transfer of your files. All 12 Point Design servers provide
secure transfer when enabled by the client - meaning that you have the
ability to ensure the files and data you send to and from the server
are secure. All information above for FTP transfer still applies, but
you may create a signed key and upload that to the server in order to
activate SFTP. Call or email for more information on how this is done.
- When can I publish my Web site?
Immediately! Once you've received your setup e-mail you will have
access to an address used to upload and test your website. It may be up to 72 hours,
however, before your email services are recognized by the rest of the world. - Do I need to wait until my domain name transfers to start working on my site?
No. We will provide you with a 'testing' domain to preview your site and
authentication information to log into your account as soon as your account is setup.
This means that you will be able to upload your site as soon as you receive your welcome
email.
Domain Name Registration
- I don't have a domain name, can you register one for me?
12 Point Design has the capability of registering .com, .net, .org,
.biz and .info domain names. We highly suggest, however, that you research your
domain name carefully before selecting. Your Domain is your online identity and
will often be the only information your potential customers have about you. A poorly
worded, mis-spelled or obscure domain can be detrimental to your online experience. - My domain is registered with another registrar and is due to expire
shortly, can I renew with you?
Certainly. - Do you host International Domains (Other than .com, .net, and .org)?
Simply put, if it can be registered, 12 Point Design can host it.
Domain Name Transfer (Redirection by Registrar)
- Do I have to transfer my domain name to your name servers, or can you
do that for me?
We will be happy to assist you in the transfer of your domain name. If your
domain name is registered through Network Solutions or GoDaddy, we can initiate the
transfer process for you. If your domain name is registered through another
registrar, you can easily transfer your domain by providing you registrar with the
following information:
- Primary Name Server: ns1.12pointdesign.com
- Secondary Name Server: ns2.12pointdesign.com
- How long will it take for my domain name to transfer to your name servers?
Once the registrar initiates the change, it typically takes between 24
to 48 hours for a domain to fully propagate over the Internet. You can check
the progress of your domain propagation at
www.nsiregistry.net
E-mail Services
- I travel a lot, will I able to retrieve my e-mail while I'm "on
the road?"
No problem. 12 Point Design realizes people
today are on the move. That's why our hosting plans include
Web-based e-mail, which means that you can access your e-mail via
any computer with Internet access. - Can I forward my mail to another existing e-mail account?
Of course. Many clients find it more convenient to log into one place
to obtain all their e-mail. Your 12 Point Design e-mail account handles
this easily. Once you have logged into the e-mail Control Panel as
the user whose mail you'd like you forward, under Personal
Options, you will find an option to Change Mail Forwarding
Information. You can enter the e-mail address to which you'd like
mail forwarded (including outside accounts such as GMail, MSN,
Hotmail, Yahoo etc). - What is the difference between Aliases and Users?
USERS are actual mailboxes; i.e., user@example.com,
and the only limit to user accounts is the space allocated for your
12 Point Design account. Each USER account requires a minimum of 1 mb
space. If you have 25mb available in your hosting plan you could have
up to 25 USER accounts, each with only 1mb. This does not leave any space
for your website, however, so you should consider carefully how much email
each USER requires and how much space your website will consume.
ALIASES are virtual mailboxes that forward mail to a user
account. For example: A smaller company wishing to appear larger may
have aliases set up for orders@example.com, customerservice@example.com,
and info@example.com. Mail sent to these aliases could all be forwarded
to user@example.com. - I'd like to use Microsoft Outlook to access my mail. How can I set that up?
If you choose to use Microsoft Outlook to
manage your e-mail, you will need to set up your user account in the
Outlook program. Go to "Tools --> Accounts -->"
and the tab marked "Mail." "Add --> Mail,
Display Name": The Name to Display in the "from"
field of the outgoing message. "Next, User Name,
Password": Select the connection type, and Finish.
Note:
Enter your user name log on exactly as provided in your
set up e-mail. Open tools, accounts, and on the Mail tab of accounts,
select the user account, go to "Properties" and the server tab.
Under "Outgoing Mail Server," click on "My Server
Requires Authentication."
- When I try to send e-mail from Outlook, I am continually prompted for a
user name and password which, when input, is not accepted. How can
I stop this prompt?
Please go back to your Outlook
setup (Tools, Accounts, and the Server Tab). 12 Point Design mail
servers require authentication for all outgoing mail. Please
verify you have selected "My Server Requires
Authentication" under Outgoing Mail Server and NOT "Log
on using Secure Password Authentication." - I need more email accounts. Can I purchase more?
Not as 'email accounts' per se, but you may increase your hosting
capacity at any time, which will effectively increase the number of
accounts you can create. - I'd like to be able to create a mailing list. Does 12 Point Design
have this capability?
The functionality to which you are
referring is called "List Server." A list-server mailing
list can receive mail and resend the mail to all the users on the
mailing list.
Lists can be
"open" allowing postings by anyone on the Internet.
Lists can also be "public," meaning that anyone can get
on the list by subscribing to it. Users can then subscribe to, or
unsubscribe from, a list by simply sending the appropriate message
to the list server.
Lists can be unmoderated (any message sent to the list is
immediately posted to all users on the list) or moderated (all
messages are reviewed by the moderator for approval before being posted).
Postings to the list can be further controlled by use of a password
or by use of a "posters list" (a list of people authorized
to post to that list.) The fee is based on the number of messages.
Please see the pricing sheet for current pricing.
Please be aware that 12 Point Design does not permit the sending of
unsolicited e-mail (spam)
through its mail servers. Individuals found violating this policy face
termination of their Web hosting contract and possible legal action.
E-Commerce
- What shopping carts do you support?
We can support most any that are compatible with the Microsoft
Windows Server platform. - What is a SSL Directory?
SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is an encryption service that runs on
the server. It causes all communication back and forth between the
visitor's browser and the web to be sent in encrypted form. This is
important when transmitting credit card numbers or email addresses across
the Internet.
Database/DSN (Data Source Name)
- What is an ODBC connection?
An ODBC connection is the system "mapping" that connects
the Web site application to the database connection tools on the
server and tells the database connection tools where to find the
database. - Do you support Access?
We support several versions of Microsoft Access, including Access 2000 and XP. - When should I upgrade my database from Microsoft Access to Microsoft SQL?
Access is a good database to start with, but it really is not designed to
support multiple concurrent users. If you have a medium to high-volume website you may
be better off with a MS SQL Server or MySQL server database. - Can I upgrade from Microsoft Access to Microsoft SQL?
Absolutely. You can upgrade your database at any time, and there is even an Upsizing
Wizard in Microsoft Access to assist you. - How can I connect to my SQL Database?
We suggest you connect through Enterprise Manager. - Why do I get an error when I try to connect to my database?
Debugging database problems is a frequent problem across the internet, and there are many
sources for finding the correct solution for your scenario. Before you attempt to fix the problem,
it is important that it is clearly defined. What database platform and version are you using? What
language or service are you using to connect to it? Are you using ODBC or a DSN? For specific help
please feel free to email Support
and we will do our best to provide a solution that works for you.
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