Knowledge Base

Knowledgebase

FAQ Web Applications

FTP (File Transfer Protocol)
Multi-Media
CGI (Common Gateway Interface)
Databases
Software Disclaimer

Hosting 4 Less only supports third-party software installed on its systems as related to the hosting aspect. Hosting 4 Less is only responsible for proper installation of software, the software running properly on the specific machine, config. files being in correct locations, software updates, or other specific configuration issues. Hosting 4 Less is only responsible for how the software is implemented and offered to its customers. We strongly recommend that our customers explore all possibilities in answering their questions via these third-parties. If you suspect or are told from the third-party's technical support that the problem or solution requires the host to configure hardware or software, please contact Hosting 4 Less Technical Support at 888-818-0444.

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FAQ FTP
What is FTP and how do I get it?

The method by which files are transferred to the web server is called "FTP" (File Transfer Protocol). FTP is designed to provide you with access 24 hours a day. As such, you can create and maintain your web pages on your own computer and upload files to your Website at your leisure.

Examples of FTP programs are CuteFTP and WS_FTP. If you have a dialup, cable modem, DSL or another general Internet account and need an FTP program, you can download software for either the PC or Macintosh using the links below.

PC users should download WinZip if they do not already have a program to extract .zip files.
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What do I do with the Hostname in my Welcome Email?

In the Welcome Email you receive from Hosting 4 Less, you will find information identifying your Hostname along with your User ID and Password.  Using an FTP client like WS_FTP, you can connect to your Hostname, log into Hosting 4 Less, and upload your website's pages for viewing on your site.  This process, also known as "publishing", is the way you get your pages up onto the web server for visitors to see when they type your URL into their web browser.

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How do I use FTP?

Transferring between our server and your hard drive is simple:

  1. Make sure you are in the proper directories on both (you can move around your local hard drive double-clicking on subdirectory folders or double clicking the ".." which will move up one directory from your present location.
  2. Click once to highlight the relevant file(s) - you can use the SHIFT key to select more than one sequential file or hold down the CTRL key to select specific files to transfer.
  3. Click on the proper left or right arrows to begin transmitting.
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How do I configure my FTP software?

The following information is contained within your account activation notice and is needed to connect to your Website via FTP:

FTP HOSTNAME
USERID
PASSWORD


The hostname tells your FTP software to connect to the web server upon which your Website resides. In general, the process of configuring the various FTP software programs is the same. We recommend WS_FTP for PC computer users and will be using it in the upcoming examples.

Each time you run WS_FTP the Session Profile window will be displayed. A profile contains the information needed to connect to your web site. Creating a profile now will eliminate the need for you to configure the software each time you wish to connect to the web server via FTP.

To create a new profile:

  1. Click the "New" button and enter a generic profile name at the top of the Session Profile window. Enter the User ID, password and hostname for your Website.
  2. Be sure to select "Auto detect" for the Host Type.
  3. It is best to select "Save Password" and "Auto Save Config" to maintain these settings for future use. All other fields can be left blank. You are now ready to connect to the web server.
  4. Click "OK" to continue.
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How do I transfer files?
  1. When you connect to the web server, you will connect directly to the root ("home") directory of your account.
  2. WS_FTP will display a split screen where files on the left-hand side are within your own computer.
  3. You will see several folders on the right-hand side such as bin and cgi-bin, which are landmarks noting a successful connection to your Website.
  4. You can transfer files directly to the home directory of your account and/or create subdirectories.
To make your home page load automatically, name the HTML document "index.htm" or "index.html" in lowercase and upload it to the root directory of your account. This action will overwrite the existing document

To upload a file or files, simply highlight the file(s) on the left and click the right-arrow button ("-->") in the center of the screen. Be sure to upload HTML documents and scripts in ASCII mode and images in BINARY mode.

To transfer a file to a subdirectory, double-click the appropriate subdirectory to open it before transferring the desired file(s). As soon as a file is uploaded to the web server, it is available for anyone to access via the Web.. If, after uploading a file, you are still unable to see the updated file with your web browser, try holding down the SHIFT key when you click on the "reload" button. If all else fails, you may need to clear your browser's cache files. Please refer to your browser's help files for information on how to perform this task.
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Just how do I start building my site?

After successfully transferring files to your space on a Hosting 4 Less server, most FTP programs include a module such as RmDir, MkDir, etc., which you will use to start 'treeing' your site from your root directory.
Note that the default page "Welcome new customer!" is called index.html in your root directory. You cannot Rename this file because the I.P. Pointer (and thus your DNS registry) points to this directory. If you'd like to change the name, please contact Support at Hosting 4 Less at 888-818-0444, and request the change. However, this name does not appear in your URL. Thus, you can keep this file in your root and just tree from there.

The most common setup is to use MkDir to create some directories such as: Graphics, HTML, etc. and place the files in the appropriate place. Or, you can set up the file system on our server exactly as you have locally on your local hard drive. Either way, make a backup of your Web content on your local hard drive. Hosting 4 Less backs up the entire server, but you are ultimately responsible for the integrity of all data on your site.

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Acceptable File Names

The Hosting 4 Less operating system is case sensitive. In other words, the file name "faq.html" is NOT the same as "FAQ.html". If your HTML code references a faq.html, but the actual file name is in uppercase, this will result in a File Not Found error. This applies to directory names as well.

To prevent errors, we suggest naming all files in lowercase. Spaces and special control characters are generally not a good idea. The underscore character ("_") is acceptable and recommended in place of spaces. You should never use special characters ( ! @ # $ % ^ & * : ' ) in file names. We suggest that you keep the length of file names to a minimum. The tilde character (~) cannot be used in directory or file names.

Notes to Mac Users

Select "raw data" transfer mode when using Fetch to transfer both HTML and images. PageMill may add either a .bin or .txt extension to your files which must be removed in order for such files to load properly.

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What should I do if I'm denied access via FTP?

If you can access your account Control Panel, but cannot access your account via FTP, the FTP configurations may be incorrect.

If you are denied access AFTER entering your User ID and password, you may be using the wrong password. Check the activation notice sent to you via E-Mail when the account was first set up. If you changed your password and it doesn't seem to be working, contact support by telephone at 888-818-0444 to reset your password.

If you cannot connect at all, or connect and then "hang", there may be problems with connectivity. Hosting 4 Less Technical Support can help you track the problem. Since Hosting 4 Less is not a dial-up Internet Access provider, we give you access to your site via FTP (File Transfer Protocol). FTP is designed to provide you with access 24 hours a day.. As such, you can create and maintain your web pages on your own computer and upload files to your web site whenever you wish. We recommend using an excellent shareware program called WS_FTP.

You may not need an FTP program if you are using:
Microsoft FrontPage
DeltaPoint's QuickSite
Netscape Navigator Gold
HotDog
NetObject's Fusion

Fetch (For Macintosh)

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How do I configure WS_FTP?

  1. Enter the Profile Name. This is just a name for this particular location.
  2. Host Name/Address. Enter the Domain Name or the IP Address for your Hosting 4 Less account.
  3. Host Type. UNIX (Standard) is fine for all types of OS's, including NT.
  4. User ID. Enter your login name.
  5. Password. Enter your Hosting 4 Less password.
  6. Click OK to connect.

To upload your files to the server:
On the LOCAL SYSTEM, locate the directory on your computer that your web files are located. Once you have located them, highlight any or all of the files you wish to upload. Click the "--" arrow button to copy the file(s) to the server.
For HTML and TEXT documents, you should upload using the ASCII option.
For IMAGE files or any NON-TEXT documents, you should upload using the Binary option.
A dialog box will come up telling you the progress of your file upload. Once this is complete, you should see the file(s) on the REMOTE SYSTEM.

To download files from the server to your machine:

  1. Locate the file on the REMOTE SYSTEM.
  2. Highlight the file.
  3. Click the file and drag it to the correct area.
  4. Click CLOSE or EXIT when you are finished.

Links for more information, see:
Ipswitch

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Can I change my FTP user-ID and password? They do not seem to be working.

You cannot change your User ID, but you may change your password. Your control panel has a provision built in for changing your main password. The change will take place in real time.

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How do I upload my Web pages with Fetch?
  1. Double Click on your Fetch icon.
  2. From the Menu bar click on File and select New Connection.
  3. You will see the following window Next to Host: Type in your shell server.
  4. Please refer to your Account Information Form (AIF) for your shell machine.
  5. Next to User ID: type in your login name.
  6. Next to Password: type in your password.
  7. Leave the Directory field blank.
  8. Click on OK.
  9. You will now see the following window:
  10. Double-click on the www/ folder
  11. Now you will need to click on Put File...
  12. Select the file you want to upload and click on OPEN.
  13. Make sure your file name does not have an extra extension after html such as .txt or .bin.
  14. Click on OK.
Your file will then upload to our system. (Note: Your Web Pages should go up as text, and your images should go up as Raw Data).

For more information on Fetch, go to: Fetch
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Why can't I login or connect using FTP?

FTP problems can have very simple causes. Often the cause is a mistyped password, or the caps lock key is inadvertently left on, but sometimes the reasons can be more complex. Try these steps when you encounter problems reaching your Website via FTP:

  1. First check your username and password. Your username must be typed in lower case. The password must be typed exactly as shown; like most items on a UNIX server, it is case sensitive. Often, in a non-serif font, I (capital eye), l (lowercase "L") , and 1 (the number one) Look very similar, or exactly the same, as is also the case with 0 (zero) and O (the letter "O").
  2. Call Hosting 4 Less Support at 888-818-0444 and report any error messages you are getting.
  3. Sometimes erroneous configurations on the ISP's end can prevent you from logging in. If this is the case, we can usually give you the information necessary for your provider to resolve the problem.
One such problem is a "reverse DNS Lookup" failure. This occurs sometimes when an ISP reconfigures their dialup services or reassigns IP addresses. This can effect the reverse lookup values in their DNS which may create problems for you when accessing your Web account via FTP. It is something your provider will have to fix, but we can assist you by providing the proper information to send them. Please call Hosting 4 Less at 888-818-0444 for help with this process. In that situation, here is what would happen when you connect:
  1. The server Looks up the IP address you're connecting on and gets the name of the machine.
  2. The server then looks up the machine name to get the IP address, and it wants the IP address and machine name to match.
  3. If they don't, the server refuses the connection.
  4. If they do match, the server will ask your username and password, and will let you in if the username and password are correct.
If the machines are configured properly, both IP and machine name should report each other, no matter which way it is looked up.
This procedure is a security precaution. Some FTP servers use it, and others don't. Hosting 4 Less's servers follow this procedure. Whenever you experience problems trying to FTP, please email or call Hosting 4 Less Technical Support staff.
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It appears that my links are not working. What could be wrong?

The most common reason for a link not working is that the file does not exist in the location specified. This can mean either of the following:

  • Wrong case - UNIX is case sensitive, and if your file calls for "TEXT.HTML", it is not the same as "text.html".
  • The link points to a file on your hard drive, and unless the user has the same file by the same name, in the same place, on his own hard drive, he or she will not see what you intended.
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Why does my browser say the HTML page "has no content?"

Most likely, you are running a text editor (like Microsoft Word) during the construction process and sending the HTML pages via FTP while the file is still open in the text editor. If you leave the page open in the editor (especially Word), FTP (especially WS-FTP) doesn't have anything to read and thus send to the Hosting 4 Less server -- other than a filename. The Browser, in turn, doesn't find anything. Close the documents in the editor first and save them. Then, FTP to our server and the Browser should find the pages without incidence.

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The HTML page is garbled when I browse it. What's wrong?

It is important to remember to send HTML (text) in ASCII mode and all image-format files in Binary. In addition, if you are using Word or some other text-editor locally for writing HTML, be sure to save the file as text only, not as a .doc file, for example. Sounds simple, but it's easy to miss. One should notice that files in DOS can only be saved with a three-letter .htm extension. After FTPing, these files must be renamed to include the .html extension. These actions will correct the majority of FTP errors!

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FAQ Multi-Media
What MIME types does Hosting 4 Less support?

The list below indicates the default list of MIME types that are automatically set up with your new Hosting 4 Less account. The list is comprehensive.
  • type=application/octet-stream exts=bin,exe
  • type=application/oda exts=oda
  • type=application/pdf exts=pdf
  • type=application/postscript exts=ai,eps,ps
  • type=application/rtf exts=rtf
  • type=application/x-mif exts=mif
  • type=application/x-csh exts=csh
  • type=application/x-dvi exts=dvi
  • type=application/x-hdf exts=hdf
  • type=application/x-latex exts=latex
  • type=application/x-netcdf exts=nc,cdf
  • type=application/x-sh exts=sh
  • type=application/x-tcl exts=tcl
  • type=application/x-tex exts=tex
  • type=application/x-texinfo exts=texinfo,texi
  • type=application/x-troff exts=t,tr,roff
  • type=application/x-troff-man exts=man
  • type=application/x-troff-me exts=me
  • type=application/x-troff-ms exts=ms
  • type=application/x-wais-source exts=src
  • type=application/zip exts=zip
  • type=application/x-stuffit exts=sit
  • type=application/x-shar exts=shar
  • type=application/x-tar exts=tar
  • type=application/mac-binhex40 exts=hqx
  • type=application/x-director exts=dcr,dir,dxr
  • type=audio/basic exts=au,snd
  • type=audio/x-aiff exts=aif,aiff,aifc
  • type=audio/x-wav exts=wav
  • type=audio/x-pn-realaudio exts=ra,ram
  • type=audio/x-pn-realaudio-plugin exts=rpm
  • type=audio/x-midi exts=mid
  • type=image/gif exts=gif
  • type=image/ief exts=ief
  • type=image/jpeg exts=jpeg,jpg,jpe
  • type=image/tiff exts=tiff,tif
  • type=image/x-cmu-raster exts=ras
  • type=image/x-portable-anymap exts=pnm
  • type=image/x-portable-bitmap exts=pbm
  • type=image/x-portable-graymap exts=pgm
  • type=image/x-portable-pixmap exts=ppm
  • type=image/x-rgb exts=rgb
  • type=image/x-xbitmap exts=xbm
  • type=image/x-xpixmap exts=xpm
  • type=image/x-xwindowdump exts=xwd
  • type=text/html exts=htm,html
  • type=text/plain exts=txt
  • type=text/richtext exts=rtx
  • type=text/tab-separated-values exts=tsv
  • type=text/x-setext exts=etx
  • type=text/x-speech exts=talk
  • type=video/mpeg exts=mpeg,mpg,mpe
  • type=video/quicktime exts=qt,mov
  • type=video/x-msvideo exts=avi
  • type=video/x-sgi-movie exts=movie
  • type=video/vdo exts=vdo
  • enc=x-gzip exts=gz enc=x-compress exts=z
  • type=magnus-internal/imagemap exts=map
  • type=magnus-internal/parsed-html exts=shtml
  • type=magnus-internal/cgi exts=cgi
  • type=magnus-internal/php exts=phtml
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What Is RealAudio?
RealAudio is a special type of audio format that plays sound files, music and video in "real time" without requiring the files to be downloaded completely before they begin to play. The obvious advantage is that your Web users can listen to audio clips or view video clips without having to wait for long periods of time. The added advantage to your Website is that studies have shown that sites with sound and video help sustain the viewer's attention for a longer period of time.
For a more detailed explanation about the many features and options of the RealAudio/RealVideo software, please visit the RealNetworks Website at: Real Audio

If you have other RealAudio/RealVideo needs that aren't covered on this page, please contact Hosting 4 Less Support at 888-818-0444. We will be happy to discuss your needs and cover all of your options.
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What are the restrictions and specifications for RealAudio with my account?
The number of RealAudio streams is determined by your hosting plan. Additionally, monitor your bandwidth transfer statistics while using RealAudio/RealVideo.
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Can I use Hosting 4 Less RealAudio service for live broadcasts?
No. The design of this service is for providing audio streaming capabilities for our clients to offer on their Websites. Live broadcasting also requires a high-speed connection from the audio source or even from the RealAudio broadcast server.
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How many simultaneous streams does the Hosting 4 Less RealAudio server handle?
This is product dependent, depending on your plan. Hosting 4 Less has multiple realaudio servers. We are closely monitoring these numbers and will upgrade in the future as needed based on our client demand and utilization.
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How do I create and offer RealAudio content from my Website?
Since you specified the location of the RealAudio server and ".rm" file in your ".ram" file, you can place your ".ram" files in any directory you wish. They will always point to the same proper location.
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How can I improve the playback quality?
If you are experiencing problems with poor playback quality, it may be related to heavy traffic on the Internet, especially if you are playing the files between 6:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. These are peak hours on the Internet and the traffic load is the likely culprit.
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How do I receive stereo sound with RealPlayer 5.0?
To get stereo sound with RealPlayer 5.0, you need at least a 28.8 Kbps connection, and a link to a RealAudio ".rm" stereo file. Verify that the bandwidth field in the Connection tab of the Player's Preferences window is set to 28.8 Kbps modem or faster.
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FAQ Common Gateway Interface (CGI)


How does Hosting 4 Less provide for CGI services?

A /cgi-bin/ is available to run any CGI programs written in Perl or C. It is not necessary to check with Hosting 4 Less when uploading a CGI to the server. Your /cgi-bin/ is available to run most scripts, so long as the script is not malicious to the machine, bandwidth, users, or other as determined by Hosting 4 Less administrators. In actuality, Hosting 4 Less allows customers to run CGIs in any directory, but we recommend that customers designate one particular directory (such as the default /cgi-bin/) and maintain the proper executable permissions on it. All other directories should remain non-executable. If you are not experienced at changing permissions, simply use the default configuration and your directories will be set up correctly.

Hosting 4 Less also supports scripting tools and languages such as Perl, PHP, Python.

  • MySQL is used for database connectivity and includes a more GUI environment as well as an HTML-like tag language.
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Where can I find path information for my CGI?

Perl Path: /usr/bin/perl

Base Path: /home/domainname/cgi-bin/file
http://domainname/cgi-bin/file

SendMail Path:
/usr/sbin/sendmail

Python Path:
/usr/bin/python

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How do I troubleshoot CGI scripts on my own?

  • CGIs must have permissions of at least 755 or they will not execute.
  • Your script is using paths incorrectly. You should use a direct path such as /home/domainname/cgi-bin to refer to a script. CGIs execute from the directory they reside in.
  • Your script was uploaded in BINARY mode instead of ASCII mode.
  • Your script requires PERL 4 when you are using PERL 5. The default PERL on all servers is PERL 5. It is located in /usr/bin/perl for all machines.
  • If your script creates an output file, you should pre-create the file with the appropriate name, and set it to a chmod of 660 (this may be different if stated by 3rd party instructions). If this isn't done, you will not be able to access the file the script creates.
  • Your '@' signs are not escaped with a "\". E-Mail addresses in double quotes will not parse correctly without the backslash. For example: "support\@Hosting4Less.com" is how it should look. Correct PERL syntax is always helpful.
  • Your PERL script file does not have a *.cgi extension. If you have a CGI/PERL script with a .pl extension, change it to .cgi for it to function correctly.
  • Your CGI has broken syntax. In the Control Panel we have a perl debugger for you.  It will tell you if the script conforms to PERL syntax only. It does not tell you if there is a command that isn't working or if there is an error with the specific information you have input into the script (like E-Mail addresses, submission responses).
  • If you are including a file such as cgi-lib.pl it must have permissions of 644 to work. Any 3rd party scripts that come with additional support files should have instructions indicating if the support files require any different permissions.
  • CGIs execute from the current directory. Always remember this with paths inside of the scripts.
  • If you are using your CGI as a SSI (server side include) such as in
    <--#exec cgi=scriptname.cgi-- make sure the CGI itself is sending a MIME type (like Content-type: text/html). Make sure the HTML file you are calling the CGI from has a .shtml extension.
  • If your script came from a 3rd party, you must contact the author. Hosting 4 Less may or may not assist with third-party CGI scripts.
  • The WWW server limits per-CGI execution time to 45 CPU seconds in order to catch runaways. If your CGI takes longer, it may get killed before it can complete operation. If you have a CGI that is taking 10 CPU seconds to run, the CGI is either doing too much or is poorly written (or both). Many complex CGIs will run in .10 or less CPU seconds (1/10th of a CPU second).

Keep in mind that Hosting 4 Less Support may or may not assist with CGI script setup or troubleshooting of 3rd party scripts.

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My CGI script is not working. Can you help?

We do not develop CGIs for our customers, and due to pricing issues, we offer limited support of the scripts. It is very costly to de-bug scripts. If you are having problems with the CGI and it is supported, you may contact Hosting 4 Less Support at support@hosting4less.com.

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My CGI script is slow.

The script or the server may be processing too much data. Also, make sure that the script is working properly. Check the script for bugs if you know how to do so. If you cannot solve the problem yourself, contact Hosting 4 Less Support at support@hosting4less.com.

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Where can I get a CGI library or version update?

We do not support library or version updates for individual domains. Library or version updates are carried out on the servers. If you truly believe that you need a library or version update, please contact Hosting 4 Less Support at support@hosting4less.com, and provide a detailed explanation of why a library or version update is necessary. A more direct approach is to E-Mail such requests to our CGI expert at: support@Hosting4Less.com.

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FAQ Databases


What can I use to set up a database?

We have to create the database for you. Just contact Hosting 4 Less Support at support@hosting4less.com and request that a database be set up, along with any special configuration requests.

After we have created your database, you can manipulate the tables however you like. It's usually easiest to use text files and pass them to the database.

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What databases are offered?

Hosting 4 Less supports PHP & Perl and MySQL for UNIX systems.

Contact us at 888-818-0444 if you have any questions.

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Where do I get support on MySQL?

The manual and FAQ information for MySQL is located at http://www.mysql.com/doc.html. Hosting 4 Less recommends reading the documentation in its entirety and visiting the links for more information.

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