Installing Zen on 1&1 hosted site

[haylau]

Hi

I am totally new to ecommerce. I have looked at ecwid which I like, but it is a bit limiting for our needs. So I am now looking to install Zen on our site, hosted by 1&1


During the installation process it asks for details about the Mysql database. We already have a database setup containing two tables the details of which are given in our 1&1 control panel


The information I have been given by the person who initialy set up the database on the site allows us to log in to phpmyadmin and adminp using different username to the one on the control panel

So,
1) Is it OK to allow Zen access to this database, will it overwrite or just at to the tables?
2)Should I be telling Zen the username is the one shown on the 1&1 control panel n, or the one I access the phpmyadmin username?

Any help gratefully received

Incidentally the username on the1&1 control panel i do not have the password for, but I can re-set it. I am reluctant to do that until I know a bit more about this

Please treat a total newbie with mysql with kindness

[stevesh]

Zencart needs its own database, so you would create that in the control panel and then point Zencart to it during installation.

It's best to create a new DB user and password, but you can usually use your control panel login information.

[haylau]

Thanks Steve

Not sure I would know how / where to create another database, or even if I am allowed. I will have to to talk 1&1 unless you can give some insight?

[stevesh]

I don't know what control panel 1&1 uses, but in CPanel it's under 'Databases - MySQL Databases'. The database creation page is pretty straightforward.

I might also say that many Zenners have had less than good luck with 1&1 as their host.

[haylau]

Thanks again Steve

I can see MySQL Configuration, but it seems I can edit the exisiting database, but not add a new one. I am still waiting for a response form 1&1 ;-) Perhaps I am only allowed one databse on the site. The one there is 100 mb - that should be sufficient? I may have to switch it for the cart rather than news items

[stevesh]

1&1's website says you can have 10 databases with their cheapest package, but limit the size to 100Mb.

Honestly, if I were you, I would find a different host before I went much further.

[lat9]

FWIW, I've got two zen-cart sites hosted on 1&1's linux servers and they work just fine.

To create a new SQL database, log into your admin.1and1.com, click mySQL Administration and you should see you existing database name. Above that name (in kind of dull colors), is a link to create a "New Database". Click that and copy down the information like username, database name, database password, etc. for your ZC installation ... and you're on your way.

[haylau]

Thanks Steve and Lat9

I think the 10 databases on cheapest package are webdatabases, just for setting up thinks like contacts, news etc
@Lat, I do not have the create database fucntion, so presumably on our package (smallest business) we can only have 1. I am still waiting to hear form them. But what i think I can do is convert the exisiting news and contacts to the webdatabase, and that will free up the Mysql for Zen

New to all this, do you think 100 mb for the database is sufficent? I know there will be all kinds of "it depends" . I am guessing we will have a up to 1000 product lines, each would have a photo but really there would be no need (selling nuts and bolts and stuff and one looks much the same as another). Not sure on customers, but certainly not many to start with. Perhaps into the hundres eventually

[lat9]

When you log into 1&1 with the Administration tab, on the top left-hand side of the screen there is a Package Usage link. That will let you know how many SQL databases you're allowed and other stuff associated with your account.

[kuroi]

Also, a correction to an earlier post ... Zen Cart doesn't need it's own database. You can set a database prefix when you install and then all tables with the database will start with that prefix keeping them separate from other tables in the same database.

That said, I don't like 1&1 either. The infrastructure on the servers that I've had to work on there was way out-of-date and buggy and their technical support is one of the worst that I've had to deal with.