Domain name question

flex22:

Thanks for clearing that up guys.I'll get onto it and report back.

Good luck, remember you could save yourself the work 'if' you just do a re-direct; but it's whatever you want.

ThePatch:

Good luck, remember you could save yourself the work 'if' you just do a re-direct;
Famous last words, lol.:shocking:
Ok, I've been off the internet for a few days, but was back online last night and so started to sort this situation.First I decided to try a redirect to see what is was like.After I applied it, I got error messages on the page and the site didn't show.
I would go to my main site, but it wouldn't redirect to /shop.
So then I removed the redirect so that my site would show again.But! my site no longer appears!!! I just get a 404 error message:

• Page or file is outdated, renamed, moved, or does not exist.
• You typed the address incorrectly, like http://www.example.com/pgae.html instead of http://www.example.com/page.htmlGeez, please will something go right for me!:lamo:

I trust you guys can and will help.I've put in a support ticket to jsweb hosts, but it's been over a day now and they haven't responded.
Just glad I have this place where I actually get prompt (and helpful) responses.

Thanks!

huh, :huh: I've just now checked my site again, and now it shows.I haven't done anything since writing the last post.The server just decided to show the site again.Puzzled :blink:

Ok, I've figured out what was happening.I was working on my zen cart elsewhere, using another computer when I first started.Now I am back on my own PC and I typed in www. before my domain name.However I just remembered that to access my site I don't need to put www. in first.In fact, when I do it doesn't work!

How can I get it to work with the www. ?

Thanks!

My shop isn't on my main page (long story) but actually works out better. I use Joomla! for my main site with links to the store on the front page.

But I also have a "sub domain" set up through my cPanel so that you can type in: http://shop.madmumbler.net and still get to my store through a "direct" url. So when I do my email advertisements to the lists I'm on (they allow it-- I'm NOT spamming! LOL Just wanted to make that clear!) I just type in THAT address instead of the "direct" link of http://www.madmumbler.net/main/shop

You have to watch redirects. I think I read that there's something in the Google algorithm that there's certain redirects they ignore or drop altogether. But I'm not a SEO expert!

HTH,

Thanks madmumbler.
My hosting support ticket was finally responded to and I sorted out the www. issue by adding it as an alias.

My redirects don't seem to be working.I set it up but it just doesn't redirect.I have my redirect set up so that it goes from ** removed per request **

But does it redirect? Nope! Why? I dunno :dontgetit

Ok, at least now it's trying to redirect:
** removed per request **
But an error message appears:

The page isn't redirecting properly

Firefox has detected that the server is redirecting the request for this address in a way that will never complete.

 *   This problem can sometimes be caused by disabling or refusing to accept
      cookies.

And in the address bar it shows:

** removed per request **

What's going on? How do I correct this?

flex22:

Ok, at least now it's trying to redirect:
** removed per request ** should redirect to ** removed per request **
But an error message appears:

The page isn't redirecting properly

Firefox has detected that the server is redirecting the request for this address in a way that will never complete.

 *   This problem can sometimes be caused by disabling or refusing to accept
      cookies.

And in the address bar it shows:

** removed per request **

What's going on? How do I correct this?

I'm sorry you're having these problems, whenever you need to renew your hosting let me know, we'll take care of you.

Try this . . . it works for me

open notepad
put the following code in said notepad

save file as index.php

upload file to your root directory

that should redirect you. to see it in action one of my clients is using it:

http://www.sweetpeasbabygifts.com

I did that once ... boy was that a mess ... :eek:

Too bad I forget what I used to fix it ... umm ... :cry:

It was either an extra \ or a missing \ something in the Redirect via CPanel that I had done ...

In theory, your hosting site should know how best to advise you on this ...

You know I am really feeling it with all this now.Will one, just ONE! friggin thing go easily in this process.That's all, just to keep me 1% sane!!! :wacko:

Here's what I wrote to my webhost (JSWEB, by the way, came highly recommended here: Zen Certified Hosting )

"Need a host for your Zen Cart™? We highly recommend a host that specializes in the Zen Cart™ program. The following Certified Hosts have met our rigorous standards and are ready to help you get up and running."

Well I don't know who's having the laugh here, but I hope whoever it is you're having a goodun! :clap:
The thing that makes me really feel sick :yuck: is that I've been with another web host for years, and of course I won't say there name, but their support was sublime compared to what I'm experiencing with this new host.I only went with this new host because I wanted zen cart to go as smoothly as possible, which I thought it would being "highly recommended" and all.
Really either I have had an exceptionally rare bad experience or someone really is having a joke here.I honestly feel that I am due an explanation from the people who "highly recommend" this inadequate service.
And here's why I am rather "not entirely relaxed" at the moment :shocking:

My support ticket to JSWEB said this:

My zen cart site is located at ** removed per request **
However I would like a redirect from ** removed per request ** to ** removed per request **
When I set this up in the control panel it doesn't work when I go to ** removed per request ** it doesn't redirect properly.I get something like ** removed per request **
in the address bar and the page doesn't load.

I need a solution to this please.

The first reply:

We have escalated the redirect issue to our senior engineers as your configuration looks correct to me.
Will keep you posted with updates

The second reply:

We have resolved the issue - it was my mistake... in order to achieve the desired affect what was required was not a redirect but a change to the directory index configuration. I have now done this in your control panel.

Once again sorry for the delay

:huh: huh! Ok so I go to my site ** removed per request ** and it shows the shop front.The address hasn't changed to /store, so this isn't a redirect.So, what the heck is it??? Are they really trying to tell me that a redirect isn't possible, when several intelligent people on these here forums have recommended that I just do a redirect.And not only that, when I went to ** removed per request **, all my files were on show for the world to see.I've since changed the permission to deny access.
Also, how do I now access my admin control panel for zen cart now?

You know the help I've received here has been brilliant.I'm blown away that people take their own time out to help others by sharing their expertise.I'm truly grateful.
It's a shame that you highly recommend a hosting service that, to my mind so far, is clearly not up to the job.

I'm really quite pi$$ed off. :oops:

Well, see, flex? That's why I recommended NOT doing a redirect. Sooooo much trouble. If you had just moved all your files to the root directory, and changed your configures, you'd be up and running, right now. But there's just too many traffic directors here, trying to talk people into redirecting traffic.........and doing a good job of talking.......now look at the results. It may very well work for some, but it's been my experience that doing a redirect is just ASKING for trouble...........one way or another. Sorry you had to find out this way.

Well it's like getting blood from a stone with my host provider.I ask them a question and they just say "we twiddled some buttons and have resolved the issue, it is now closed".
They don't even answer me properly.My site now goes directly to the store front from: ** removed per request **
Ok, so I look in the host cp, and there is no redirect set up.So it looks like they have done "something".The thing is, I'd rather do things myself, so I know where I'm at.I don't like the host taking over like that.
And also despite me asking them point blank "why isn't the simple redirect not working?" (which I tried just to see what it was like), did they answer me?
Nope absolutely zero explanation, despite asking twice in a perfectly calm manner.Only after that did I finally lose my calm.

F*&!^ ya know I just want my store up and running.I'm willing and am! putting in the work my end.Is it too much to ask that my host does the same.This BS from the host has cost me time and money.$$$&"£"£"(!&!^!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't have any direct :) experience with redirects (yet), but from what I have read, one kind of redirect will act exactly as you describe: the domain root will point people directly to the subfolder you specify. It will be as if /public_html/shop/ has become /public_html/.

So whatever your host's communication skills, they may have done exactly what you asked them to.

Well I am working on this exact issue right now. And I too submitted a ticket to my host as I felt they would best help me solve this type of issue. Their response was to use an .htaccess file for the redirect. That didn't work either. I got the same result with /shop/shop/shop/shop/........Not only that after a little research I find that a .htaccess file can leave your site seriously open to security problems. :blink:

Then the funny thing is when I disconnected my FTP client then reconnected later the entire file was gone! :shocking:I then had to rebuild my directories in the host CP and I hope that the whole problem is gone. And when I updated the trouble ticket with my host I get no reply. I really didn't want to go and mess with the configure.php files as I am nearing the end of my customization and don't want to mess anything up now. It has been a long.............long hard road. :wacko:

But I can tell you this. When you start reading through these threads hours after hours you start to get an idea of who knows what they're talking about. I think I'm going with removing /shop/ out of the configure files. Please let me know how your issue ends up Flex. And once again thank you Ajeh and Get em for the advise. I've said it before and I'll say it again. It's people like you that make this work for newbie's like us.

gjh42:

So whatever your host's communication skills, they may have done exactly what you asked them to.
Well that's it really, the thing is, they've actually been too! helpful.It's in my nature (I'm going to admin the cart after all! ) to implement things myself, so I know where I'm up to with things.I really don't like people going over my head and implementing things without my permission.I like to know where I am at with everything, to keep my own flow.It upsets my flow (you've seen my obvious reactions) when others take control, unless I have directed them to take control of something or I have asked for an explanantion about something (so I'm still in control, if you see).
I'm sensitive to this sensitive (ie: my outbursts) and I think most good admins have this same attitude.So maybe I'm surrounded by like minds here (I would think so) who understand what I'm getting at.Or maybe nobody knows what I mean.But I certainly know my own mind.:artist:

Cheers!

dmb2007:

And once again thank you Ajeh and Get em for the advise. I've said it before and I'll say it again. It's people like you that make this work for newbie's like us.
Yeah, really great help here:clap:
dmb2007:

Please let me know how your issue ends up Flex.
Well my site now goes straight to my store.But it really nags me that I don't know exactly how the host did it.They were very vague in their reply to me.
It really really nags me that I don't know how things were done.I''ll probably even ask them to undo the changes and then implement this myself.I mean I asked here how to do it and was given the advice on what to edit in the files.
I'll feel better having used the advice given here and implementing it myself.

So, case still open, sorta! :P

All the best with getting your issue resolves dmb2007

I fully sympathize with wanting to be in control of your site and know exactly what has been done with it.

On the other hand, I know from experience that sometimes it is infinitely faster for the knowledgeable one to just go in and do what needs to be done than to explain how to do it to the "customer". I try to explain my answers wherever it will help others understand how to do a thing in the future, but sometimes I succumb to the quick way and just say "do xyz". It's a constant balancing act.

PS - some redirects may require higher access than an individual domain owner can get, so it is possible that it would be pointless for them to explain since they would have to do it anyway. Of course, I would still want at least the common name of whatever they did, so I could say more or less what had been done.

Yes I agree gjh42 about the balancing act.On reflection I feel that it is best to just be happy that the shop shows at the address I wanted it to show at.
I just feel that things will come back to bite me in the future when I've left things to others.But then again I am creating that in my own mind.There is no reason to suggest that anything will come back to bite me.Perhaps I am letting a few past experiences control the way I think about things.When I really look at the situation now, I feel good that the result I wanted has! been achieved, as you said yourself.
So, why waste any more energy on things that don't really matter.What matters is seeing the results that I want and feeling good about them.Yeah, I'm cool, it's all coming good. :cool:

Cheers!

Get Em Fast:

Oh, yea. All of them. As your site will no longer be in that folder, ANY reference to that particular folder will result in an error being shown, instead of your site.

It worked perfectly AND now my domain page shows up instead of just a blank page. Wherever there was a following slash in my configure files I left it. Examples from admin:

define('DIR_WS_ADMIN', '/catalog/admin/'); became define('DIR_WS_ADMIN', '/admin/');

define('DIR_FS_SQL_CACHE', '/usr/www/users/username/catalog/cache'); became **define('DIR_FS_SQL_CACHE', '/usr/www/users/username/cache');
**
define('DIR_WS_HTTPS_CATALOG', '/catalog/'); became define('DIR_WS_HTTPS_CATALOG', '/');

Thanks so much. It solved other problems I had.

Glad to help. It's good to see everybody got everything fixed.