What is Web Hosting?

Web hosting is renting storage space and bandwidth so that you may publish your website on-line for others to access.

What is Windows?

Windows is a personal computer operating system from Microsoft that has become a de facto standard for individual users in most corporations as well as in most homes.

Can I host my site on Windows?

Yes. Many people choose Windows as their hosting platform. The tools for developing web applications on the Windows platform, like the .NET framework, are gaining in popularity, which in turn makes creating websites on Windows more appealing.

What is IIS, and what can it do for me?

IIS (Internet Information Server) is a Web and FTP Server from Microsoft which is tightly integrated with the Windows Operating System. Microsoft includes in IIS a set of programs for building and administering Web sites, a search engine, and support for writing Web-based applications that access databases.

Why should I choose to host my site on a Windows-based machine?

You will need to choose hosting on a Windows-based machine if you plan on employing Microsoft technologies on your web-site. IIS is the standard for utilising ASP and ASP.NET, and is required if you wish to access Windows databases like MS Access and SQL Server.

What scripting languages are available for Windows?

There are many options available when it comes to writing CGI scripts on a Windows machine. The most common at the time of this writing are ASP, ASP.NET, and PHP. There are many introductions, tutorials, and even sample scripts available on the Internet when it comes to utilising these languages.

Can I get pre-made code for my Windows website?

Yes, definately. There are numerous pre-made programs and objects written for Windows web servers. These programs range from small components that you can build into your website, to full-blown enterprise-scale web applications. Likewise, the price for such software varies from free to very expensive.

What databases are available for my Window website?

There are many databases that run on Windows, but the most prevalent are MS Access and Microsoft SQL. Microsoft SQL is relational in nature, and allows for highly optimised communication with your website. Access databases are actually just files created with Microsoft Access that the web server can read and write.

What is Plesk?

Plesk is an on-line, graphical control panel that automates many of the complex administrative tasks that would normally require advanced technical knowledge on the part of the user. With Plesk you can easily install software, manage databases, set-up mailing lists, and add or remove ftp accounts.

How do I log in to the Plesk Control Panel?

You can log in to the Plesk Control Panel by pointing your browser to https://www.yourdomain.com:8443. Note that Plesk runs in a secure browser session, so it is important that you use https:// at the start of the address, and 8443 as the destination port.

Where can I find more detailed help on using my Plesk control panel?

The are a number of online tutorials available that can show you how to do just about everything with your control panel. They can be found here. Alternatively you can download a PDF manual for clients here. More help is here.

What is ASP .NET?

ASP.NET is the environment that supports developers who use the .NET Framework to develop Web-based applications. The .NET framework is a free download, but development tools are sometimes expensive.

What are subdomains?

Subdomains are an extension of your domain. For example, your site is www.mydomain.com. A subdomain would be members.mydomain.com. Subdomains are usually treated as separate sites from the main domain site.

How do I upload my site?

When you sign up for your Ipera hosting account you will be emailed a username and password and address to use in your FTP program. We recommend FileZilla, a freeware FTP program and can be downloaded from downloads.com. You can also configure programs like Dreamweaver to automatically upload your web-site.

Sales Resources

You can access sales resources relating to Ipera's Windows Web Hosting Service Here