The Basics - New Account Information

This article details the information you need to get your Web site files on our Web servers and publish your Web site live on the Internet. This article also includes information about the support resources and Web hosting account maintenance features you can expect at pair Networks.

Web Server Information

Your Web server name can be found in your Welcome Message or in the Account Control Center (ACC).

Your Web server name has the format username.pairserver.com, where "username" is your main account username.

Adding a Domain Name

Domain names can be added to your Web site hosting account through the Account Control Center. For information on Domain Name Services at pair Networks click here.

Uploading Your Files to Your Web Space

You can use either SFTP/FTP or SSH to upload your Web site files from your computer to your Web server. To learn more about using SFTP/FTP or SSH, visit the corresponding Knowledge Base articles below:

SFTP/FTP
SSH

Making Your Files Visible on the Web

Two of the main directories on your Web hosting account are Home and Web. The files and images that you want to make viewable on the Internet should live in your Web directory. You can access your Web directory from a directory link called "public_html." Your SFTP/FTP program may have difficulty using public_html. If you run into trouble, you can access your Web directory using the path below (replacing "username" with your pair Networks username):

/usr/home/username/public_html/

We recommend creating subdirectories in your Web directory (public_html). One way to create subdirectories is by using the Account Cotrol Center (ACC) by following these simple steps:

1. Log into the Account Control Center (https://my.pair.com)
2. Click "File Management"
3. Click "Web" (under the "Jump to a Directory" subheading)
4. Click "Create New Directory"
5. Enter the new subdirectory name and choose your permissions
6. Click "Make Directory"

Any account level can use the Account Control Center (ACC). You can also manually create directories using the SSH protocols.

In any Web directory, the Web server looks for a default file. A default file is the file that acts as your home page. This file must have one of these names:

index.html
index.shtml
index.cgi
index.php3
index.phtml
index.htm
home.html
welcome.html

Our systems look for these filenames in the order presented above. If no such file can be found, a directory listing will be returned instead. This behavior can be changed. See Configuring Web Settings. Please note that UNIX and Linux, which run our Web servers, are case-sensitive, which means that if you name your index file "Index.html" (where Index has a capital "I") you will still see the directory listing instead of the index page. For simplicity, you should always use lowercase names for your files.

Your Web Site Address

If you do not have a domain name, your Web site can be accessed using the information below.

http://username.pairserver.com/
(Where "usernsme" is replaced with your username)

If you have a domain name, you will have to point your domain name to your Web site files at pair Networks. To do so, you will need to contact your domain name registrar and update your name servers with your new pair Networks name servers. If you used pairNIC (https://www.pairnic.com) to register your domain names, you will not have to do anything except add your domain names to your hosting account via the Domain Hosting Management section of the Account Control Center (ACC).

If you used another company to register domain name, follow Step 4: "Change Your Name Servers to Point Your Domain Name(s) to Your Web Site Files" on the page below:

Point Your Domain Name(s) to Your Web Site Files

Please contact support@pair.com if you have questions about pointing you domain name to your pair Networks hosted Web site.

If you choose Dedicated IP domain hosting when add your domain name to your pair Networks hosting account, you'll also be able to use an IP address to view your Web site. This option is not available if you choose Shared IP domain hosting.

If you are waiting for a domain name registration or transfer to be completed, and you've choosen Dedicated IP domain hosting, you can use your Web site's IP address. An example IP address is listed below:

http://209.68.1.11/

The IP address associated with your Web site is listed in the welcome e-mail message that you received when we activated your account.

E-Mail Basics

If you wish to setup mailboxes, you may do so through the Account Control Center.

For more information about how e-mail works at pair Networks, please visit the e-mail section of our Knowledge Base.

Account Control Center (ACC)

The Account Control Center (ACC) is the control panel for your Web hosting account. You can manage your e-mail addresses, domain name hosting options, Web site statistics, Billing information, and more from the ACC. For a more comprehensive listing of the ACC's features, you can take the ACC tour below:

http://www.pair.com/acc_tour/

Web Site Statistics

If you are interested in how much bandwidth and disk space your Web hosting account is using, you can view this information using the Account Control Center:

1. Log into the Account Control Center (https://my.pair.com)
2. Click "Web Site Statistics"

To find information about Web site hits and other statistics, you can use one of the Web statistics programs we offer: Webalizer or Analog. If you are interested in checking your raw Web logs, you can do so by visiting your www_logs directory in your Web hosting account.

Development Environment Technologies

All accounts at pair Networks have full access to the development environment, and may use Level 1 and Level2 System CGI, SSI, and any custom CGI that you develop (see our system policies for information on the acceptable uses for cgi scripts). You can also use our more advanced packages such as MySQL, PHP, Perl (with many modules), Python, C, C++, Tcl, and more.

Support Resources

Online knowledge base articles such as this one represent our first line of support. If you cannot find the answer to your question, you can contact us via e-mail or the telephone.

If you have a question or problem regarding your Web hosting account, you can get in contact with us at any time. All account levels have 24/7/365 technical phone support. Our telephone numbers and hours are listed below:

+1 877 PAIR NET (Toll Free -- US and Canada)
+1 412 381-7247 (Global)
option 1 -- Sales / New Accounts 8am-8pm M-F (ET)
option 2 -- Technical Support (5 or 6 digit Billing Account Number required -- 24/7 daily access)
option 3 -- Make a Payment / Billing Support (24/7 daily access)

For all accounts at anytime of the day during the entire year, you can receive e-mail support by e-mailling us at support@pair.com.

For important system notices, please regularly visit our System Notices page.

Adding Services and Upgrading Accounts

You can add services to your Web hosting account such as shopping cart software (ShopSite), the pairSIM (pair Software Installation Manager), SSL, SSL certificates, and more via the Account Control Center (ACC). Simply follow the steps below:

1. Log into the Account Control Center (https://my.pair.com)
2. Click "Account Administration"
3. Click "Add Services"
4. Click on the service you wish to add and follow the instructions

You can register and add domain names to your hosting account through the ACC as well. Simply follow these steps:

1. Log into the Account Control Center (https://my.pair.com)
2. Click "Domain Hosting Management"
3. Click "Register"
4. Follow the instructions about registering and adding domain names to your account