Getting Started with Runbox Webhosting

Setting up your account

1. Send an email to webhosting AT runbox DOT com, including:
   • Your Runbox username.
   • The domain name you will use with your Runbox Webhosting account. If you do not already own or administer a domain name you will need to acquire one from a Domain Registrar (link to Google).
2. Runbox will set up the Web Hosting account for you manually. This can take up to two business days, after which we will email you the details of your account. The email will look something like this: Web Hosting setup email
3. You will need to update the DNS settings for your domain to point to the name servers for the Runbox Webhosting servers.
4. When the DNS update for your domain has propagated through the internet (usually within a few hours) you will be able to log into your Runbox Web Hosting account from your own domain name (see below for how to log in right away).
5. To manage your Web Hosting account you will log in at www.yourdomain.com/cpanel/ with your Web Hosting username and password (which might differ from your Runbox login details).

You can access your account before the DNS changes have updated by addressing the cPanel application directly. Use the IP address specified in the email you received and add ":2082" to the end (e.g. http://174.133.205.219:2082). You will get a cPanel login. Entering your Web Hosting username and password will get you logged in.

You can preview your web site before changing the DNS settings by entering this URL in your browser's address bar: http://www.runbox.net/~yourusername -- replacing "yourusername" with the Web Hosting username provided in the email that was sent to you.

Once in your cPanel Web Hosting control panel you have a great number of options on what to do. The hosting package includes support for a wide range of web applications (check under "Fantastico" from the main cPanel screen), several web programming languages (e.g. Perl, PHP), and a MySQL database. More about this in the cPanel documentation.

Adding SPF records

To improve the legitimacy of messages you send from your domain at Runbox, you can add SPF (Sender Policy Framework) records to your DNS settings. This will decrease the likelihood of email you send being caught as spam by the receiving service. Please see our SPF help page for more information.

Uploading web pages

If you have some simple web pages that you just want to quickly get uploaded to your site to see what it looks like then here are a few simple steps:

1. In your browser enter: http://yourdomain.com/cpanel
2. Enter your Web Hosting username and password at the prompt.
3. Select "File Manager" from the cPanel screen.
4. Find "public_html" in the left side panel and click on the little folder icon to the left of "public_html". The top folder icon in the left panel should now say "/public_html/(Current Folder)". This is the public folder that is accessed when people enter your domain name in a web browser.
5. To upload files to this folder click "Upload file(s)" in the left side panel. The file uploaded allows you to pick files from your computer (using the Browse buttons) then upload them to the folder (using the Upload button).
6. Make sure one file has the name "index.html" or "index.htm". This will be the HTML file that is displayed when someone types your domain name without specifying a specific file name (e.g. http://yourdomain.com).

Now you should have a functioning web site!