Posted 2 years ago #
Hi,
Can't seem to learn the answer to this. It was asked by someone else but there was no complete answer.
I want to do a multisite setup using subdomains but my host, 1&1, does not allow wildcard DNS on a shared plan.
Is there a workaround to do this by "manually creating" them in the DNS without wildcard DNS? I was thinking that I could manually "point" (via CNAME or something?) each subdomain to the main domain...is possible?
Thanks!
Posted 2 years ago #
Theoretically, yes.
Posted 2 years ago #
Hi andrea_r,
Thanks for getting back to me. I saw you gave a similar reply to someone else, but I was wondering if you could possibly spell out the steps one would have to take to do this? I'm not a total noob, but definitely not a programmer or dba, either.
So, if I have multisite enabled on domain.com, what would I do in the DNS settings in a shared hosting environment to try and set this up?
Thanks!
Posted 2 years ago #
Yes please, detailed instructions would be most helpful, thank you Andrea.
Posted 2 years ago #
I third (?) this. andrea_r, please I, xiabolai and Ambergris75 are begging (or at the very least, pleading) you to make a somewhat step-by-step-like guide for us to follow.
I, for one, have no knowledge at all on DNS, redirects, "DNS pointers" (got this from an IRC chat at #wordpress). Any detailed information would be really helpful.
Posted 2 years ago #
Do you know how to setup a subdomain in Cpanel? that is all you do. Tell it the home folder is your WP folder, not a new one. No dns magic involved.
I'd answered the OP in another thread.
Posted 2 years ago #
If you can not use wildcard dns
*.domain.com > YOUR IP ADDRESS
then just create a record (I use A records) for each subdomains pointing to your IP address.. Not sure is it's the right way but it works...
If you have a control panel (plesk, cpanel, direct admin) you can normally do it in there.
Posted 2 years ago #
But the *.yourdomain.com IS a wildcard.
And it's not just the DNS record. For those who do not have it, their webhost is not putting the wildcard record in Apache, which is also needed.
For those who have it, their webhost already put it in place.
Posted 2 years ago #
> But the *.yourdomain.com IS a wildcard.
sorry I thought we had established that above...
>their webhost is not putting the wildcard record in Apache
not sure why mine works then as I have not added anything to Apache
Posted 2 years ago #
> But the *.yourdomain.com IS a wildcard.
sorry I thought we had established that above...
the users above *can't* use wildcards. They want to know how to put in mysubdomain.theirdomain.com.
>their webhost is not putting the wildcard record in Apache
not sure why mine works then as I have not added anything to Apache
Are you running your own server? If not, your host took care of that part already.
the users above have hosts that will not put this in, that's what the thread is for.
Posted 2 years ago #
the users above *can't* use wildcards. They want to know how to put in mysubdomain.theirdomain.com.
yes I know that, thats why I said
If you can not use wildcard dns
then gave the example of wildcard dns..
Are you running your own server?
yes, so please for every one that needs it, can you explain what we have to put in Apache and where to put it..
Posted 2 years ago #
yes, so please for every one that needs it, can you explain what we have to put in Apache and where to put it..
Hey Alan. Humor me: what is your evironment? Apache2 via Ubuntu? I'm asking because I'm running vhosts on that environment and it'll be easier to walk you through it.
Less so if you're on another setup :) I'm on Ubuntu 10.4 LTS but this also works for Ubuntu 8.05 LTS. Same configs.
Posted 2 years ago #
Do you know how to setup a subdomain in Cpanel? that is all you do. Tell it the home folder is your WP folder, not a new one. No dns magic involved.
Unfortunately, DreamHost uses its own Web Panel to manage accounts. This is what the "add domain/subdomain" page looks like.
When you say "tell it the home folder is your WP folder", do I change the "web directory" (under "fully hosted") to have "domain.com" instead of "sub.domain.com"?
Because I tried doing that and it just refuses to create the subdomain.
Posted 2 years ago #
When you say "tell it the home folder is your WP folder", do I change the "web directory" (under "fully hosted") to have "domain.com" instead of "sub.domain.com"?
You may want to give Dreamhost a call. You don't really want to add a new web host, you want to add an alias to the existing one that you have setup. That PNG looks like it's for setting up new web hosts separate from the existing one.
Posted 2 years ago #
Follow up to that~
I talked to a representative who seemed to know what he was doing. He doesn't know why I can't modify the "web directory" and create the subdomain directly.
What we had to do was park the domain first, then go in and edit the web directory. Seems to work so far. Now I just need to enable multisite (I'm really apprehensive though) and see if it works all the way.
Edit: I just **a* myself. It worked! Hopefully the memory usage doesn't increase so much that DreamHost will kill me for not being on a VPS. Does anyone know if MS is as memory-intensive as WPMU?
Posted 2 years ago #
Hey Alan. Humor me: what is your evironment? Apache2 via Ubuntu? I'm asking because I'm running vhosts on that environment and it'll be easier to walk you through it.
I have Apache2 on centos
Everything works, and that is what is confusing me. I have not added anything to Apache..
I want to make sure I have got things setup right so it doesn't just stop working in the future..
Obviously something needs to be added somewhere but I can not find in the docs what to add where... I have added wildcard DNS if that helps.
Posted 2 years ago #
Everything works, and that is what is confusing me. I have not added anything to Apache..
that was my point, if it's working, then your host added it when they created your account.
Look in the /etc/conf/httpd/ folder for the http.conf file. If it Apache2 they use included and that file tells you where they are.
Find the vhost entry for your main domain. There will be a line that says
ServerAlias yourdomain.com *.yourdomain.com.
That's the wildcard record.
Hopefully the memory usage doesn't increase so much that DreamHost will kill me for not being on a VPS. Does anyone know if MS is as memory-intensive as WPMU?
It's almost exaclty the same code. the "memory intensive" part were some plugins or people having hundreds of blogs on a shared server.
Posted 2 years ago #
that was my point, if it's working, then your host added it when they created your account.
sorry I thought I made it clear, I have my own server and I setup apache php and mysql when I installed the control panel.
I guess that line must be added automatically by the control panel. Thank you for finally telling what it is though, now I can go and check...
thanks
Posted 2 years ago #
just checked and it's not there... now I'm confused :)
I have
ServerAlias www.mydomain.com mydomain.comLike I said it is working.. Perhaps because the domain has its own IP? Should I add the wildcard anyway??
Edit: without the http:// above. the forum seems to add that
Posted 2 years ago #
It's almost exaclty the same code. the "memory intensive" part were some plugins or people having hundreds of blogs on a shared server.
I see. Well, I'm just using it for static content so it shouldn't be that bad, right? Thanks for the information! My nerves have calmed down a bit thanks to you :]
Posted 2 years ago #
Should I add the wildcard anyway??
there might be a wildcard further up letting it through. Might as well add it anyway, it won't break it. :D
Posted 2 years ago #
Thanks Andrea I will give it a try
Posted 2 years ago #
Hi
I created the subdomains, but got internal 500 error. So didn't work. Any ideas.....hertfordshire.educationrecycle.net is one of the subdomains....do I need to configure permissions?
Thanks!
Posted 2 years ago #
sounds like a .htaccess problem. Double check you have got that file right.
Posted 2 years ago #
Looks okay, unless rewrite not enabled....how can I check? thanks!
Posted 2 years ago #
There is nothing under the /etc/ dir. Not a bean.....so no http.conf file. Could be the problem. Damn FVS.....
Posted 2 years ago #
Contact your host, is Apache not running then?
Posted 2 years ago #
Sorted now as my hosting people made the changes to http.conf. Curiously nothing under /etc/ and they haven't answered where it's kept....
Posted 2 years ago #
Using WP3 on new install.
I have similar issue. BlueHost doesn't support wildcard DNS. I created Subdomain in cpanel easily enough and it is live, but I can't get it to show in SuperAdmin panel in WP3. If I can't manage from WP what is the point? I looked in DNS zone editor and this line was created:
http://www.baltimore.goessolar.org. A 69.89.31.155
So why does WP3 not allow me to see it?
I went thru set up of WPMU activation but did not realize wildcard DNS issue. Modified .htaccess and wp-config.php as instructed.
Does all the subdomains need to be created before you activate WP MU features? If so that is a no go and I'll have to find a different host.
I don't need users to create sites on fly, so manually creating subdomains as needed is not a problem.
When I click create new site in SuperAdmin only option is subdirectory. I set Domains not subdirectory option when set up MU.
So if there is a way to get this working at BlueHost sure would like step by step advice. Maybe I have to delete everything and start over. Instuctions warn that can't change afterwards. There is not access to that screen anymore.
Thanks in advance.
Posted 2 years ago #
I looked in DNS zone editor and this line was created:
http://www.baltimore.goessolar.org. A 69.89.31.155
So why does WP3 not allow me to see it?
Probably because the www is stuffed in front of it?
Edit: actually it;s not working becasue requests to the IP show no website configured at that address. There's your problem.
Instuctions warn that can't change afterwards. There is not access to that screen anymore.
You can't change it successfully if you have working sub-blogs. If you messed up the install, you CAN change it.
see the line in wp-config where it says subdomains true? Change it to false. bam, subfolder blogs.
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