beyonddomaining

I got it figured out (sort of) after calling HostGator.

Here’s the aftermath – hopefully it helps anyone else out there struggling like I was.

I use a VPS at HostGator and everything was working perfecting using wildcard subdomains, but then when I switched over to “Primary Domain” using domain names I would get these Default Web Site Pages like this:

http://domainname.com/cgi-sys/defaultwebpage.cgi

The Domain Mapping plugin was working just fine.

I figured it had something to do with the settings at my Registrar (Moniker) for the A Name vs. C Name vs. Parked Domain mapping options.

So set up three different ‘sites’ on subdomains in WordPress MU and configured each three differently as tests at my registar like so: (1) to use A Name pointing to my primary IP and (2) to use C Name pointing to the main domain name for my hosting account (which is also the main domain name for the WP MU install and (3) pointing to the Private Name Servers I set up for my VPS (ns1.myname.com, ns2.myname.com), which I would then like to add as Parked Domains in my CPanel.

None of them worked. They all brought me to this error page:

http://domainname.com/cgi-sys/defaultwebpage.cgi

So I called hostgator and what they suggested was to change the primary IP address in my account to the next one in line in WHM from Account Functions -> Change Site’s IP Address

So say, they gave me my primary IP address was 189.83.31.32 (this is a bogus IP), if I went into the Account Functions -> Change Site’s IP Address, it allowed me to select the next IP address in line which was 189.83.31.33

Then I had to go back to Moniker (my registrar) and update the A Records to point to the new IP address.

That worked!

I have combed through all sorts of help pages and forums, etc and never saw this mentioned, so hopefully it helps someone out there.

The final question I have, if anyone would like to chime in, is that I would prefer to use a C NAME record to point to my site. This is because say I ever need to move to a new server or change IP address or something like that, i don’t want to have to go back and update the A Records for hundreds of sites.

So I have left the domain name that is set to use the C Name mapping at Moniker as is. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that after a few hours, the C Name mapping will start to point to the new IP address on its own and begin working and then I can just go back and start using C Name records for everything.

In the mean time though, the A Records seem to have worked for now.

I was just told by Otto that:

No, the regular version has been updated to work. The steps for installation are the same.

So, this topic is resolved.