Running Plesk for one domain - website via IP direct

[spenol]

Is it possible to set up Plesk so that when one accesses the IP of the server directly, you view the website of a specific domain rather than the 'Sitebuilder' installation page?

Essentially - is it possible to view the domain directly without having to go via the domain concerned and the nameserver configuration?

Thank you for any help,

Oliver.

 

[chiefgofor]

Hello Oliver!

I remember the first time I had this question. It bugged me to no end, because I knew it was possibe. Anyway, here is how you do it.

When you log into Plesk, click "Server" on the left side. On the right side, click "IP Addresses". In the "Hosting" Column, click the number that corresponds to IP you chose to user for your site. Click the radio button in the right column that corresponds to the domain name you are working on. Then click "Set as Default". It may take 2 seconds up to a couple minutes for the change to take place, but you will then be able to type in the IP directly to a browser and see your site!

Please let me know if you have any questions.

 

[spenol]

Thanks for the help.

At the moment, I've set up a DNS redirect via no-ip.org to my server. However, is there any way to access the webmail via this route? I've currently got [sitename].servehttp.com pointing to my site - can I access webmail e.g. via webmail.[sitename].servehttp.com or [sitename].servehttp.com/webmail?

The reason I'm doing everything this way round is because my site is hosted on a system behind a router/NAT. I presume setting up proper name servers is not an option for me (with a dynamic IP address - the way I'm getting round this is by using no-ip).

Thanks again for all your help!

Oliver.

 

[spenol]

forget that last message - I think it's just clear I need a dynamic DNS service with wildcards.

 

[jamesyeeoc]

The reason I'm doing everything this way round is because my site is hosted on a system behind a router/NAT. I presume setting up proper name servers is not an option for me (with a dynamic IP address - the way I'm getting round this is by using no-ip).

Your Plesk server's DNS can be accessed from behind a router/firewall. All you have to do is setup port forwarding from the WAN side to the Plesk Server's LAN IP. DNS uses port 53. I assume you already did this to forward your port 80 (http), port 443 (https), port 21 (ftp), etc. to the server....

 

[spenol]

Thanks - is there an easy (and free) way of registering name servers so that my existing domains can be used to refer directly to my server (which is on a dynamic IP).

Thanks again,

Oliver.

 

[jamesyeeoc]

easy (and free) way of registering name servers so that my existing domains can be used to refer directly to my server

Wherever you registered your domain name(s), login to that registrar and find the page where they allow you to create nameservers (not where you assign nameservers to the domains).

Nameserver creation for registered domains is free, all you need to do is tell the registrar the name (ns, ns1, dns1, ...) and the static IP for the nameserver. This will then create the ns.domain.com, ns1.domain.com.... with the IP address(es) you specify.

I have never paid any registrar any fee for nameserver creation. But you must have valid registered domains. The problem you are going to have is that your WAN/public IP is a dynamic one, hence this is why you are using No-IP dynDNS.

No-IP has a paid service for doing what you want, but not a free service.

In reference to your need for wildcard DNS, here is an excerpt from No-IP's service:

Allow Wildcards:

Selecting this option turns on wildcards for your hostname. Lets say you have host llyod.no-ip.com with wildcards turned on. anyname.llyod.no-ip.com would point to the same ip as llyod.no-ip.com. This is useful if you want to setup virtual hosts for your personal web server.

 

[spenol]

that seems to make sense.

Thanks for all your help!!

Oliver.