Web Hosting Talk : Web Hosting Main Forums : Hosting Security and Technology : forwarding domains

[Fartknocker]

How can I forward a domain that points to my dedicated server to one that doesn't? I know there are scripts out there I can put on the index page, but those just stink. Is there a way for the server to do this?

I use webhost manager and Cpanel on my server.

Webhost manager has an option "Setup/Edit Domain Forwarding", but it doesn't seem to be working. I point the domains, but they just don't re-direct.

Thanks in advance

[thewitt]

If you can change the DNS entries, you can define an A record for your domain to point to another server.

If you cannot, but you can change the domain entries to change the nameserver, use everydns.net and then define your own new name record.

If you are talking about URL forwarding instead of domain forwarding, where you want to point to a subdomain, or from a particular directory, you can use a redirect command in a .htaccess file in Apache, or a simple PHP script in the directory that does a header "Location: newurl" command.

Does any of this make sense?

-t

[Fartknocker]

speaka da english?

I'm so novice it's rediculous.

Here's exactly what I'm trying to do.

I want www.mydomain.com (which the DNS points to my server) to point to www.myotherdomain.com that is still on a shared server with a different host.

All solutions should be put in "see spot run" format.

[Wolfy]

Edit the DNS entry for www.mydomain.com to point to the shared server instead of your server.

If you dont have control over your DNS then you could use a free or paid DNS solution instead of whomever is providing DNS to you now. Or you can use URL forwarding instead - instructions depending on your OS.

[freakysid]

Rather than using an A record, is not a CNAME record what is needed?

Fartknocker, you need to edit your DNS record for www.mydomain.com and create a CNAME record that points www.mydomain.com to www.myotherdomain.com

ppl, correct me if I am wrong :p

[thewitt]

Originally posted by freakysid
Rather than using an A record, is not a CNAME record what is needed?

Fartknocker, you need to edit your DNS record for www.mydomain.com and create a CNAME record that points www.mydomain.com to www.myotherdomain.com

ppl, correct me if I am wrong :p

Actually, CNAME records are not as efficient as A records. When you fetch a CNAME, you then have to go back to the nameserver and fetch the corresponding A record - so you might as well use A records to begin with.

There is no harm with having multiple A records.

They also make a mess with MX records.

-t

[Fartknocker]

Both CName and A records worked, but it's getting forwarded to my shared hosts main page. I listed the A record as http://www.myotherdomain.com.

How do I fix this?

[Wolfy]

In that case it would seem like your shared host is using 'name based hosting' or 'host headers', rather than your site being assigned its own IP. This is a very common thing to do, but you would need them to configure their server so that requests for your domain on their IP, are actually forwared to your website.