Knowledge Base
Initial Setup of Linux-cPanel Server
On successful purchase of a VPS or Dedicated Server, we send an email to the customer on their registered address containing details like Server IP, Root credentials and Server Management panel details.
SETUP HOSTNAME FOR THE SERVER
By default, the Hostname of the server is set up as <IP address>.webhostbox.net i.e. 1-1-1-1.webhostbox.net. Kindly note that 1-1-1-1.webhostbox.net does not have a valid A record and hence, you will encounter error while resolving the same in the Web browser.
You need to set up a valid hostname for the server. In order to set a hostname, you need to login to the Root WHM Panel and navigate to the path mentioned below:
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WHM >> Home >> Networking Setup >> Change Hostname
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Here define a hostname, eg. server.example.tld and save the Hostname.
Also, note that for the domain name which you set as a Hostname for the server e.g. server.example.com, you need to add A record for server.example.tld to point to the Hosting server IP 1.1.1.1. You need to add the record in the current DNS of the domain.
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server.example.tld IN A 1.1.1.1
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SETUP REVERSE DNS/PTR RECORD FOR THE SERVER IP.
i. Login to your Control Panel.
ii. Search for the domain in your Control Panel on which you have purchased the Server.
iii. On the Overview Page, scroll down to Server and click on Admin Details.
iv. Here click on the link below Server Management Panel.
v. On the new window, click on Manage PTR Record.
vi. Add Fully Qualified domain name for the IP. i.e. server.example.com
Once you have added the records, you need to wait for 4-8 hours for the record propagation.
CREATING BRANDED NAMESERVERS
Unlike our shared hosting plans, using a VPS/ Dedicated server requires you to use your own nameservers to manage your DNS records.
Here are the steps that you would go through to set up Custom Nameservers.
i: Configuring the Name Server
Log in to your server’s WHM interface and find the navigation section on the left called Basic cPanel & WHM Setup, under Server Configuration.
At the bottom, you will find the Nameservers section.
When you load this screen for the first time you may see that two nameservers, using the same domain name as the server’s hostname, are already in place. If this is the case skip to next step. If there are no nameservers listed here then we will need to create them. Type the name of the nameserver you wish to set up and click the Configure Address Records
You will be returned to the screen as shown below showing your new nameserver and the option to enter the new IP addresses.
You need to have at least two nameserver names configured, so repeat this step to create your second nameserver.
ii: Registering the Custom Nameservers.
These are called Glue Records and it will be done at the registrar level of the domain. Each registrar will have a little different terminology and procedure, but what you need to do is create a host name on your domain name and assign an IP address to that host name. A host name on a domain is the third level name. An example of a host name is “ns1”. Adding this to our domain name we will need to register “ns1.example.com” to the IP address of your server.
iii: Update your domains to use the new nameservers you have set up.
The final step in creating your own nameservers is to start using them by correctly pointing your domain(s). Log in to your registrar and edit the assigned name servers so that it now points at your new nameserver names.
Please note that there will be a propagation delay of 24 to 48 for the changes to get reflected across the globe. So if the downtime is a critical issue for your domain we recommend you make this during a weekend or late at night when traffic is likely to be low.
Now your domain is pointing to your server’s nameservers. You can use the DNS tools in the WHM and cPanel interfaces to modify your zone files!
CREATING A NEW cPanel ACCOUNT
Before you proceed with a new account creation you will need to create a new hosting package which could be assigned to new accounts. This is necessary because WHM doesn’t allow creating new accounts without a package attached.
If you already have packages created, proceed to Step II.
I. CREATE A NEW PACKAGE
i. Login to your WHM.
ii. By default, it can be accessed by filling in your server IP address with a port of 2086 or 2087 to the browser. It should look something like this: http://1.1.1.1:2086 or https://1.1.1.1:2087
iii. When you are logged in you should see a list of available tools with a search bar at the top left side of your screen. Fill the search box with term package and you should now see Add a Package option appear. Click Add a Package.
iv. You will now see a page where you can set the limits, options of this particular hosting package. More information about each resource option can be found in cPanel Documentation.
https://docs.cpanel.net/whm/packages/add-a-package/
v. Once you have everything set as you want, scroll down to the bottom of the page and click Add.
If the package was created successfully you should see a Success message at the bottom right corner of your screen.
** You can create as many packages as you wish with different resource options.
II. CREATE A NEW ACCOUNT
When we have at least one package we can now create a new cPanel hosting account.
i. Go to Account Functions >> Create a New Account.
ii. In this page, you will need to fill in the main information of the hosting account you are about to create. This includes Domain, Username, Password, Email, Package, Theme etc.
iii. Fill in the necessary information and under Package section select the package that you would like to assign to this account.
iv. If everything is filled in correctly, you should see green checkboxes next to required fields. If you see a red cross instead next to some field, please re-check if you filled in the information correctly.
NOTE! These indications are only shown next to some of the fields.
v. Let’s look into Settings section. You can see two options there.
cPanel Theme – you can choose from available cPanel themes here. However, the user will be able to change the theme later in cPanel interface.
Locale – you can choose the default language of this cPanel account. Also, the user will be able to change the language later.
vi. Scroll down and you will see 2 other sections: DNS settings and Mail Routing Settings. In most cases, you can proceed with the values already checked, but we will explain the settings for reference:
DNS SETTINGS:
a. Enable DKIM on this account and Enable SPF on this account – enabling these features will increase the reputation of all emails sent out from that account. So it is always recommended to check these checkboxes.
b. Use the nameservers specified at the Domain’s Registrar – If this option is unchecked, DNS Zone of this account will be created with default nameserver values specified in WHM -> Basic cPanel & WHM Setup. In most cases, this is fine, however if you want the DNS Zone to be created with current nameserver values of this particular domain name – check this checkbox.
NOTE! it is not recommended to check this option if domain is not yet pointed to correct nameservers.
MAIL ROUTING SETTINGS:
a. Check Local Mail Exchanger if your aim is to send emails through the same server where the hosting account will be hosted (this is the default setting and will work fine in most cases).
b.In other cases you would need to look into Backup Mail Exchanger or Remote Mail Exchanger. You can find more information about these options by clicking More next to them.
vii. Upon completion in this page, scroll down and click Create.
Account creation should now start, it will take up to 1 minute and when it is finished you should see a log which indicates all steps of the creation. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and if you see Account Creation Complete!!… message, it means that your account was created successfully.
SETUP HOSTNAME FOR THE SERVER
By default, the Hostname of the server is set up as <IP address>.webhostbox.net i.e. 1-1-1-1.webhostbox.net. Kindly note that 1-1-1-1.webhostbox.net does not have a valid A record and hence, you will encounter error while resolving the same in the Web browser.
You need to set up a valid hostname for the server. In order to set a hostname, you need to login to the Root WHM Panel and navigate to the path mentioned below:
+++++
WHM >> Home >> Networking Setup >> Change Hostname
+++++
Here define a hostname, eg. server.example.tld and save the Hostname.
Also, note that for the domain name which you set as a Hostname for the server e.g. server.example.com, you need to add A record for server.example.tld to point to the Hosting server IP 1.1.1.1. You need to add the record in the current DNS of the domain.
+++++
server.example.tld IN A 1.1.1.1
+++++
SETUP REVERSE DNS/PTR RECORD FOR THE SERVER IP.
i. Login to your Control Panel.
ii. Search for the domain in your Control Panel on which you have purchased the Server.
iii. On the Overview Page, scroll down to Server and click on Admin Details.
iv. Here click on the link below Server Management Panel.
v. On the new window, click on Manage PTR Record.
vi. Add Fully Qualified domain name for the IP. i.e. server.example.com
Once you have added the records, you need to wait for 4-8 hours for the record propagation.
CREATING BRANDED NAMESERVERS
Unlike our shared hosting plans, using a VPS/ Dedicated server requires you to use your own nameservers to manage your DNS records.
Here are the steps that you would go through to set up Custom Nameservers.
i: Configuring the Name Server
Log in to your server’s WHM interface and find the navigation section on the left called Basic cPanel & WHM Setup, under Server Configuration.
At the bottom, you will find the Nameservers section.
When you load this screen for the first time you may see that two nameservers, using the same domain name as the server’s hostname, are already in place. If this is the case skip to next step. If there are no nameservers listed here then we will need to create them. Type the name of the nameserver you wish to set up and click the Configure Address Records
You will be returned to the screen as shown below showing your new nameserver and the option to enter the new IP addresses.
You need to have at least two nameserver names configured, so repeat this step to create your second nameserver.
ii: Registering the Custom Nameservers.
These are called Glue Records and it will be done at the registrar level of the domain. Each registrar will have a little different terminology and procedure, but what you need to do is create a host name on your domain name and assign an IP address to that host name. A host name on a domain is the third level name. An example of a host name is “ns1”. Adding this to our domain name we will need to register “ns1.example.com” to the IP address of your server.
iii: Update your domains to use the new nameservers you have set up.
The final step in creating your own nameservers is to start using them by correctly pointing your domain(s). Log in to your registrar and edit the assigned name servers so that it now points at your new nameserver names.
Please note that there will be a propagation delay of 24 to 48 for the changes to get reflected across the globe. So if the downtime is a critical issue for your domain we recommend you make this during a weekend or late at night when traffic is likely to be low.
Now your domain is pointing to your server’s nameservers. You can use the DNS tools in the WHM and cPanel interfaces to modify your zone files!
CREATING A NEW cPanel ACCOUNT
Before you proceed with a new account creation you will need to create a new hosting package which could be assigned to new accounts. This is necessary because WHM doesn’t allow creating new accounts without a package attached.
If you already have packages created, proceed to Step II.
I. CREATE A NEW PACKAGE
i. Login to your WHM.
ii. By default, it can be accessed by filling in your server IP address with a port of 2086 or 2087 to the browser. It should look something like this: http://1.1.1.1:2086 or https://1.1.1.1:2087
iii. When you are logged in you should see a list of available tools with a search bar at the top left side of your screen. Fill the search box with term package and you should now see Add a Package option appear. Click Add a Package.
iv. You will now see a page where you can set the limits, options of this particular hosting package. More information about each resource option can be found in cPanel Documentation.
https://docs.cpanel.net/whm/packages/add-a-package/
v. Once you have everything set as you want, scroll down to the bottom of the page and click Add.
If the package was created successfully you should see a Success message at the bottom right corner of your screen.
** You can create as many packages as you wish with different resource options.
II. CREATE A NEW ACCOUNT
When we have at least one package we can now create a new cPanel hosting account.
i. Go to Account Functions >> Create a New Account.
ii. In this page, you will need to fill in the main information of the hosting account you are about to create. This includes Domain, Username, Password, Email, Package, Theme etc.
iii. Fill in the necessary information and under Package section select the package that you would like to assign to this account.
iv. If everything is filled in correctly, you should see green checkboxes next to required fields. If you see a red cross instead next to some field, please re-check if you filled in the information correctly.
NOTE! These indications are only shown next to some of the fields.
v. Let’s look into Settings section. You can see two options there.
cPanel Theme – you can choose from available cPanel themes here. However, the user will be able to change the theme later in cPanel interface.
Locale – you can choose the default language of this cPanel account. Also, the user will be able to change the language later.
vi. Scroll down and you will see 2 other sections: DNS settings and Mail Routing Settings. In most cases, you can proceed with the values already checked, but we will explain the settings for reference:
DNS SETTINGS:
a. Enable DKIM on this account and Enable SPF on this account – enabling these features will increase the reputation of all emails sent out from that account. So it is always recommended to check these checkboxes.
b. Use the nameservers specified at the Domain’s Registrar – If this option is unchecked, DNS Zone of this account will be created with default nameserver values specified in WHM -> Basic cPanel & WHM Setup. In most cases, this is fine, however if you want the DNS Zone to be created with current nameserver values of this particular domain name – check this checkbox.
NOTE! it is not recommended to check this option if domain is not yet pointed to correct nameservers.
MAIL ROUTING SETTINGS:
a. Check Local Mail Exchanger if your aim is to send emails through the same server where the hosting account will be hosted (this is the default setting and will work fine in most cases).
b.In other cases you would need to look into Backup Mail Exchanger or Remote Mail Exchanger. You can find more information about these options by clicking More next to them.
vii. Upon completion in this page, scroll down and click Create.
Account creation should now start, it will take up to 1 minute and when it is finished you should see a log which indicates all steps of the creation. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and if you see Account Creation Complete!!… message, it means that your account was created successfully.
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