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Helpful beginner-friendly answers about websites, hosting, domains, SSL, backups and online business setup.
Web hosting is the service that stores your website files, images, pages, databases and other content on a server so people can view your website online.
Without hosting, your domain name may exist, but there would be no website content for visitors to load.
A domain name is your website address, such as yourbusiness.co.uk. Web hosting is the space where your website files are stored.
A simple way to understand it is: the domain is the address, and the hosting is the building where the website lives.
Yes. A domain name gives people a way to find your website, but hosting is needed to display the actual website.
You can own a domain without hosting, but visitors will not see a full website unless the domain is connected to a hosting service or website platform.
Most small business websites are suitable for shared hosting or WordPress hosting, depending on how the website is built.
If your website uses WordPress, WordPress-optimised hosting is usually a good option. If your site is custom-built or uses different technology, standard Linux hosting may be more suitable.
Shared hosting means multiple websites are hosted on the same server environment. It is a popular and affordable option for small websites, start-ups and local businesses.
The hosting provider manages the server, while you manage your website, email, files and settings through a control panel.
WordPress hosting is hosting that is configured and optimised specifically for WordPress websites.
It can help improve speed, security, updates, caching and overall website management for WordPress users.
This depends on your hosting plan. Some plans allow only one website, while others allow multiple websites, domains or subdomains.
Before choosing a plan, check whether it supports the number of websites you want to host.
Most small business websites do not need a large amount of storage unless they contain many high-resolution images, videos, downloads, product files or large email accounts.
A brochure website usually needs much less storage than an online shop, membership site or media-heavy website.
Bandwidth is the amount of data transferred between your website and visitors. Every time someone loads a page, image, video or file, bandwidth is used.
Websites with more visitors or large files usually use more bandwidth.
If a website receives more traffic than the hosting plan can comfortably handle, it may load slowly, show temporary errors or require a hosting upgrade.
Optimising images, using caching, reducing heavy plugins and choosing the right hosting plan can help your website handle more visitors.
An SSL certificate secures the connection between your website and your visitors. It helps protect information sent through your website, such as contact forms and login details.
SSL also enables the padlock symbol in browsers and helps prevent your website from showing as “Not Secure”.
This usually means SSL is not installed, not active, expired, or the website is still loading some content through HTTP instead of HTTPS.
If SSL is installed but the warning still appears, check for mixed content such as images, scripts or stylesheets loading from old HTTP links.
DNS stands for Domain Name System. It connects your domain name to the correct website server, email service or online platform.
DNS records control where your website loads from, where your emails are delivered and how different services work with your domain.
DNS changes take time because internet providers and networks around the world cache DNS information.
The process of the updated information spreading across the internet is called DNS propagation.
Website uptime is the amount of time your website is online and available to visitors.
High uptime is important because downtime can stop visitors from viewing your website, submitting enquiries or placing orders.
A website backup is a saved copy of your website files, database and important content.
Backups can help restore your website if something goes wrong, such as accidental deletion, a failed update, malware, plugin conflict or website error.
Important websites should be backed up regularly, especially before updates, design changes, plugin installations or major content changes.
Websites that change daily, such as online shops or booking websites, may need more frequent backups than simple brochure websites.
Yes. Most websites can be moved from one hosting provider to another by transferring the website files, database, emails and DNS settings.
Careful planning is important to reduce downtime and avoid disruption to website or email services.
It can affect emails if DNS or MX records are changed incorrectly during the migration.
Before moving hosting, make sure your email settings are identified and copied correctly so messages continue to arrive at the right mailbox provider.
A hosting control panel is an online dashboard used to manage your website hosting.
It usually includes tools for managing files, databases, emails, SSL certificates, backups, domains, redirects and other hosting features.
FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol. It is used to upload, download and manage website files on your hosting account.
FTP is commonly used by developers and website owners who need direct access to website folders and files.
A database stores structured information used by a website. For WordPress, the database stores posts, pages, users, settings, comments and other website data.
Many modern websites use both website files and a database to function properly.
PHP is a server-side programming language used by many websites and applications.
WordPress, WooCommerce and many popular website systems rely on PHP to process pages, forms, logins and dynamic content.
Updates help improve security, fix bugs, add features and maintain compatibility with modern hosting environments.
Before updating a live website, it is good practice to create a backup or test major changes on a staging site.
Common ways to improve website speed include compressing images, removing unnecessary plugins, using caching, enabling a CDN, updating software and checking hosting resources.
A slow website may also be caused by heavy themes, large videos, poor code, third-party scripts or high traffic.
A CDN, or Content Delivery Network, stores copies of website files in different locations so visitors can load your website faster.
CDNs are especially useful for websites with visitors from different areas or websites with lots of images, scripts and static files.
Yes. Business email lets you use professional addresses such as info@yourdomain.com or sales@yourdomain.com.
This looks more professional than using a personal email address and helps build trust with customers.
IMAP keeps emails stored on the mail server and syncs them across multiple devices.
POP3 usually downloads emails to one device and may remove them from the server, which can make it harder to access the same mailbox across different devices.
If hosting expires and is not renewed, the website and related hosting services may stop working.
Depending on the provider and plan, files, emails or backups may only be retained for a limited time after expiry.
You may need to upgrade your hosting if your website becomes slow, receives more traffic, needs more storage, uses more resources or requires advanced features.
Growth signs include regular performance issues, frequent resource limits, larger databases, increased visitor numbers or more demanding website functions.
Speed, caching and performance guidance.
No. The Content Delivery Network handles caching for you by caching static content until it is purged from the Edge Caching section inside the control panel.
You should avoid additional caching plugins such as W3 Total Cache or WP Super Cache. Website acceleration also helps with optimisation, including image optimisation, JavaScript minification and CSS combining.
Go to the hosting package you want to enable the CDN for, then locate the CDN or Edge Caching section.
Static content will then be cached automatically and served from the CDN node closest to the visitor.
Open the Edge Caching section for the hosting package and select Purge Everything. This clears the cached files stored at the CDN node.
From your package overview, select the package and choose Statistics. You can view CDN traffic, total bandwidth, cached bandwidth, uncached bandwidth, total hits and traffic distribution.
You can also filter statistics by time period, such as last hour, last day or last week.
MySQL, MariaDB, phpMyAdmin and Microsoft SQL support.
MariaDB is a fork of MySQL. The database structure and indexes are the same as MySQL, making MariaDB a backward-compatible replacement for MySQL.
To check the version, go to Manage Hosting, open phpMyAdmin, select the database, open the Query tab and run:
SELECT VERSION();
The SQL file will be uploaded and imported to the selected database.
No. You need to use the database hostname shown inside your control panel, usually similar to:
shareddb1b.hosting.stackcp.net
eWeball hosting separates web traffic, MySQL traffic and storage across different services, so localhost will not work.
Each MySQL database can store up to 1024MB / 1GB of data. If you need more space, you may need to create an additional database or use a suitable Linux hosting package.
You can then manage passwords, users, usage and database access from the same section.
Microsoft SQL Server is a relational database management system developed by Microsoft. It is used for storing and retrieving data for applications and websites, especially on Windows-based platforms.
Microsoft SQL databases can be managed using SQL Server Management Studio. To connect remotely, use:
mssql.stackcp.com
FTP, email and database passwords are encrypted and are not visible in plain text inside the control panel. You can change passwords, and changes are normally processed immediately.
The first FTP account password may be visible on the right-hand side when managing hosting. For WordPress, the database password may also be visible inside wp-config.php.
Transfers, DNS, nameservers, subdomains and domain settings.
Registrars may lock domain names to prevent unauthorised changes. This may show as Client Transfer Prohibited.
If your current registrar does not let you unlock the domain yourself, contact them and ask them to unlock it before transferring it to eWeball.
When a new domain is registered or transferred, it may be subject to a 60-day transfer lock that cannot be bypassed. The lock can also apply after registrant contact details are updated.
This usually applies to generic TLDs. Country-code domains may follow different registry rules.
You can also change the document root if you want the subdomain to point to a specific folder.
The document root is the folder a domain or subdomain loads from. For example, if you have a folder called public_html/support, you can point a subdomain to that folder.
Document root updates can take around 15 minutes.
You can check which IP address your domain resolves to by using the ping command.
ping domain.com
Check both domain.com and www.domain.com, as each can have its own DNS cache.
Nameserver changes usually take 6–8 hours but can take up to 24 hours.
Go to Manage Hosting, choose the relevant package and open Manage DNS. You should see options for Google/Gmail DNS setup.
If you only need mail under your domain, use the Gmail/MX record setup. For wider Google Workspace services, use the full Google configuration option.
FQDN stands for Fully Qualified Domain Name. It is the complete domain name including host and domain, for example:
www.exampledomain.com
To transfer .uk domains to eWeball, ask your current provider to change the domain tag to:
STACK
DNS propagation is the process of DNS changes updating across the internet. DNS zone changes are usually faster, while WHOIS or registry information updates can take longer.
After a domain transfer or DNS change, a website may not be visible everywhere immediately.
A nameserver is like a directory that connects a domain name to the correct IP address. When someone enters your website address, nameservers help the browser find the right server.
eWeball nameservers are:
ns1.stackdns.com, ns2.stackdns.com, ns3.stackdns.com, ns4.stackdns.com
For .uk domains, ask your current provider to change the IPS tag to STACK, then complete the transfer inside your eWeball account.
For .com, .net, .org and other gTLDs, request the authorisation/EPP code from your current provider, make sure the admin contact email is correct, then start the transfer from your account.
You can set up redirects using the control panel Redirects tool or by using a .htaccess file.
For most permanent changes, use a 301 Permanent Redirect. For temporary changes, use a 302 Temporary Redirect.
Mailbox setup, SMTP, SPF, DKIM, forwarding, limits and webmail.
You can access webmail at mail.eweball.com.
Use these SMTP details for WordPress forms or SMTP-based plugins:
If you use another sender such as Google Workspace, Office 365 or Mailchimp, you may need to add that provider to your SPF TXT record.
Default SPF record:
v=spf1 include:spf.stackmail.com a mx -all
Add extra includes carefully so all authorised mail services are covered.
Yes. Add a TXT record in DNS using:
v=spf1 include:spf.stackmail.com a mx -all
This helps reduce domain spoofing and improves email deliverability.
DKIM helps receiving mail servers verify that messages are genuinely sent from your domain and have not been altered.
If your nameservers are with eWeball, the correct TXT record can be added automatically.
Old passwords cannot be recovered for security reasons.
Common causes include incorrect mail settings, exceeded sending limits, wrong MX records or a mailbox being restricted due to suspicious activity.
Recommended IMAP settings:
New mailboxes may have a temporary lower sending limit for the first 7 days.
For SMTP, use port 587 with SSL/TLS enabled.
Outlook can often configure the mailbox automatically using the email address and password.
If you need manual setup, use:
Make sure outgoing server authentication is enabled.
IMAP is recommended. IMAP keeps emails stored on the remote server and syncs changes across devices.
POP3 downloads mail locally and can remove it from the server, which may cause emails to appear on only one device.
Email forwarding sends messages delivered to one email address on to another address.
You can check mailbox usage inside Email Accounts. To reduce usage:
SMTP stands for Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. It is used for sending email from a mail client or website to a mail server.
FTP access, uploads, DNS and connection help.
Common checks:
For Linux and Windows hosting, use:
ftp.yourdomain.com
For WordPress hosting, use:
wordpressftp.yourdomain.com
The maximum FTP upload/download size is 5GB. For larger files, enable SSH access and use a client such as WinSCP to upload over SSH.
If DNS has not yet been pointed to eWeball, use the hostname provided in your hosting control panel.
Typical hostnames include:
ftp.yourdomain.com
wordpressftp.yourdomain.com
DNS records are cached by servers around the world. After the original nameservers update, the new information gradually spreads across the internet. This delay is known as DNS propagation.
Email migration, mailbox moving and transfer support.
You can use the Email Migrations tool to migrate IMAP, Gmail or Outlook mailboxes into eWeball.
Yes. You can run the migration again for the same mailbox. It will only migrate new messages, so it should not duplicate emails already copied.
The tool copies emails and folders across to eWeball. It does not remove messages from your old mail server.
No. Email migration is non-destructive. It will not remove emails from the old mail server or from the eWeball mail server.
No. It does not affect DNS or the ability to send and receive email. It performs an IMAP sync from one server to another.
An average mailbox of around 1–2GB usually takes about 30 minutes, but the time can vary depending on mailbox size and server speed.
No. Mailboxes cannot be renamed once created. You can create a new mailbox, use the migration tool to copy messages over, then remove the original mailbox.
PHP, ASP, ionCube and server configuration support.
For security, some PHP functions are disabled on the WordPress platform, including:
If you genuinely need these functions, consider using the Linux hosting platform.
ASP parent paths are disabled. Classic ASP scripts using ../ notation for includes may not work correctly.
Use virtual paths instead, for example:
<!--#include virtual="/_fpclass/fpdblib.inc"-->
You can enable detailed errors by adding suitable configuration inside a web.config file.
<configuration>
<system.webServer>
<httpErrors errorMode="Detailed" />
</system.webServer>
</configuration>
ionCube Loader availability depends on the hosting platform and PHP version.
Go to:
i.eweball.com → Manage Hosting → Select Package → Switch PHP Version
Version changes may take up to 60 seconds, but are usually instant.
PHP 7+ replaced the older MySQL module with mysqli or PDO_MySQL. If your website still uses the older module, update the code or run an older PHP version on a suitable Linux hosting package.
The sender address must match the domain name of the website sending the message. If the sender header uses a domain not assigned to the hosting package, the message may not be sent.
Yes. Go to Manage Hosting → Select Package → PHP Configuration.
Advanced users can also edit the .user.ini file inside public_html. PHP configuration changes may take a few minutes to appear.
Command-line access, Composer and database imports.
Composer may need to be run with the full PHP path. Example using PHP 7.1:
/usr/bin/php71 -f /usr/bin/composer install
Available PHP versions are shown in the message of the day after logging in via SSH.
After setting up SSH access, use a command like:
mysql -h hostname -u username -p username < databasefile.sql
If the file is compressed, unzip it first before importing.
SSH is recommended only if you are comfortable using the command line. Windows users can use PuTTY; Mac and Linux users can usually connect from Terminal.
Generate or add your SSH key from Manage Hosting → SSH Access, then connect using the hostname shown in your account.
SSL certificates, HTTPS, malware scanning, PCI and security tools.
Yes. You need the following from your certificate provider:
Enter these in the SSL/TLS section of the hosting package.
A Certificate Signing Request, or CSR, is an encoded block of text used by a certificate authority when issuing an SSL certificate.
Keep a secure record of both the CSR and the Private Key generated.
SSL activation can take up to 30 minutes.
HTTPS encrypts communication between the visitor’s browser and your website. Even if your site does not handle sensitive information, HTTPS helps improve trust and browser compatibility.
You can enable Force HTTPS inside the SSL/TLS section.
Mixed content happens when an HTTPS page loads some resources over HTTP, such as images, scripts or CSS files.
Update all HTTP references to HTTPS. In WordPress, an SSL/mixed-content fixer plugin may help identify and replace insecure links.
Yes. eWeball hosting is PCI compliant and uses ISO 27001-approved data centres, helping sites pass PCI compliance checks.
The Website Malware Scanner performs daily scans of sites in your hosting account and reports malicious files.
Timeline Backups take automatic daily backups and store them for 30 days.
If you suspect a site hosted through eWeball is breaching the Acceptable Use Policy or Terms of Service, report it to support so it can be reviewed.
Traceroute helps diagnose network routing issues. On Windows, open Command Prompt and run:
tracert yourdomain.com
On Linux or macOS, open Terminal and run:
traceroute yourdomain.com
WordPress hosting, staging, contact forms, passwords, plugins and setup help.
Yes. WP-CLI is included by default with WordPress installs, allowing command-line management of WordPress websites.
A WordPress staging site is a clone of your live website that allows you to test changes before making them live. It is useful for trying new plugins, themes, design changes, updates and development work without affecting your live website.
Staging helps you catch errors before they reach your live site, reducing the risk of breaking pages, forms, layouts or important website functions.
Although WordPress can be tested locally on a Windows or Mac computer, localhost setups do not always match the live hosting server. Something that works locally may not work correctly online because the server configuration can be different.
eWeball’s WordPress staging environment runs on the hosting server, using the same server configuration as your live site. This makes it a safer and more reliable way to test changes before publishing them.
Sites hosted on eWeball’s WordPress-optimised platform have access to a full staging environment. Staging allows you to clone your live WordPress website onto a staging server, make changes safely, and then push those changes back to the live site when ready.
To use the WordPress staging environment, your website must be hosted on the eWeball optimised WordPress platform.
The cloning process may take a few minutes. Once complete, you can edit the staging website without affecting your live website.
To edit staging site files, use File Manager or FTP. A new staging_html directory will be created, and this is where the cloned staging files are stored.
You can also edit the staging site as normal through WordPress Admin.
To edit the staging database, go to MySQL Databases. You will see a newly created SCSTAGING database, which can be accessed through phpMyAdmin. The WordPress site URL and home URL will be prefixed with the staging. subdomain.
To push your staging changes to the live website:
This process may take a few minutes. Once completed, the changes made on the staging website will be copied to the live version of your site.
You can use form plugins such as WP Forms, Contact Form 7 or similar tools.
You can reset a WordPress password using WordPress Tools:
You can also update passwords through phpMyAdmin if needed.
Yes. WordPress Network/Multisite is supported. Additional domains and subdomains can be mapped inside the hosting control panel, but all domains must point to the same document root.
WordPress is a free, open-source content management system based on PHP and MySQL. It is widely used for websites, blogs and business sites because it is flexible and easy to manage.
eWeball managed WordPress hosting is optimised for speed, security and reliability.
Make sure hyphens in the temporary URL are replaced with dots where needed for the live domain.
The WordPress platform is optimised with built-in caching and security. Some caching plugins are not recommended because they can interfere with the platform cache.
Plugins such as W3 Total Cache, WP Super Cache, WP Rocket and Hummingbird are generally not needed on the WordPress platform.
If you see an Upgrade to PRO message, support can move the website to the Kopage Pro Server to remove the message and provide full access to the Pro licence.
The upgrade process can take up to 30 minutes.
For WordPress SMTP plugins, use:
If you cannot find the answer you need, contact eWeball support and we’ll help you with your hosting, domains, email or website setup.