Yesterday's post basically left off with me musing about opening up an account later that evening or else overnight with web host InterServer. I wanted to get one of my two domains online as quickly as possible. Both had until very recently been websites through a 'baby' account at HostGator, but I severed my relationship with that web host after having an account with them for over a decade.
Note that I was not transferring my websites from HostGator to InterServer. I had wholly abandoned everything at HostGator and downloaded nothing whatsoever of my old database that I had built up with them. Rather, I was wishing to start afresh, using my two domains to become brand new websites.
Even my domain registrars were to be changed, but these would of course be actual transfers. Since one of the domains was expiring later this month of October, I transferred it first ─ from GoDaddy, over to Porkbun.
The transfer seemed to proceed flawlessly, for even the nameservers came across reflecting CloudFlare (i.e., ns.cloudflare.com) where the domain was represented on my account at CloudFlare to benefit from CloudFlare's various enhancements.
In fact, I had originally signed up with CloudFlare in order to get my HostGator websites converted from HTTP to HTTPS, and to be granted free SSL certification as well. I had to do this on my own because at the time HostGator was not making these conversions for its customers. We were on our own.
Well, last night I 'took the plunge' and actually opened an account with InterServer, a web host that allows its customers to pay for their hosting month-by-month right up front instead of tricking them into paying for a lengthy contract by tempting newcomers with unrealistically low monthly hosting rates.
It was my understanding, however, that somehow I was supposed to be granted my first month for the introductory rate of just 1¢ instead of the normal $5 U.S. fee that is normal for a new customer's first month.
That did not happen ─ I got hit for the full $5 U.S.
I also had believed that every month thereafter wold be at the $5 U.S. rate, but apparently that is not so. Rather, it immediately jumps to $7 U.S. beginning with the second month ─ I never knew that. If I saw it explained anywhere, then I failed to pay attention.
Regardless of these two relatively small matters, I signed up, and went ahead to have my website set up so that my domain would be online. I even installed WordPress.
And then I sought to access my website through the WordPress dashboard after being told that the installation was successful.
Instead of being presented with my WordPress login screen, I was met with a 503 Service Unavailable error: "Server currently undergoing maintenance. Webmaster: please contact support."
I then tried to access my website by visiting it just as would any other visitor, and the same error was presented.
My suspicion is that all of this is due to the nameservers that InterServer has stuck me with: dns2027a.trouble-free.net and dns2028a.trouble-free.net. They have nothing to do with the nameservers ending "ns.cloudflare.com" that exist with CloudFlare and Porkbun.
To my mind, it seems to me that InterServer's nameservers are completely alien to my domain; and so as far as the Word Wide Web is concerned, no such website exists. And thus the 503 error.
I have left two queries at InterServer, but neither has yet gotten a response.
This was my last query ─ I think it is as understandable as it is possible for me to make it:
I cancelled my website hosting account of over a decade’s standing at HostGator, and decided to start a fresh website by getting an account at InterServer. This was not a transfer of websites ─ I entirely turned my back on the database at HostGator and abandoned everything.
Let’s just say that there was a sense of affront on my part where HostGator was concerned, and I wanted to be forever done with them. My account’s database was too large (11.4 gigabytes) for me to initiate a backup and download on my own ─ anything larger than 10 gigabytes had to be performed by HostGator ─ and I had no intention of beseeching them for anything whatsoever, not even some help.
So I walked away from that decade or more of work (my last recently published post was in fact over 53,000 words). To be honest, I intended to be done with hosted websites entirely, but I cooled down after a few days.
Anyway, I also changed my domain registrar (it was with GoDaddy) and I now have Porkbun where my CloudFlare nameservers seem to have properly migrated over from GoDaddy.
But my problem now is that my new website at InterServer returns a 503 error whenever I try to directly access it, and the same thing happens when I try to log in to my WordPress dashboard. I suspect this is probably because my InterServer nameservers are their own (dns2027a.trouble-free.net and dns2027b.trouble-free.net).
How do I resolve this? Should I just close out my website’s CloudFlare account and then apply to have my website added again as if it was brand new? Or is the problem one that lies solely between InterServer and Porkbun ─ my website at InterServer should be reflecting the CloudFlare nameservers that are so very clearly being displayed at Porkbun?
If that is the issue, then should I somehow be able to manually change my website’s InterServer nameservers in the InterServer cPanel, editing them to match Porkbun’s CloudFlare nameservers? If so, I honestly don’t see what I would access to do this, for only two cPanel icons display “DNS” ─ I have “DNS Zone Backups” shown in the JETBACKUP section; and “Track DNS” in the ADVANCED section.
I hope this explanation of my dilemma was clear enough in my layman’s terms, and that there is a perfectly simple resolution…for once.
Thanks!
I honestly don't think much attention is paid to customer problem enquiries. Shouldn't it be a simple matter to respond and tell me whether or not I need to change their listed nameservers?
And if they do need changing to match the CloudFlare and Porkbun nameservers, then just tell me where to go to make such a change!
Meantime, I have a website account that I have paid for, but I am unable to do anything with it. I'm paying for nothing.
I am not impressed with InterServer thus far.
I have to take a break ─ I have not had much sleep.
It is now after 6 p.m., and I have yet to hear anything. This time I left a 'ticket' at InterServer instead of posting my enquiry in the comments area beneath two different seemingly relevant articles by an InterServer employee.
My wife showed up mid-afternoon, so I have been left with no opportunity to blog. I am only taking the time to properly sign off here, for my wife appears to be home to stay the night.
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