F.A.Q.
Are there any hidden costs, or setup fees?
No, there are no hidden costs or fees associated with having a hosting account with our services.
Will my membership be activated instantly?
Due to the increase of the amount of fradulent transactions TortoiseHareMedia manually reviews all purchases to ensure they are made by the card holder. This has allows TortoiseHareMedia.com to catch fraudsters before they set up an account which in the end costs us time and money. Automation is good but not as good as manual account verification.
This action has been implemented to retain the unbeatable value afforded to you through your TortoiseHareMedia.com membership.
If we have no issues with your payment, your account will be active within 48 hours.
Setup Time?
Shared and Reseller are instantly deployed (after payment verification) using our billing system Where VPS Accounts take upto 12 hours, and Dedicated Servers are 5-7 Day Setup Time.
How long after I sign up can I start building my site?
If your account is automatically approved, your machine user will be created and ready for uploading within 15 minutes of you signing up! If your account is not automatically approved, it will be within at most 24 hours.
It will take a little bit longer for your domain name to actually work on the web though! New domain registrations and DNS transfers typically take 24-48 hours to work while the DNS propogates across the Internet.
Do you have video tutorials?
When you log into your Cpanel will have a "Getting started" video tutorial which will introduce you to some of the concepts behind web hosting and allow you to configure some basic settings for your web site so that you can start bringing traffic (visitors) to your site. The following is explained in detail in your Cpanel under preferences in the "Getting started" tutorial.
How does my website work?
Your web site is made up of a group of files and directories, much like your Documents folder on your home computer. Only in this case, everyone in the world can see some of your files. When adding files to your site, it is important that you add them in the right place. For example, you will need to place files that you wish to be visible on the internet in public_html or a subdirectory of public_html. If you placed them in / for example, no one will be able to view them.
How do I upload files to my site?
If you need to move a lot of files at a time, or find yourself often making changes to your site, you can set up a web disk to easily access your site. A web disk allows you to add a link to your home computer's desktop that goes to our web site's files. This means that you can view the files on your site just like you would the files on your home computer. You can also create an ftp account in your cpanel to upload your files.
How do I signup?
On any page of our site click the "Order Now" link. Follow the on screen instructions and fill out your user information. Once your payment information is confirmed and payment recieved your account will be automaticly setup and you will recieve your username via email.
I have a fast internet connection (DSL/cable) - can I just host my own site?
You could, but that's definitely not recommended. First of all, most ISPs have clauses that do not let you use your internet connection for web hosting - doing so will result in termination of your account. Second of all, think of the headaches it can provide: making sure your system is secure so that no one can hack into it, having your computer on 24/7, and other such problems. Third of all, think of the performance. Most good web hosts use powerful servers with lots of RAM and high performance hard disks. Furthermore, they have multiple internet connections at speeds far higher than what residential DSL or cable service can provide. Lastly there are all the issues of support. If something goes wrong, it will be your job to fix it - you will not have a professional to correct the problem.
Why don't I just go with the cheapest hosting?
A host has to make a profit to continue operating. Some hosts do not properly understand the market, and may be pricing themselves too cheap. At times you will come across deals that are almost too good to be true - cheap web hosting with amazing features! There are hosts that while offering cheap prices do back that up with excellent performance and service, but there are things to be noted:
- Look very closely to what is written in their terms of service (TOS) and acceptable use policy (AUP) documents. Some hosts try to limit the activity of the customer through these two.
- Unlimited bandwidth or space. As explained on our scams page, offering either of those two as unlimited is not possible.
- The quality of bandwidth and the overall performance. Some hosts scrimp on these to give you cheaper prices. Do a self test - visit the host's website multiple times in a day to see that it remains fast loading.
- In general, Windows Hosting is more expensive than Unix hosting.
- Test out the support, and take a look over the online documentation. If you are paying less than $10 a month (which is roughly 30 cents a day), do not expect to receive an answer right after email the host. Many hosts now offer flash tutorials online which can be an excellent way to learn how a feature works.
Just because a host is cheap does not mean that you will receive 'cheap' service, but you must be careful.
Can I host friends' websites?
Yes, you may host your friends. If you want your friends to have their own control panels for their sites, you'll need to get a reseller account.
Can I order even though I do not live in the US?
Yes, you can still order with us. We can host all international domain names and also we accept many forms of payment. There will be one that you will be able to pay with.
Can I run a phpbb forum (message board) on my site?
Absolutely! In fact we've pre-installed it for you.
Phpbb is free, open source software for running a forum. Phpbb runs on MySQL, so you can use any of our plans to run your very own forum on your website using this exciting, highly-rated software!
For more information, go to the phpbb home site, at http://www.phpbb.com
Can I upgrade my plan or features later?
You can purchase new or expanded features, or upgrade to a new plan at any time. There are no fees for upgrading.
Do I have to have your banner on my site?
Rest assured that all sites that we host are BANNER-FREE. It's your site (you're paying us to host it) - we wouldn't dream of forcing you to promote our services! We prefer to earn that privilege and compensate you for it!
Do I need a static/dedicated IP address?
Dedicated IP's are useful if you want to use microsoft frontpage to publish your website before your domain resolves to our servers. This is also necessary if you want to be able to view your site via http://IP instead of http://IP/~username/ before your domain resolves.
Once your domain resolves to our servers, there is no difference between dedicated IP and non-dedicated IP accounts.
Also if you like to use private SSL, you are required to have one dedicated IP to install private SSL.
If you need a dedicated IP, please open a ticket at sales department.
Do you host adult sites?
No we do not host, nor allow hosting of adult sites on our servers.
Do you offer password protected directories?
Yes, using our web-based control panel you can easily protect any directory without having to manually edit .htaccess files. Our control panel makes everything easier for you.
Do you offer Server Side Includes (SSI)?
Server Side Includes (SSI) is enabled on all of our servers. You just need to be sure that you call your files with the .shtml extension.
Do your servers support XML?
Yes, all of our servers support XML.
How long after I sign up can I start building my site?
If your account is automatically approved, your machine user will be created and ready for uploading within 15 minutes of you signing up! If your account is not automatically approved, it will be within at most 24 hours.
It will take a little bit longer for your domain name to actually work on the web though! New domain registrations and DNS transfers typically take 24-48 hours to work while the DNS propogates across the Internet.
Information Needed For SSL Certificate - CSR
We need the following information to generate a Certificate Signing Request (CSR): For the SSL Cert.
Hostname: (this is your domain name with or without the www, the ssl will only work one way or the other.)
Email:
Street Address:
Country (2 letter abbrev):
State (no abbrev):
City:
Postal Code:
Company:
Division:
Password (of your choosing):
Is it a problem if I'm not in the US?
Not at all! In fact, we already have customers in countries all over the world. If you don't have a credit card, we also accept paypal and checks or money orders.
Is there a minimum time contract/commitment required?
You may choose your terms at sign-up. No contracts are required. You may cancel at anytime, there are no cancellation fees.
What database do you offer?
We use MySQL. We have found that our members prefer MySQL because it is a relatively easy-to-use database program. Visit www.mysql.com for more information.
What happens if I exceed my allocated bandwidth?
You will receive an automatic e-mail message warning you that you have reached 80% of your contracted limit. This should give you plenty of time to contact us and purchase more bandwidth. Once you have exceeded your limit, your account will be suspended for the rest of the current month.
What if my site breaks your Terms of Service?
Users' sites may be suspended for violations of policy, or if extreme, or second time offenders, sites may be cancelled. Each occurance is dealt with on a case by case basis, and we try to work things out with every client. For detail, please read our Terms of Service
What if my site breaks your Terms of Service?
Users' sites may be suspended for violations of policy, or if extreme, or second time offenders, sites may be cancelled. Each occurance is dealt with on a case by case basis, and we try to work things out with every client. For detail, please read our Terms of Service
