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Custom Domain Issues
chuckinsocal
Registered Users Posts: 932 Major grins
Hi Gang, :wave
I'm in the process of changing my custom domain name from old.com to new.com (just to keep things easier). Both domains are at GoDaddy.
I have new.com all set up with the CName Record and A Record all pointing SmugMug.com and everything works just fine after I change my custom url in my control panel.
But, I need to capture all the traffic that's coming to old.com from all the existing links out there in the ether. So, I changed the domain record at old.com to forward to new.com which would then pass it on to SmugMug.com.
But, traffic from old.com is showing up at smugmug still as if from old.com and SmugMug isn't recognizing it because because I have new.com set up in my control panel. Traffic from old.com is winding up at the SmugMug Home Page so I know it's at least getting to the front door.
So, I guess the challenge is to have traffic from old.com show up at SmugMug disguized as if for new.com so the server knows to send it to my site. I thought passing the traffic to new.com, it would be sent to SmugMug as from new.com and no problems. But I guess that's not the case.
Old.com is now set up to forward to new.com. The CName record points to new.com. The A Record has been deleted. When I put old.com back in my control panel as a custom url, everything seems to work fine with traffic destined for old.com.
old.com = www.customrideportraits.com new.com = www.customrideimages.com
I e-mailed GoDaddy.com with the problem and all I got back was a boiler plate response with quotes from the help pages which I had already read and didn't address the problem. I don't think they understand the question.
Any Ideas? :dunno
As always, thanks for your help.
I'm in the process of changing my custom domain name from old.com to new.com (just to keep things easier). Both domains are at GoDaddy.
I have new.com all set up with the CName Record and A Record all pointing SmugMug.com and everything works just fine after I change my custom url in my control panel.
But, I need to capture all the traffic that's coming to old.com from all the existing links out there in the ether. So, I changed the domain record at old.com to forward to new.com which would then pass it on to SmugMug.com.
But, traffic from old.com is showing up at smugmug still as if from old.com and SmugMug isn't recognizing it because because I have new.com set up in my control panel. Traffic from old.com is winding up at the SmugMug Home Page so I know it's at least getting to the front door.
So, I guess the challenge is to have traffic from old.com show up at SmugMug disguized as if for new.com so the server knows to send it to my site. I thought passing the traffic to new.com, it would be sent to SmugMug as from new.com and no problems. But I guess that's not the case.
Old.com is now set up to forward to new.com. The CName record points to new.com. The A Record has been deleted. When I put old.com back in my control panel as a custom url, everything seems to work fine with traffic destined for old.com.
old.com = www.customrideportraits.com new.com = www.customrideimages.com
I e-mailed GoDaddy.com with the problem and all I got back was a boiler plate response with quotes from the help pages which I had already read and didn't address the problem. I don't think they understand the question.
Any Ideas? :dunno
As always, thanks for your help.
0
Comments
I know domain forwarding works, because I have a second url that is forwarded like that.
www.denisegoldberg.com is CNAMEd to www.smugmug.com.
www.denisegoldbergphotography.com is forwarded to www.denisegoldberg.com.
Update - oh. I just read that you forwarded the old to the new. That should work... It shouldn't make a difference, but I have my two URLs at different registrars. I am forwarding from GoDaddy to Register.com which then CNAMEs to smug.
--- Denise
Musings & ramblings at https://denisegoldberg.blogspot.com
When I click on the link to your photography.com, I get to your SmugMug site and the address bar shows denisegoldberg.com. That's exactly what I'm trying to accomplish. But I can't get it to work.
I've tried different combinations of forwarding and CNaming old to new, but old always winds up at the SmugMug home page as long as I have new in my control panel. If I put old in my control panel, old gets to my site with no problem.
I'll probably have to try Doc at the help desk. He's the expert in all this domain name stuff.
Thanks.
Wait! Are you forwarding and masking photography to denise goldberg. Maybe it's the masking that tricks the system into thinking that the traffic is intended for new.com. I'll give it a shot and let you know so then we'll both know in case it comes up again.
www.socalimages.com
Artistically & Creatively Challenged
Do you by any chance still have a A-record floating around on your old domain? If you do, I suspect it needs to be removed.
--- Denise
Musings & ramblings at https://denisegoldberg.blogspot.com
I deleted the A Record at old.com last night. And, masking has nothing to do with it.
I sent an e-mail to Doc at the support desk and maybe he'll have some wisdom on the issue.
www.socalimages.com
Artistically & Creatively Challenged
Doc referred me to http://wiki.smugmug.com/display/SmugMug/Multiple+Domains
which basically states that the daisy chain you have set up doesn't work with all registrars for the reason I suspected: when the traffic intended for old.com passes through new.com, it still retains it's old.com identity so SmugMug doesn't know what to do with it.
There is a plan b which I've been working on but it's giving me fits as well. So I reset everything to how it was before I started messing with it and I'll start fresh tomorrow. If Ida known it was gonna be this big of a pain, Ida never started this.
Thanks for your support.
www.socalimages.com
Artistically & Creatively Challenged
All this frustration just for the want of an A Record at old.com
In case anyone has similar issues, here's the settings at GoDaddy that seem to work if you change domain names and want to capture traffic coming to your old.com and send it to your new.com. This can also work if you want to point multiple custom domain names to your SmugMug galleries:
Set up for new.com
Forwarding: Disabled
A Record
Host: **http://www.new.com** (Lose the asterisks)
Points to: 208.79.45.23 (SmugMug's IP)
CName
Host: www
Points to: **domains.smugmug.com** (Lose the asterisks)
Of course, the Custom URL field in the control panel needs to be updated to new.com.
Set Up for old.com or additional domain names you want to point to your SmugMug galleries:
Forwarding: **http://www.new.com** (No Masking) (Lose the asterisks)
A Record:
Host: "@" (No Quotes)
Points to: 64.202.189.170 (or the IP of the name server where old.com lives)
CName:
Host: www
Points to: "@" (No Quotes)
Note that both my domains were purchased at and are parked at GoDaddy. This may or may not work at other registrars.
I hope this will help someone in the future.
Chuck Cannova
www.socalimages.com
www.socalimages.com
Artistically & Creatively Challenged
208.79.45.23 and domains.smugmug.com replaces the old IP and www.smugmug.com
http://help.smugmug.com
Thanks for the reminder ... I just updated it.
www.socalimages.com
Artistically & Creatively Challenged
1. Sometimes it can take a few hours for the setup to "take".
2. Make sure your CNAME and A record at old.com are filled in properly.
Forwarding: **http://www.new.com** (No Masking) (Lose the asterisks)
A Record:
Host: "@" (No Quotes)
Points to: 64.202.189.170 (or the IP of the name server where old.com lives)
CName:
Host: www
Points to: "@" (No Quotes)
3. Again, this works for me at GoDaddy. If you are using another registrar it may not work there.
www.socalimages.com
Artistically & Creatively Challenged
www.ivarborst.nl & smugmug
I will et you know if it worked! Fingers crossed!
Thank you!