Re: How do multiple domains work?

> I have a client that wants to purchase another domain besides the one he
> already has. How is that done. Do you just point both domains to the same
> server, or is there something more sinister involved?

> TIA,
> Lisa

Theoretically very straighforward:

You have one web site under a domain name www.xxx.co.uk

now you want to register www.yyy.co.uk and when someone puts that in
th browser address bar you want them to actually get the pages that
are under www.xxx.co.uk

So you get access to the administration system or control panel for
the www.yyy.co.uk domai name (usually through whoever it was
registered with in the first place) and there should be an option for
'Web Forwarding'. Here you instruct any requests for www.yyy.co.uk to
actually go to www.xxx.co.uk

Assuming that's done, consoder the person browsing: they enter one
thing and get another. If the second domain name is very different,
many visitors will think their browser has been hi-jacked and will
close it down or run away.

So it is a good idea to ensure that the entry page for www.xxx.co.uk
explains, clearly, to visitors that they have been re-directed. If the
only difference is the TLD (i.e: www.xxx.co.uk and www.xxx.com then
this may not be so alarming so you might not think it necessary.

Or

You can talk to the ISP who is hosting www.xxx.co.uk and ask them if
they use an Apcahe server which they can, if they are preapred to, set
up to 'mask' the URL so that any requests for www.yyy.co.uk actually
appear as www.yyy.co.uk although they pull their pages from
www.xxx.co.uk

Confused...? you will be...

Marten Gallagher

-- 
Annery Kiln Web Design
Delivering Information Effectively
www.annerykiln.co.uk
Web Design and Site Management
Web Hosting and Print Design

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