Here is an excellent step by step guide to setting up a new Whm Cpanel Server for Web Hosting Accounts. If you have a dedicated server, then you’ll find this information helpful when trying to get it all configured.

This is a guide to setting up a new WHM/cPanel Server to be used for web hosting accounts. It is intended for web hosting company administrators and dedicated server owners. For under $200 per month, it is easier than ever to manage and run your own dedicated server. You can have guaranteed up-time from your data-center, and outsourced support starting at $100/month. All you need to do is set up the server and get going. Whether it is for a web hosting company or a couple of personal websites, an inexpensive Linux server is powerful, reliable, and easy to setup.

Web Host Manager (WHM) is a common Linux based tool for managing websites on a server. cPanel is a common control panel to manage an individual website. It allows you to add email accounts, view stats, make backups, install programs, etc. These 2 tools are the most inexpensive set used commonly to manage hosting accounts, and you will find them very common in the budget shared hosting world. It usually adds about /month to the cost of a dedicated server but provides most of the features of the more expensive tools.

Whenever you order a dedicated server from a data-center, you will receive a welcome email with details of the server including the server name, ip addresses, and root password. This information will allow you to setup and configure WHM so that you can host websites and use your own custom Domain Nameserver instead of a raw IP address.

The first thing you need to do is the setup of Web Host Manager (WHM). This includes configuring the default Domain name servers, main IP address, and server contact email address.

    1. Login to root WHM (http://:2091)
    2. In the left margin, click Next to run the setup wizard
    3. Agree to the end-user license agreement
    4. Edit setup
      • Server contact email address: info@yourdomain.com This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
      • Default Cpanel theme: x
      • Default home directory: /home d. Home directory prefix: home
      • Main shared virtual host IP: xx.xxx.xxx.xx (should be main IP of server)
      • Hostname: server.yourserver.com
      • Primary name server: dns1.yourserver.com
      • Secondary name servers: dns2.yourserver.com
      • Leave everything else unchanged
      • Click Save

Next, you need to setup the system quota. To do this follows these instructions:

  1. Click Next Step in left margin – system sets up initial quota. No need to wait for initial quota to setup….Click Next Step again
  2. DOES NOT enable names ever. Click Next Step again
  3. Now we need to setup the Resolve. This is specific to your datacenter and the information will be provided in the Welcome details for your dedicated server.
    • Resolve setup:
    • Click Continue
    • Primary Resolve: xx.xx.xx.xx (this is datacenter specific)
    • Secondary Resolve: xx.xx.xx.xx (this is datacenter specific)
    • Tertiary Resolve: leave blank
    • Click Continue
    • Click Next Step
  4. Not necessary to enter a MySQL root password
  5. Click Finish

Initial setup is done, and you should now be able to login to root WHM. Now you can create the accounts needed to setup the name servers that you want to use on this dedicated server.

  1. Login to root WHM again
  2. “Create a New Account” (this is to be the main account: yourserver.com). Do not give this account a dedicated IP…. It will use the main server’s shared IP address.
  3. Under “IP Functions”, click “Show IP address usage”. If only the main server IP is listed, that means you have to add the additional IP address to the server. Click “Add a New IP address”, and enter: xx.xx.xx.xx-xx Leave subnet mask unchanged, and click “Do It”
  4. Click Show/Edit Reserved IPs, and check an IP to reserve it, and enter a reason (i.e. dns2.yourserver.com)
  5. Under “DNS Functions” click “Edit DNS Zone”, then select yourserver.com and click “Edit”. Use the main IP address for the first 2 lines and the next IP address assigned to the server for the third line. A. Under “Add new entries below this line”, enter: server 14400 IN AN xx.xx.xx.xx (leave far right box blank) dns1 14400 IN AN xx.xx.xx.xx (leave far right box blank) dns2 14400 IN AN xx.xx.xx.xx (leave far right box blank) b. Note: The above entries are DNS entries for the two name servers being created, and the sever name dana.hostyourself.com. Once you’ve enter the three entries, click “Save”
  6. If you get an “Error reloading BIND” error, go to “Restart Services” and click “DNS Server (BIND)”, then click YES to restart Bind.

That’s it! Now the server is all setup and ready to host cPanel hosting account with the name servers dns1.yourserver.com and dns2.yourserver.com. Of course you still need to go to your registrar and register these 2 new name servers and wait for normal propagation of 24-48 hours until the new name servers will work.

If this is a server being setup for a dedicated customer, be sure to tell them:

  1. IP addresses of name servers so he can register them with her registrar
  2. Root login information
  3. Login info of main account you created for her
  4. Tell her NOT to delete the main account, since doing so will also delete the DNS zones you setup above
  5. New DNS zones should be added to the old server to help with DNS propagation.

If you follow these simple instructions once you get your server from the data-center, then you will be ready to load websites and hit the internet. With cheap outsourced support companies available and world class data-centers providing under servers there is no reason not to tackle the world of dedicated servers and web hosting for you.

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