cPanel FeaturesWeb Hosting
Websnoogie uses industry-standard cPanel hosting. Many local web hosting companies in Omaha do not even provide access to a client control panel. Websnoogie provides a full control panel for all of our clients, and it also makes us #1 locally in the industry. cPanel is a great web hosting service panel that is utilized with the Unix or Linux operating system. It allows webmasters to manage their websites and servers easily right from their browsers with hundreds of useful features. Its simple graphical user interface (GUI) and automation tools make the process of administering a website very easy. Millions of websites running around the world are managed through cPanel, and most of the larger companies have switched to cPanel also. The features range from managing disk space, files, bandwidth, and domain, to statistics, email, backups, security, and many other advanced functions. The numerous features offer unlimited possibilities to manage the website with no prior training. cPanel can function either as a dedicated server or a virtual private server (VPS); the latest version supports the installation of CentOS, CloudLinux and Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL). Some of the most used features on cPanel are:
1. Email Management:
cPanel provides users with the ability to create and manage their email accounts; both POP and IMAP protocols are supported. Webmasters can also auto-configure their mail applications to access emails. Users can create their Forwards and Aliases so that they can send their website email address to another email address or application. Autoresponders and account level filtering helps webmasters and email users to control and manage their outbound and inbound emails efficiently. Webmasters also have the option of setting up mailing lists to send messages to a large number of people at once; this simplifies sending out newsletters or update notifications.
2. Spam Control:
Spam Assassin is an excellent anti-spam tool that is offered free-of-charge to all cPanel users. It helps in reducing the number of unsolicited emails greatly. Another good anti-spam tool which is provided exclusively to cPanel users is BoxTrapper. It requires all email senders that are not whitelisted to verify their email address before their email is sent through; this helps in cutting down spam considerably. Email authentication featuring Sender Policy Framework (SPF) and DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) makes sure that the emails aren’t forged or spoofed to carry out spam or phishing attacks.
3. File Management:
cPanel has a built-in file manager that can be accessed through a browser as a web application. A webmaster can manipulate their host files right from their personal computer. They can also manage files via FTP through third-party applications; this makes it easy to upload and download files. Anonymous FTP access allows a host to make certain files publicly available for download (one must always tread with caution when they make their files available publicly). WebDisk is another great feature that allows webmasters to efficiently manage data associated with their website.
4. Database Administration:
cPanel allows for easy management of a variety of databases including MySQL, PostgreSQL and phpMyAdmin. Create databases, users, control permissions and many other things to access information in a simple manner. A lot of web applications such as content management systems and bulletin boards require databases to operate. Control permissions allow only specific users or applications to read and write to the database. There is even an option to access MySQL databases remotely through external web servers.
5. Domain Management:
This is one of the excellent features of cPanel. It allows webmasters to host a single domain or multiple domains from the same account. Domain parking and redirects can also be taken care of very easily. Webmasters can also use the sub-domain management tool to create variations of their primary domain name. This way, it is possible to create multiple sub-domains quickly without much hassle. DNS management is also an area where cPanel excels through it’s easy to use DNS Zone Editor.
6. Bandwidth Management:
cPanel allows webmasters to allocate how much bandwidth each website uses based on the hosting plans they’ve chosen. The bandwidth stats also make it easy to glance at the amount of data that is transferred. Custom hosting plans can be created to cater to different domains or a group of domains.
7. Website Statistics:
There are many ways in which stats about the hosted website can be viewed through cPanel. AWstats collects and analyzes web traffic information, while Logaholic compiles stats on how the visitors are accessing the website. Raw access logs and analog stats allows a webmaster to see which files have been accessed and how. The statistics tools come in handy to keep a check the growth of the website, or when planning to market the site. Bandwidth stats have already been discussed in bandwidth management.
8. Backups:
cPanel allows webmasters to download a complete backup of the hosted site to their computer. The entire site contents such as the home directory, databases, email configurations, and permissions can be downloaded all at once or separately. Automatically scheduled backups can also be done, but they need to be enabled by the server administrator; contact the hosting provider for more information.
9. Server Management:
Advanced users can control the server directly through command line features. Webmasters using VPS (Virtual Private Server) or dedicated hosting services usually find this feature really helpful. cPanel supports advanced features such as PHP, Perl, Ruby on Rails, Python, JSP/Tomcat and Cron Jobs. Custom error pages such as 401’s, 403’s and 503’s are also available to aid the visitors when something has gone wrong with the site.
10. Security:
A secure website can be an ardent task to accomplish for even the most serious professional. Fortunately, cPanel provides a number of tools to aid security and thwart attacks on the website, while still making it easy enough for the site administrator to access the files. IP Denial, SSL/TLS management, Leech protection, SSH/Shell support, and GnuPG Keys are some of the features cPanel offers its users to increase security. Hotlink protection is also provided to deny other websites from stealing bandwidth.
There is no ambiguity that cPanel offers a copious amount of features. Most hosting providers have cPanel installed by default, but if not, it is very easy to install the software after you get the license. It is very easy to manage a website with cPanel; no extraordinary skills are required. There are also a lot of software add-ons, apart from the ones mentioned above, that can be installed. Running a successful website is very easy with cPanel.
If you need more information on how Websnoogie Web Hosting can benefit you, please call 402-813-4034.
