Website (subdomain?) Question

[Platypus]

I have a website (hosted with Easyspace if that helps).

Currently, typing these addresses into the browser address bar both take you to the www/index.html file

mywebsite.com
www. mywebsite.com [ the space you can see clearly isn't really there ]

Then I set up a sub-domain called 'thingy', so that I have a "mini site" accessible under:

thingy.mywebsite.com

But it turns out that people are trying to get to the mini site using www.thingy.mywebsite.com

So I'd like to have some sort of redirect (could be in .htaccess could be a simple JS redirect, I don't care) that takes browsers to

thingy.mywebsite.com

I'm stumped. Any ideas?

TIA

[TheFaQQer]

apache - redirecting www.subdomain.example.com to subdomain.example.com - Stack Overflow

[vwdan]

I don't know much about Easyspace. On a simplistic level, you need an extra DNS entry for www.thingy, but that'll only take you so far. Usually there's a Website Control Panel for something like "Redirect" or "Alias" or similar.

I'm assuming that thingy.mywebsite.com is a different site to mywebsite.com?

[NickFitz]

I don't know much about Easyspace. On a simplistic level, you need an extra DNS entry for www.thingy, but that'll only take you so far. Usually there's a Website Control Panel for something like "Redirect" or "Alias" or similar.

I'm assuming that thingy.mywebsite.com is a different site to mywebsite.com?

You need a CNAME record pointing www.thingy.example.com to thingy.example.com, I think. (Actually, TF's StackOverflow link looks like it covers things.)

[Platypus]

apache - redirecting www.subdomain.example.com to subdomain.example.com - Stack Overflow

Ah! Thanks (that was quick).

The solution suggests that this code goes in .htaccess

<VirtualHost *:80> 
    ServerName www.subdomain.example.com 
    Redirect permanent / http://subdomain.example.com/ 
</VirtualHost>

But the apache docs suggest that this goes into a config file. Do you happen to know which is correct?

[NickFitz]

Ah! Thanks (that was quick).

The solution suggests that this code goes in .htaccess

<VirtualHost *:80> 
    ServerName www.subdomain.example.com 
    Redirect permanent / http://subdomain.example.com/ 
</VirtualHost>

But the apache docs suggest that this goes into a config file. Do you happen to know which is correct?

It should work in both, if the server is set up to use .htaccess files - they act as a mechanism for extending the main configuration file.

[Platypus]

Ok I'm trying this in two stages.

I've added the CNAME record and now when I go to www.thingy.mywebsite.com I'm redirected to some sort of holding page that says "this domain name has been registered with yoursupportservices.co.uk followed by some sponsored links.

Does the extra CNAME record take some time to propogate, like DNS ?

Next up, if I add this to .htaccess:

<VirtualHost *:80> 
    ServerName www.thingy.mywebsite.com 
    Redirect permanent / http://thingy.mywebsite.com/ 
</VirtualHost>

Then visiting thingy.mywebsite.com gives an "Internal Server Error" while www.thingy.mywebsite.com still gives the holding page

i.e. I can no longer visit thingy.mywebsite.com, which of course used to work. If I revert the .htaccess, it works again.

[NickFitz]

Ok I'm trying this in two stages.

I've added the CNAME record and now when I go to www.thingy.mywebsite.com I'm redirected to some sort of holding page that says "this domain name has been registered with yoursupportservices.co.uk followed by some sponsored links.

Does the extra CNAME record take some time to propogate, like DNS ?

Next up, if I add this to .htaccess:

<VirtualHost *:80> 
    ServerName www.thingy.mywebsite.com 
    Redirect permanent / http://thingy.mywebsite.com/ 
</VirtualHost>

Then visiting thingy.mywebsite.com gives an "Internal Server Error" while www.thingy.mywebsite.com still gives the holding page

i.e. I can no longer visit thingy.mywebsite.com, which of course used to work. If I revert the .htaccess, it works again.

The CNAME is a DNS record, but DNS propagates pretty quickly these days. It might be worth clearing the DNS cache on your local machine.

With the .htaccess in place, do you see anything in the server error log? (I'm not sure if there should be anything or not, but that's usually my first port of call when trying to work out why none of this stuff works.)

[darrylmg]

Ok I'm trying this in two stages.

I've added the CNAME record and now when I go to www.thingy.mywebsite.com I'm redirected to some sort of holding page that says "this domain name has been registered with yoursupportservices.co.uk followed by some sponsored links.

Does the extra CNAME record take some time to propogate, like DNS ?

Next up, if I add this to .htaccess:

<VirtualHost *:80> 
    ServerName www.thingy.mywebsite.com 
    Redirect permanent / http://thingy.mywebsite.com/ 
</VirtualHost>

Then visiting thingy.mywebsite.com gives an "Internal Server Error" while www.thingy.mywebsite.com still gives the holding page

i.e. I can no longer visit thingy.mywebsite.com, which of course used to work. If I revert the .htaccess, it works again.

Where are you creating the .htaccess ?
Have you added an additional document root in your HTTP server config?

I would avoid using .htaccess files if I were you. Much safer to use CNAME records.

[darrylmg]

Also, see here for the syntax:

http://www.inmotionhosting.com/suppo...-domain-to-new