Website Hosting (CNAME / Mobile Redirect) Assistance

markman3200 · 13th Aug 2012, 09:01 AM

Hello everyone - looking for some assistance from this great community.

I have several clients which I am working with and managing their mobile sites. I am creating separate mobile sites for my clients (i.e. m.client.com).

I am licensing some platforms to build and host the mobile sites - I use different ones based on the clients requirements; however, I would like this to be invisible to the client if possible. As in, my client would be able to go to m.client.com which passes through my hosting account then is hosted on the platform - but then url would continue to be m.client.com even after this.

I was thinking to do this as follows:

1) Client DNS: Add a CNAME record - m.client.com, points to client.mysite.com.

2) My Hosting Account: I have a client.mysite.com subdomain - which I would like to point to my tech platform somehow.

Otherwise - on my hosting account I could create a separate subdomain for each client and CNAME that subdomain to my hosting platform?

So my question is 1) is this configuration possible, and 2) is it possible to have the client URL continue to display as the alias even after it is redirected through my account?

Thanks in advance for anyones help with this.

WillR · 13th Aug 2012, 07:48 PM

You already answered your own question. Use a Cname record and yes, the clients URL will display in the browser but the actual site files can be hosted on your own domain and server. Neither the client or their customers will be any the wiser.

Rip57 · 30th May 2013, 08:06 PM

> 1) Client DNS: Add a CNAME record - m.client.com, points to client.mysite.com.
>
> 2) My Hosting Account: I have a client.mysite.com subdomain - which I would like to point to my tech platform somehow.

I'm trying to do exactly this on my shared Hostgator account. DNS resolves to the correct IP address (according to ping and Firebug). I can see my test website when I address client.mysite.com directly from a browser, but when I try to access it through m.client.com I get the Hostgator 404 page. Any Hostgator shared account users out there who have gotten this to work?

Thanks in advance.

Jay Moreno · 31st May 2013, 04:12 AM

this short video tutorial should help you - How To Setup Mobile Sub-domains… | jumpmobi.tv

Rip57 · 31st May 2013, 07:34 AM

Thank you, Jay. That did the trick. I never thought to use the Add-On domain in HG. I was creating subdomains on both sides and then pointing one to the other.

The one thing I'd add is that if you use a CNAME record on the client's side pointing to your hosted account rather than an A record pointing to a dedicated IP address, that gives you a degree of protection in case your host provider decides to change your IP address out from under you.

Jay Moreno · 31st May 2013, 10:33 AM

Originally Posted by Rip57

Thank you, Jay. That did the trick. I never thought to use the Add-On domain in HG. I was creating subdomains on both sides and then pointing one to the other.

The one thing I'd add is that if you use a CNAME record on the client's side pointing to your hosted account rather than an A record pointing to a dedicated IP address, that gives you a degree of protection in case your host provider decides to change your IP address out from under you.

I hear what you are saying but on the downside of using a CNAME (lol) if i am not mistaken CNAME records respond marginally slowly since two lookups are required to determine the destination - don't quote me on that one though! But that's my understanding

If you are doing this for a lot of clients and pointing them to your own hosting then the CNAME does make more sense on the off chance your IP address does change.

We prefer to add an adaptive mobile optimized layer to the existing desktop site where possible so subdomains are for most intents and purposes not an issue since everything can get served on the same url

Rip57 · 31st May 2013, 11:01 AM

Yeah, good point re: performance. I'm going to need to do some testing before moving forward.

> an adaptive mobile optimized layer to the existing desktop site

How does that work? Are you retrofitting a responsive design or using a script to redirect to device-appropriate pages or ...?

I am starting to see some demand for single site responsive design, but once I present the cost of doing so starting from an existing web site the demand lessens.

It does make sense for customers who either have no desktop site or are willing to start over, because then I can take a much more cost effective mobile-first approach. I'm leaning towards Twitter Bootstrap for that because they embrace mobile-first (especially upcoming 3.0 release) and have functions that allow you to specify which elements are actually presented based on client device. This helps eliminate the "too much information" problem I see with many existing desktop-first responsive designs.

Thanks again for the video link.

Rip57 · 9th Jun 2013, 07:58 PM

> CNAME does make more sense on the off chance your IP address does change.

Well, that off chance happened today. Hostgator sent me an email saying they had migrated my domains to a new/better/faster/cheaper (ok, not cheaper) server with a brand new IP address.

Sometimes I'd rather be lucky than good. :-)

13th Aug 2012, 09:01 AM	#1
markman3200 Warrior Member Join Date: 2012 Posts: 1 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Website Hosting (CNAME / Mobile Redirect) Assistance Share on: Hello everyone - looking for some assistance from this great community. I have several clients which I am working with and managing their mobile sites. I am creating separate mobile sites for my clients (i.e. m.client.com). I am licensing some platforms to build and host the mobile sites - I use different ones based on the clients requirements; however, I would like this to be invisible to the client if possible. As in, my client would be able to go to m.client.com which passes through my hosting account then is hosted on the platform - but then url would continue to be m.client.com even after this. I was thinking to do this as follows: 1) Client DNS: Add a CNAME record - m.client.com, points to client.mysite.com. 2) My Hosting Account: I have a client.mysite.com subdomain - which I would like to point to my tech platform somehow. Otherwise - on my hosting account I could create a separate subdomain for each client and CNAME that subdomain to my hosting platform? So my question is 1) is this configuration possible, and 2) is it possible to have the client URL continue to display as the alias even after it is redirected through my account? Thanks in advance for anyones help with this.

13th Aug 2012, 07:48 PM	#2
WillR Digital Marketer War Room Member Join Date: 2010 Location: Australia Posts: 12,475 Thanks: 1,984 Thanked 8,187 Times in 4,079 Posts	Re: Website Hosting (CNAME / Mobile Redirect) Assistance Share on: You already answered your own question. Use a Cname record and yes, the clients URL will display in the browser but the actual site files can be hosted on your own domain and server. Neither the client or their customers will be any the wiser.
	. ➨ Here's How to Make Your First $177 Online This Week Using the Piggyback Method... .

30th May 2013, 08:06 PM	#3
Rip57 Warrior Member Registered Member Join Date: 2013 Posts: 17 Thanks: 17 Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts	Re: Website Hosting (CNAME / Mobile Redirect) Assistance Share on: > 1) Client DNS: Add a CNAME record - m.client.com, points to client.mysite.com. > > 2) My Hosting Account: I have a client.mysite.com subdomain - which I would like to point to my tech platform somehow. I'm trying to do exactly this on my shared Hostgator account. DNS resolves to the correct IP address (according to ping and Firebug). I can see my test website when I address client.mysite.com directly from a browser, but when I try to access it through m.client.com I get the Hostgator 404 page. Any Hostgator shared account users out there who have gotten this to work? Thanks in advance.

31st May 2013, 04:12 AM	#4
Jay Moreno Mobile+WP = JumpMobi.com War Room Member Join Date: 2009 Location: San Antonio, Tx Posts: 1,270 Thanks: 301 Thanked 449 Times in 309 Posts	Re: Website Hosting (CNAME / Mobile Redirect) Assistance Share on: this short video tutorial should help you - How To Setup Mobile Sub-domains… \| jumpmobi.tv
	Sorry, I am too busy helping people to think of a cool signature!

31st May 2013, 07:34 AM	#5
Rip57 Warrior Member Registered Member Join Date: 2013 Posts: 17 Thanks: 17 Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts	Re: Website Hosting (CNAME / Mobile Redirect) Assistance Share on: Thank you, Jay. That did the trick. I never thought to use the Add-On domain in HG. I was creating subdomains on both sides and then pointing one to the other. The one thing I'd add is that if you use a CNAME record on the client's side pointing to your hosted account rather than an A record pointing to a dedicated IP address, that gives you a degree of protection in case your host provider decides to change your IP address out from under you.

31st May 2013, 11:01 AM	#7
Rip57 Warrior Member Registered Member Join Date: 2013 Posts: 17 Thanks: 17 Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts	Re: Website Hosting (CNAME / Mobile Redirect) Assistance Share on: Yeah, good point re: performance. I'm going to need to do some testing before moving forward. > an adaptive mobile optimized layer to the existing desktop site How does that work? Are you retrofitting a responsive design or using a script to redirect to device-appropriate pages or ...? I am starting to see some demand for single site responsive design, but once I present the cost of doing so starting from an existing web site the demand lessens. It does make sense for customers who either have no desktop site or are willing to start over, because then I can take a much more cost effective mobile-first approach. I'm leaning towards Twitter Bootstrap for that because they embrace mobile-first (especially upcoming 3.0 release) and have functions that allow you to specify which elements are actually presented based on client device. This helps eliminate the "too much information" problem I see with many existing desktop-first responsive designs. Thanks again for the video link.

9th Jun 2013, 07:58 PM	#8
Rip57 Warrior Member Registered Member Join Date: 2013 Posts: 17 Thanks: 17 Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts	Re: Website Hosting (CNAME / Mobile Redirect) Assistance Share on: > CNAME does make more sense on the off chance your IP address does change. Well, that off chance happened today. Hostgator sent me an email saying they had migrated my domains to a new/better/faster/cheaper (ok, not cheaper) server with a brand new IP address. Sometimes I'd rather be lucky than good. :-)