Want to test new site before switching DNS

[Chad]

Hi! Just purchased a TCH site today, and I'm trying to test some things before I switch my DNS settings over. Unfortunately, a lot of the stuff (like redirects and custom error pages) that I want to test doesn't seem to work -- I presume because I don't have a domain name pointed at it yet.

 

My domain name is already well known to my customers, and I can't afford to have it pointing at a non-functional or only partly-functional site while I experiment. Is there some way to "fake" a DNS entry on my local machine, so I can test it before changing the DNS over?

 

If not, I can always buy another domain name, but I'd hate to do that just for the week or so I'd need to test this stuff.

 

Thanks!

[Lianna]

You can access your site by typing in the address bar of your browser:

 

http://ipaddress/~username

 

Example: http://123.123.123.123/~myusername

 

The ip address was sent to you in your welcome letter.

 

Lianna

[TCH-Rick]

I had pretty good luck by adding an entry in my HOSTS file to direct the site to my TCH address while I was waiting for the address to propagate. That also allowed me to run the cgi scripts I needed to run to get Movable Type set up. Just use the IP address you got in your welcome email. I'm running Windows XP.

[Chad]

You can access your site by typing in the address bar of your browser:

 

http://ipaddress/~username

Thanks, but I had no problem accessing the site. It's just a few features that didn't seem to work with the raw IP address. I've found a work-around -- more below.

[Chad]

I had pretty good luck by adding an entry in my HOSTS file to direct the site to my TCH address while I was waiting for the address to propagate. That also allowed me to run the cgi scripts I needed to run to get Movable Type set up. Just use the IP address you got in your welcome email. I'm running Windows XP.

I tried that, but couldn't get it to work for some reason. Found a work-around for the problem though -- I set up a free redirector through www.cjb.net, and at least one of the features is working as I needed now (haven't tested the other one yet, time constraints). Thanks.

[Kontos]

Hi! Just purchased a TCH site today, and I'm trying to test some things before I switch my DNS settings over. Unfortunately, a lot of the stuff (like redirects and custom error pages) that I want to test doesn't seem to work -- I presume because I don't have a domain name pointed at it yet.

The best way to test your site would be to tell your OS to use the TCH DNS servers to resolve. Since the servers at TCH are already set up the way the rest of us will see the DNS entries once you make the change with your registrar, directly accessing them will make it look like you've already mad the chage. N.B. depending on the TCH server configuration, you may not be able to browse any sites that they don't host, and it isn't very polite to use their DNS servers for recursive queries on a regular basis.

 

If you're using a Windows OS, the DNS server setting is in a different place depending on the version, and type of connection to the Internet you have. In all cases you'll be looking under TCP/IP properties, and selecting 'Specify DNS servers' (or equivalent). just enter the IP address of the SNH servers (which I'm too lazy to look up right now).

 

DON'T FORGET TO MAKE A NOTE OF THE WAY IT IS SET UP BEFORE MAKING THE CHANGES.

You'll have to change it back after you're done testing.

[Chad]

The best way to test your site would be to tell your OS to use the TCH DNS servers to resolve. Since the servers at TCH are already set up the way the rest of us will see the DNS entries once you make the change with your registrar, directly accessing them will make it look like you've already mad the chage. [...]

Interesting idea. I've confirmed that their DNS servers have everything set up properly (I can send mail between my e-mail accounts on the new site already), but all attempts at changing the DNS server on one of my Windows machines just brought up the old site, as if the system wasn't using the new DNS server. I think I've managed to test everything I needed to though.

 

Thanks!