I might have lost my website...

[silverlining]

Okay, I have a problem....My domain is down. This in itself isn't so unusual, it happens once in a while, but this time my webhost's site is down as well! So no way to contact support or to backup my stuff etc! They've been deteriorating for some time and I'm worried they've gone belly-up for real now. I need to find a new provider, but my main concern is my stuff...Is there any way for me to get it transfered to a new provider if my current one doesn't resurface? Or will I just have to start again from scratch? Any advice on the topic is appretiated...

[silverlining]

Okey so...my website appears to be back up at least for now but I'm defenitally fed up with my provider and now looking for a new one and a way to transfer my stuff without having access to my DNS info.

[CharlieChomper]

According to what I've seen when I looked into this and according to the main site that monitors providers/hosts and activities related to them, it appears your host is still listed as "active" (not in the sense of being "up" so much as still existing) and has not been shut down.

However, when they tried to contact your host (according to an automated report posted today), it came back as an error message for reasons that the monitors were not able to determine the cause of even if they were able to determine what the main site for your host was running (which indicates that they were able to get through on some level, at least, and that they are not completely down at the moment).

In terms of transferring your site, I would recommend first doing a complete back up of your site onto your computer before you consider doing so. Also, when you registered your domain, did you register it with an independent DNS or was it all through your host?

[silverlining]

I have the domaint hrough the same host (or well, sister companies). I can't completely transfer since I can't get to my DNS info. At this point I'm about to register a new domain and webspace and make a fresh start (albeit a fresh start which includes moving stuff to my new server from the old one) and letting my old domain expire.

[CharlieChomper]

Unless your host is in some way holding your domain "hostage", you should be able to transfer that over. Legally, they should not be blocking access to the DNS if the domain was registered to you. In most cases, it should only take about a day or two to complete a transfer.

Unfortunately, this has been such a commonplace problem that many complaints have been lodged with ICANN (the regulating body over domains and registrars amongst many other things...) over this. Just as a number of hosting companies and especially registrars (GoDaddy, in particular, as well as Verisign--who has been notorious for any number of things for years now...) have been trying to play upon most people being unaware of the actual guidelines and rules involving domains nor even rights of consumers in such matters and have tried getting away with all manners of abuses.

Regardless, if you do opt for a new domain, you may want to look into registering that independently versus going through a host to do so in order to protect your domain from potentially being held hostage should you opt to relocate it at some point.

[silverlining]

Well, since my current host is uncontactable and my cpanel is missing some features (like "backup") I think transferring would be hard (I don't have all the info/details on the DNS-stuff and the site where I used to go to check it is as I've said MIA). However, I've now ordered a new domain and webspace by a bigger company that has 24/7 support and my mom uses them and has had very little problems. I also managed to backup my files with a FTP-client since the backup in my cpanel is missing. I considered getting a separate domain but I just wanted to get it done quickly so the new site can be up before the old domain expires (7/1 I think). Thanks for the advice though!

[CharlieChomper]

You're welcome