Webmaster forum - Redirecting old IP to new IP

Author

Redirecting old IP to new IP

Jason

2006-08-30, 3:42 am

I just mentioned in an earlier post that I'm switching from a virtual
server to a dedicated server. Oh, what fun! LOL

Anywho, I have a real problem with the local cable internet. They only
update their records every week (or two, or three), so when I change a
nameserver on an account, it works for everyone EXCEPT people using
cable internet. Even emails are a problem; someone using cable internet
emails the client, and it goes to the old server instead of the new
one. After years of yelling at them, they've never changed their
policy.

So, what I'm curious about is this. Is there a script, Apache mod, or
anything else that I can upload to the old server, to FORCE the visitor
to go to the new server? I'm open to anything.

TIA,

Jason

Jerry Stuckle

2006-08-30, 6:43 pm

Jason wrote:
> I just mentioned in an earlier post that I'm switching from a virtual
> server to a dedicated server. Oh, what fun! LOL
>
> Anywho, I have a real problem with the local cable internet. They only
> update their records every week (or two, or three), so when I change a
> nameserver on an account, it works for everyone EXCEPT people using
> cable internet. Even emails are a problem; someone using cable internet
> emails the client, and it goes to the old server instead of the new
> one. After years of yelling at them, they've never changed their
> policy.
>
> So, what I'm curious about is this. Is there a script, Apache mod, or
> anything else that I can upload to the old server, to FORCE the visitor
> to go to the new server? I'm open to anything.
>
> TIA,
>
> Jason
>

Hmmm, I've never seen it take that long. 48 hours max, and the last
time I moved a site (a couple of months ago) everything was moved within
just a few hours.

But I always keep the old site up for at least a week, to be sure. If
it has dynamic info on it like forums, shopping cart, or other things
which get updated regularly, I put a page up on the order of:

"We have moved our site, but it looks like your Internet Service
Provider hasn't found us yet. Please check back soon to see
if your ISP has gotten it's shit together. In the meantime, you
can email us for more information."

(well, maybe not quite that EXACT wording). And the "email" links to
the contact form.

I keep email accounts active for at least that long and have customers
check the old site once a day or so.

--
==================
Remove the "x" from my email address
Jerry Stuckle
JDS Computer Training Corp.
jstucklex@attglobal.net
==================

Els

2006-08-30, 6:43 pm

Jerry Stuckle wrote:

> Jason wrote:
>
> Hmmm, I've never seen it take that long. 48 hours max, and the last
> time I moved a site (a couple of months ago) everything was moved within
> just a few hours.
>
> But I always keep the old site up for at least a week, to be sure. If
> it has dynamic info on it like forums, shopping cart, or other things
> which get updated regularly, I put a page up on the order of:
>
> "We have moved our site, but it looks like your Internet Service
> Provider hasn't found us yet. Please check back soon to see
> if your ISP has gotten it's shit together. In the meantime, you
> can email us for more information."

Or you could provide a link directly to the IP of the new site?

> (well, maybe not quite that EXACT wording).

Indeed, I'd take the apostrophe out of the "it's shit" bit ;-)

> And the "email" links to the contact form.
>
> I keep email accounts active for at least that long and have customers
> check the old site once a day or so.

I never realised some ISPs could hang on to the old DNS info for that
long, good to know for future host changes.

--
Els http://locusmeus.com/

Now playing: Emerson, Lake & Palmer - The Old Castle

Jerry Stuckle

2006-08-30, 6:43 pm

Els wrote:
>
>
> Indeed, I'd take the apostrophe out of the "it's shit" bit ;-)
>

Indeed, you're correct!

--
==================
Remove the "x" from my email address
Jerry Stuckle
JDS Computer Training Corp.
jstucklex@attglobal.net
==================

Andy Dingley

2006-08-30, 6:43 pm

Jason wrote:

> I just mentioned in an earlier post that I'm switching from a virtual
> server to a dedicated server. Oh, what fun! LOL

As someone posted recently, it's like painting and decorating. Most of
the work is in the preparation, not the actual switchover.

In the run up to switchover, reduce the TTL on your DNS while still
serving the old IP. This will make competently run DNS see your change
more quickly, once it finally happens.

Charles Sweeney

2006-08-30, 6:43 pm

Andy Dingley wrote

> As someone posted recently, it's like painting and decorating. Most of
> the work is in the preparation

Sounds like a Mr T one, that!

--
Charles Sweeney
http://CharlesSweeney.com

William Tasso

2006-08-30, 6:43 pm

Fleeing from the madness of the LocusMeus.com jungle
Els <els.aNOSPAM@tiscali.nl> stumbled into news:alt.www.webmaster
and said:

> Jerry Stuckle wrote:

>
> I never realised some ISPs could hang on to the old DNS info for that
> long, good to know for future host changes.

not much you can do about it other than keep the old one active.
Connectivity ISPs are the worst offenders IME.

With a bit of prep (and cooperation from at least one of the hosts) you
can provide enough sticky tape and tie-wraps to make the transition
/almost/ seamless.

--
William Tasso

http://williamtasso.com/words/what-is-usenet.asp

Jason

2006-08-30, 6:43 pm

> I never realised some ISPs could hang on to the old DNS info for that
> long, good to know for future host changes.

I'm in Western North Carolina, and from my experience the problem lies
with Charter cable and Roadrunner cable. I have a rather large client
that has an office in this county and the next county over; this office
uses Charter, and the other office uses Roadrunner.

When they first switched their emails to my account, it took just over
2 weeks for their ISPs to propogate correctly! You can imagine the
calls, because one office couldn't email the other for that amount of
time. The ISPs finally assigned a static IP address to each office,
which solved the inter-office problem, but they still had problems with
anyone else using cable internet.

I had the same problem with another client using Charter internet a few
weeks ago, so I know that the problem hasn't been corrected on their
end; in fact, they refuse to acknowledge it. The site went "live" on
8/10/06, and as of 8/23/06, people were still seeing the old site. I
put in a PHP redirect page, which got rid of the complaints from the
site owner, but I know that emails weren't going through correctly (and
still might not be).

- J