StartLogic Hosting Plan

Installing a WordPress blog is easy at StartLogic.

While it’s not the usual-Fantastico-procedure, my first WP installation on StartLogic is done smoothly and quickly. For your instant reference, here’s a step-by-step walk thru on the installation process.

Enabling CGI for script installation

If you’re running a new StartLogic hosting account, there’s a big chance that your CGI is disable (default setting). To install any kind of scripts on your hosting, you’ll first need to enable CGI.

WordPress installation

When you’re in StartLogic vDeck main control page, you’ll notice there’s a shortcut named ‘Install Central WordPress’. Click on the icon will lead you to the this page (as below) where you can setup all the basic info for your WordPress blog installation.

Move on by clicking on ‘Install Now’. You should come to a web form by now where the basic blog information and installation path are set here. First, key in your blog title as well as your username, password, and email. Blog title can be changed anytime after the installation; while your username is unchangeable once it’s created. (you can, however, create/delete users inside WordPress in the future).

The “path to application” refers to the URL you wish to install as your WordPress root folder. Leave the folder section blank if you want to install it at the hosting root folder; or, you can name a new folder and have your WP blog installed in that particular folder.

Do note that the system will automatically create a database for your WordPress blog. To setup your database connection manually, click on ‘Use this database’ at the bottom of the page. Click ‘Install Now’ once everything’s set – your WordPress blog shall be ready in seconds.

Nowadays most hosting are dominate by cPanel control interface.

Without doubt cPanel is one of the best control panel we can ever get online but hosting control panel software is not a one-size-fit-all thing. I am sure there are plenty users that are unhappy with cPanel and wish for something different.

Well, if you’re one of those who crave for a different hosting control panel, vDeck/StartLogic is your answer.

Frankly I respect StartLogic’s apprach in being different from the majority and to go with vDeck. IMHO, both vDeck and cPanel are more or less the same and they should be given even attention since both are serving the same industry.

About vDeck?

vDeck is the GUI for hosting server control panel. The system is mainly used for web hosting server management but it can be used as marketing tools and site building tools. For your quick reference, here’re the message I quoted from vDeck official website.

More than just a control panel, vDeck is the next generation in Web site management. With vDeck, creating, managing and promoting your Web site is as easy as 1-2-3!

1. Build Your Site

vDeck is deeply integrated with several easy-to-use site creation tools—choose from hundreds of professional design templates to create your site without any HTML experience.

Available features include:

• Choice of three site-creation tools
• Hundreds of professional design templates
• Design editor
• Content manager
• Graphics editor
• Pre-installed CGI scripts
• Integrated e-commerce solutions

2. Manage Your Site

vDeck makes it easy to manage your Web site, e-mail and domain name from one central location. Take advantage of these vDeck 3.0 features:

• Billing & account management
• Comprehensive FileManager
• MailCentral for easy e-mail management
• Microsoft Exchange Hosting
• DomainCentral for easy domain management
• Install wizards for popular open source applications (such as WordPress)
• Web site statistics programs

3. Promote Your Site

vDeck 3.0 offers access to several marketing services to help you promote your site. Available services include:

• Search engine optimization services
• Search engine submission services
• Free search engine coupons ($30 or more)
• Pay-per-click advertising services
• E-mail newsletter creation and distribution services
• Logo design services

As you might be already aware, StartLogic hosting is using vDeck as its control panel. Thus most hosting operation will be slightly different than the usual cPanel control panel. To be honest I am new to vDeck as well but I find it’s easy to use so far.

Adding a new e-mail address using vDeck

Take example of adding a new email using vDeck, here’s how you can do it in a few simple steps. First get to mail central from the login front page.

Mail central is where you can control all your email inbox configurations. Do note that there’s a catch-all email in default. To create a new email address, click on the ‘Create Mailbox’ button.

On the pop up page, keyin your desired email address as well as its quota limitation, move on when it’s done.

You’ll be directed back to the Mail Central once your mail box is created. If everything goes right, you should see your new mail box listed on the page. Whenever you feel like editing the mailbox setting or adding/deleting the mail box at your hosting, you can always come back here and click on the ‘edit’ link. It’s simple.

Well then, you have a new email address on your hosting now.

There are tons of other blogs and websites tracking on StartLogic’s hosting server uptime. One of the websites is StartLogicReview.org where the web owner normally will post its server performance at his blog.

A quick check on the site revealed the website server (StartLogic) uptime in September.

Quoting the site’s statement:

Startlogic uptime for september had recovered and improved to 99.86% uptime level, very near to the 99.9% service uptime guarantee level. With the average server response time of 0.196second, that is a fast server with good service uptime.

Verifying with my StartLogic hosting performance

The data seems pretty similar with my personal experience at StartLogic as I found StartLogic server is extra stable. It’s almost 100% uptime thru out past two months and I think they have been doing a good job on the server maintenance.

Just a quick note for those who’re planning to use vzPoll feature at Startlogic – the web application is not replaced by Improved Poll Tool. The notice, released on 28/10/2008, is as below:

Improved Poll Tool will Replace vzPoll

As part of our ongoing efforts to provide our customers with the most updated tools available, we will be discontinuing vzPoll and providing an upgraded polling tool.

If you are currently using vzPoll, we recommend you upgrade to Poll Taker, as vzPoll will be discontinued as of November 30, 2008. After November 30, you will not be able to access, edit or analyze polls that you are running with vzPoll, however you will be able to manually remove vzPoll polls from your site.

We regret any inconvenience to you if you actively use vzPoll, but believe that providing an upgraded polling tool will be beneficial to all customers.

If you have any questions, please contact StartLogic support at 800-725-8064.