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all2all

Opening an account

Practical questions about ordering hosting, payment, domain setup, migration and support.

Questions

How do I open a hosting account?

Fill in the hosting order form on the website. We then prepare a subscription order so you can check the selected plan, billing details, domain name and VAT information.

After confirmation, we issue the invoice. The service is activated after payment, proof of payment or prior agreement. For existing clients or agreed extensions, activation may happen immediately after confirmation.

How do I pay for hosting services?

Payment is based on the invoice issued after the subscription order is confirmed.

Each invoice includes:

  • invoice reference
  • structured communication
  • due date
  • VAT information where applicable
  • bank account details
  • QR code for banking applications

Bank transfer is the standard payment method. Use the structured communication exactly as shown, so payments can be reconciled automatically.

I have a billing, payment or subscription question: what should I include?

For invoice, payment or subscription questions, include the invoice number or structured communication when available.

Useful details are:

  • client name or organisation
  • domain name or hosting service concerned
  • invoice reference
  • payment date if already paid
  • VAT or Peppol information if relevant

This helps distinguish hosting subscriptions, domain renewals, one-off interventions and accounting updates.

How do I connect my domain name to all2all?

If your domain is registered elsewhere, you can either transfer it to all2all or update its nameserver delegation. For registration, transfer or DNS-only requests, use the domain order form.

In the standard case, point the domain to:

  • dns1.all2all.org
  • dns2.all2all.org
  • dns3.all2all.org
  • dns4.all2all.org

Usually only the nameserver hostnames are needed. Explicit IP registration is only required for glue records or specific server setups.

For virtual or dedicated servers hosted at all2all, delegation may differ. We then provide adapted nameserver and glue record instructions.

How do I choose a domain name for my project?

Choose a name that is short, readable and easy to say aloud. Avoid unnecessary hyphens, confusing spelling, very long names and names that are too close to another organisation or trademark.

For projects in Belgium, .be is often the most natural choice and is usually the most economical extension in the all2all price list. .eu is useful for European projects or organisations with a broader scope.

The classic .org, .net and .com extensions remain widely understood, but they are usually more expensive than .be. .org fits associations, collectives and non-profit projects well; .net can make sense for infrastructure or technical projects; .com is more general and commercial.

Local extensions such as .brussels and .vlaanderen can be meaningful for a very local identity, but they are niche extensions and the registry price is higher. Check the yearly renewal price before choosing them.

In practical terms:

  • choose the extension that matches the audience and geography of the project
  • keep the registrant/owner data clear and under the project’s control
  • register a few useful variants only when they really prevent confusion
  • avoid buying many defensive names without a clear reason
  • check whether the name is easy to read in an email address

For domain registration, transfer or DNS management, use the domain order form. We confirm availability, registry conditions and the final yearly price before activation.

What is the difference between hosting, DNS, registrar and domain renewal?

These roles are related but separate.

  • hosting is where the website, mailboxes or application live
  • DNS tells the internet where those services are located
  • registrar is the organisation managing the domain registration with the registry
  • renewal keeps the domain name registered for another period

A domain can be registered at all2all while hosting points elsewhere, or hosted at all2all while the registrar remains external. For simpler support and renewals, many clients keep registration, DNS and hosting together.

For transfers, keep the old setup active until DNS, website and mail routing have been checked.

How do I create and upload my website?

Prepare your website files locally. This can include HTML, images, CSS, JavaScript, a generated static site or CMS files.

Upload methods include:

  • FTP
  • SFTP
  • SCP
  • shell access
  • Virtualmin file manager

Place website files inside public/. The homepage should normally be named index.html, index.htm or index.php.

If you are new to publishing

Start with a simple test page and verify it works before uploading a complete site.

If you prefer a CMS, WordPress can be installed from Virtualmin. The installer prepares the database, web directory and application files.

Why do I get a 403 Forbidden error after uploading my site?

A 403 error usually means there is no default index file in the public web directory.

Your hosting space normally contains:

  • public/
  • cgi-bin/

Website files must be inside public/, with a main file named index.html, index.htm or index.php.

If no index file is present, directory listing stays disabled and the server returns 403. Also check spelling and case: Index.html and index.html are different filenames on Linux.

If Virtualmin created a placeholder page, remove or replace the existing index file.

How do I transfer my website to all2all without downtime?

Keep the old hosting active during the migration. Two days of overlap is usually enough to cover DNS propagation.

Preparation

Before changing DNS, upload the site to all2all and test it. Avoid content changes on the old site during propagation, otherwise updates may be lost.

Files can be transferred with FTP, SFTP, SCP, shell access or the Virtualmin file manager. Shell access is available on hosting accounts for advanced transfers.

Testing before switch

If needed, we can provide temporary access in the form of a subdomain such as yoursite.all2all.org. This lets you test pages, databases, forms and media before the final DNS change.

DNS switch

Once the new site is ready, point the domain to the all2all nameservers:

  • dns1.all2all.org
  • dns2.all2all.org
  • dns3.all2all.org
  • dns4.all2all.org

Most changes complete within a few hours, but full propagation can take up to 48 hours.

Administration tools

After activation, the hosting space can be managed with Virtualmin, phpMyAdmin, FTP/SFTP/SCP and shell access.

How do I request technical support?

Technical support is primarily handled by email:

support@all2all.org

Email gives a clear written trace and makes it easier to exchange configuration details, logs or screenshots.

Please include:

  • domain name
  • username if available
  • short description of the problem
  • relevant error messages

Response time depends on the request and the investigation needed. Urgent infrastructure incidents are handled with priority.

Why does all2all charge for hosting?

all2all operates independent infrastructure without advertising, profiling or resale of user data.

Participation fees pay for:

  • hardware
  • electricity
  • datacenter space
  • connectivity
  • maintenance
  • long-term technical development

all2all is operated by Moving Art Studio ASBL/VZW, a Belgian non-profit structure. Revenue is reinvested into infrastructure, continuity and service quality.

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