SMF For Free Support Forum

This is a detailed guide on how to set up a free .tk domain via http://dot.tk

This is NOT cloaking. Using .tk cloaking on your forum can cause problems with staying logged in as well as a few others. It is not recommended that you use cloaking, but rather follow this guide to get a free domain with DNS Support.

For this guide I will use an example test forum of mine: http://seldomfail.mysmf.com
And I will change it's domain to: http://seldomfail.tk

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Getting Started

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If you are not the administrator of the forum you are trying to park the domain to, this will not work. There is information that is needed from the Admin CP and also steps that require access to the control panel.

First, you will have to register a domain with .tk. Doing so is not difficult. But with the way their homepage is set up, it can be confusing.

When you get to their homepage, there will be a display box in the middle. And a place to enter a domain. Do NOT use this box for your .tk domain. Rather, see the links directly above the box. There is one called Web Domain. Click it.

See picture

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Registering the Domain

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On the page it brings you to (the picture above), you will need to type the domain name you wish to have.

I typed "seldomfail" in the box because my URL will be seldomfail.tk.

After you have typed your desired URL name in the box, click next

Choose Free Domain and then click next

The page it will bring you to, will ask for your domain and if you want to use DNS support.

Click the button that says Use DNS for this domain

See picture

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Nameservers

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When you click that button, the page will change and you will see 4 boxes appear.

But there is also a bubble to check next to Use my own DNS services (check that)

To setup the nameservers you have to set the "Name Server" to ns1.yourdomain.tk and ns2.yourdomain.tk

And then you will need to go to your forum. Go to Admin CP > Domain Manager (See picture to find IP addresses)

There you will find 2 IP addresses (if you notice, they ARE the same) copy that IP address. The IP address will go in the boxes to the right labeled "IP address"

See picture

After you have done this, go down the page.

Put your email address in the box where it asks for your email. It is very important that you can access this email and/or use it frequently because you WILL have to activate your domain through a confirmation email.

Then click next

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Account Registration

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If you already have an account with the email you provided, it will just ask you for a password.

If you do not have an account, you will be redirected to a page where you can sign up. (don't worry. It's still free)

And then you're done with your domain registration! woo hoo! but.. we aren't done yet

See Picture

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Domain Confirmation

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You should get the email fairly quickly. Remember to check your spam folder also (Yahoo tags it as spam)

See Picture

Like any confirmation, you'll need to copy the confirmation code toward the top of the email you'll be sent. And then go to the link and put the code in the confirmation box.

This will activate your domain. If you do not do this, your domain will not work

After you confirm it, you will get a page that says your domain has been activated.

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Parking the Domain

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Now we go back to our domain manager (Admin CP > Domain Manager)

And we put the domain we registered in the text box for the domain.

See Picture

After you've entered your domain, click Park Domain

You will now see more text appear at the bottom of that page.

It will look like this: See Picture

It will take anywhere from 3 to 48 hours to make the DNS changes. So periodically click VERIFY URL. When you see a black 1 at the top, you can click Update Forum URL

The page will look like this: See Picture



After you've done that, it will change your domain to the .tk domain you've chosen. Don't worry though, if someone goes to the original longform domain of your forum, they'll be redirected to the new one.

If you have any questions, please post them in this topic.

http://thecowbell.freesmfhosting.com

... and the only prescription is MORE COWBELL!!!!!

So, I miss running a forum. My old forum was pretty awesome and we had over 100 members and then all of the sudden, my life got busy and it died. But now I have no life again hahaha.

So seriously, this is gonna be awesome. It's in the construction/building phase right now, but it will get going soon

Knowing me, I'll go way overboard with this and work at it day and night to make it the best and friendliest forum on the web. Ask anyone from my old one lol

So click the link above or this gigantic, over-sized, unnecessary, annoying, eye-catching link below

THE COWBELL

When you try going to a site that doesn't exist you get the "Sorry forum not found page" right?

Ok well if you stay there for like 5 seconds it redirects to a youtube video and starts playing music loudly. Or goes to a bunch of advertisements. And they're the ones that when you click X it says "are you sure?"

VERY annoying. Any way we can get rid of that? I don't even what the possibility of a virus.

Pictures expressed as links.

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Purchasing Your Domain

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Go to http://godaddy.com

When you get there, you will see this screen (or something close to it, depending on how often they change their style): http://i53.tinypic.com/xlcf4p.jpg

Enter a domain name you would like to purchase into the search box and click "Search"

When you do so, you will be directed to this page: http://i53.tinypic.com/16ady8k.jpg

It will tell you whether the domain is available or not. Check the domain you'd like and then click either of the "Continue to Registration >" buttons.

It will then take you to this page: http://i51.tinypic.com/2cp59mt.jpg

If you do not already have an account with GoDaddy, you will need to register. If an account is already set up, you can just login.

The other things on that page are pretty self explanatory and are their way of getting you to view all of the options that they can sell you with the domain.

The rest I can't show you unless I actually purchase the example domain. It will ask for your credit card information and other stuff for your account. Register all of that and then purchase the domain. If you get confused with anything, you can PM me screenshots or post them here (making sure no personal information is visible) and I or someone here will do our best to help you through it.

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Setting Up Nameservers

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Login to Godaddy
Click Domain Manager on the menu on the left under "My Products".
You'll see your domain name on the next page  -  Click on it.

STEP 1:

Scroll down to the bottom left of the page to Host Summary.
Click the (add) link.
(see image below)
For Hostname put:  NS1
Directly under that put the IP Number
(you'll find the IP Number in Admin > Domain Manager)
Click OK

Click (add) again
This time put NS2 for the hostname
Click OK




STEP 2:

Click on the Nameservers button on the toolbar then select Set Nameservers
(see image below)
Put a checkmark in I have specific nameservers for my domains.
If it is not already there enter ns1.your domain name and ns2.your domain name
Click OK



That's it at Godaddy!

FINAL STEP:

Wait at least 24 hours and then go back to the Domain Manager on your forum.
In the text box near the bottom, put your domain in and click "Park Domain"

This will appear below it:

yourdomainname.com VERIFY URL click on verify link if you see 1 you can update the url. Update Forum Url

DO NOT CLICK UPDATE FORUM URL YET.

Wait AT LEAST 24 hours. Then, every few hours, click "Verify URL". It will take you to a GoDaddy page most of the time. When it takes you to a blank page with a 1 in the top left corner, you can THEN click "Update Forum URL"

Congratulations. You now have your own domain. If you have any questions, comments, suggestions, etc. Please post them

I'm having trouble loading certain links.

I can't go to:

http://smfsupport.com/support

but I can get to:

http://smfsupport.com/support/index.php


It loads the info center and then stops.

Same thing for recent post links in the boards. Tested on other sites and it works fine. CAF, my SMF For Free forum, and other sites such as facebook. So it's not my internet connection.

I am temporarily leaving the forum.

I am going on vacation through time. And will be back sometime last week.