Naming Web Sites

Web sites have a descriptive name and can support one or more host header names. Host header names make the hosting of multiple domain names on one Web site possible. Not all browsers support the use of host header names. If a visitor attempts to contact your site with an older browser that does not support host headers, the visitor gets the default Web site assigned to the address (if a default site is enabled), which may not necessarily be the site requested. Also, if a request from any browser is received for a site that is currently stopped, the visitor receives the default Web site instead. For this reason, careful thought should be given as to what the default Web site displays. Typically, ISPs display their own home page as the default, and not one of their customers’ Web sites. This prevents requests for a stopped site from reaching the wrong site. Additionally, the default site can include a script that supports the use of host header names for older browsers.

1. In Internet Service Manager, right-click the Web site and select Properties from the menu.
2. On the Web Site property sheet, type a descriptive name for the site in the Description box.

1. On the Web Site property sheet, click the Advanced button.
2. On the Advanced Multiple Web Site Config property sheet, click the Edit button to assign a host header name, IP address, and port for a Web site.

Note   Because the domain name is specified in an SSL certificate, when using an SSL certificate, you can assign only one host header name to an IP address. However, you can have multiple IP addresses, and multiple SSL ports, per Web site.

Related Topics

• For more information on the use of host header names, see Assigning Host Header Names, Addresses, and Ports in About Name Resolution.
• For the procedure to add a host header support script to the default site, see Supporting Host Header Names in Older Browsers.
• For instructions on how to add new sites, see Adding Sites.

© 1997 by Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.