Category Archives: Uncategorized

Adding an IP or Port to the whitelist in cPanel

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By default, free web hosts only open the ports they need in order for all of their server software to function properly. Sometimes though, there are situations that require other ports to be opened (new software, something you’re installing, etc). In these cases you’ll need to ask your web host to open up the port, and explain why you need it opened. Some things to include when requesting a port be opened:

– The name of the software or application you’re using
– The port you’re requesting to be opened
– A link to documentation or a readme on the software or application

The same goes for adding an IP to the whitelist, providing as much information as possible will help. As a general rule, web hosting companies would much rather add an IP to a whitelist as opposed to opening a new port.

How do I generate a CSR / certificate signing request?

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You can easily generate a CSR (Certificate Signing Request) for an SSL certificate through the SSL/TLS manager in your control panel. The generated CSR can be used for certificates purchased from any third party CA (certificate authority).

    1. Login to cPanel for the account you wish to generate the CSR for. Once you’ve logged in, type ‘SSL’ into the top left finder and select the ‘SSL/TLS Manager’

 

    1. Before you can generate a CSR, you must generate a private key for the domain. Select the option to ‘Generate, view, upload or delete your private keys.’ under the Private Keys (KEY) section.

 

    1. You won’t have a private key to paste, so on the bottom of the Private Keys page, you’re going to want to generate a new key for the host you’re installing the SSL certificate on. Your key size should be either 2,048 or 4,096 bits. Unless you are generating the certificate for a specific subdomain (For example, ‘billing.yourdomain.com’) you should generate your CSR for ‘www.yourdomain.com’. This will allow you to secure both ‘www.yourdomain.com and ‘yourdomain.com’ with the same certificate. Once generated, you will be taken to a page which displays your Private Key information. You can return to the SSL/TLS manager now.

 

    1. Now that you have a Private Key generated for your host, you will want to generate a Certificate Signing Request (CSR) for the host. From the SSL/TLS manager page in cPanel, select the ‘Generate, view, or delete SSL certificate signing requests under the Certificate Signing Request (CSR) section. You should now be looking at a blank form, asking for your details.

 

    1. Fill out the CSR form according to your site information. Review to ensure the information is correct, and then generate your CSR.

 

  1. Your CSR is now generated and can be viewed from the SSL/TLS Manager in cPanel. To copy the CSR and provide it to your CA for generating the SSL certificate, return to the Certificate Signing Request (CSR) interface from step 4. You should see the existing CSR generated for the host, simply click ‘Show Details’. Copy and paste this CSR to the form provided by your CA when making your SSL request.