Is cPanel the Best Control Panel?

Web hosting has taken the internet by storm with hundreds of companies offering service.  Hosting packages come with a plethora features, all of which are used to create and enhance the presence of your site.  Control panels are an essential part of web hosting as this software is what gives you the power to maintain a website.  cPanel is perhaps the most widely used control panel application, but is the best?  Lets have a look.

The control panel has become standard in the web hosting industry.  Despite it’s level of importance, not all control panels are created equal.  Some companies provide software that is less than stellar with minimal capability.  cPanel however, is far from the traditional control panel.  It offers an intuitive interface that is easy to use by webmasters at any level of experience.   This extraordinary program gives you the power to effectively manage your site from any computer that has an internet connection.  You’ll save a lot of time as domains, sub-domains and email accounts can be created in a matter of minutes.  Because cPanel interacts directly with the server, most the of the adjustments made are displayed right before you.

Features

cPanel is well known as a control panel packed with features.  While different versions of the program come with different features, here are some of the common perks you’ll enjoy with any cPanel program:

Mail - the mail feature allows you to create, add, and remove email accounts.  It also includes additional features such as autoresponders and email forwarding which allows you to automate your business and remain in close quarters with your clients.

Cron Jobs - Cron Jobs are easily configured with cPanel.  This comes in handy when you want your web pages and scripts to automatically run at predetermined intervals.

Database management - cPanel gives you the ability effectively manage all the MySQL databases that come included with your hosting account.  Databases are an essential part of any website using back-end scripts such as blogging software and chat rooms.  cPanel allows you to create and manage databases with a few simple clicks of the mouse.

Web statistics - when hosting with cPanel, you gain ccess to a variety of programs that allow you to view the statistics of your website.  It comes with comprehensive applications such as Webalizer and Awstats which display your statistics in easy to read charts and graphs.  This will help you to learn how visitors found your site and works as a great marketing tool.

Fantastico - the Fantastico script installer is perhaps the main attraction of cPanel.  This powerful application allows you to enhance the presence and functionality of your website in a number of different ways.  Fantastico comes included with a variety of scripts such as the WordPress blogging software and popular content management systems like Drupal, Joomla and PHPBB.

cPanel is a very capable control panel and offers many features to enhance your web hosting experience.  Is it the best control panel on the market?  That remains questionable.  This program has stiff competition in software like Plesk, DirectAdmin and V-Deck, all of which are very reliable as well.  While there may not be a decisive winner, cPanel is indeed a control panel that provides everything needed to build a dynamic website and a presence that’s sure to stand out with the best of them.

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Sep 03, 2008 : Control Panels No responses yet

cPanel - Webalizer Tutorial

Webalizer is an efficient feature found within the cPanel control panel. This application is very capable and provides a GUI (Graphical User Interface) to analyze the statistics of your website. Not only does it detail the traffic generated, but it also displays them in comprehensive charts and graphs. This program alone makes cPanel one of the most efficient control panels available today.

Accessing Webalizer

To access the Webalizer program, you must first log into cPanel. From there you need to look for the icon labeled “Statistics”. Once you click on this icon, you will be directed to a page that includes the following choices:

• Analog

• Webalizer

• Subdomain Stats

• Latest Visitors

• Bandwidth

• Error Log

Of course you want to click on the “Webalizer” link. When the page loads, you will see a double-column table that says “Select A Domain”. This table contains the following categories:

- Domain - this area is composed of the domains that are currently associated to your web hosting account.

- View - when clicking on the “magnifying glass” icon of this category you will then be able to see the web statistics associated with your primary domain.

After selecting the domain you would like to view statistics for, a new page loads displaying a “Usage Summary”. Here you will find a graphical chart with the amount of activity for your web pages and files viewed, hits, visits and visiting web sites over the last twelve months. If your domain and website have not been active for a full year, Webalizer will only display activity for the appropriate months.

A second chart displays a “Summary by Month” log for the past twelve months. Similar to the first chart, this one will only display the appropriate months if your domain and website has not been active for a full year. It does differ from the fist chart by only displaying the actual number of hits, files, pages and files viewed, visits and visiting sites opposed to a graphical representation. To view statistics, simply click on any month listed in the appropriate column. Once the page loads, it will display the following links:

- Daily Statistics - displays both a bar and numbers chart that represents the number of hits, files and pages viewed, visits and more.

- Hourly Statistics - displays both a bar and numbers chart that represents the number of hits, files and pages viewed, visits and more

- URLs - displays a table with top links accessed on your website which includes hits and kilobytes associated with the URL

- Entry - displays a table with the top entry pages accessed on your website which includes hits and kilobytes associated with the URL

- Exit - displays a table with the top entry pages accessed on your website which includes hits and kilobytes associated with the URL

- Sites - displays a table with the top visitors or web hosting servers used to access your site which includes hits and kilobytes associated with their server

- Referrers - displays a table of referrers or URLs used when accessing your website which includes hits related to the referrer or URL

- Search - displays a table of top keywords visitors used to access your website through a search engine

- Agents - displays a table of top browsers such as Internet Explorer or FireFox along with the type of operating system used when accessing your website. This also includes hit associated with those entities

- Countries - displays a table of a specific country’s top visitors that accessed your website which includes hits and kilobytes associated with that country

Webalizer is without a doubt one of cPanel’s most effective features. It allows you to analyze the status of your website and make improvements where ever needed to enhance marketing efforts and it’s overall success.

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Jul 14, 2008 : cPanel Tutorials No responses yet

Webalizer WebStats - cPanel Tutorial Ch.12

Webilizer is another effective component found in your cPanel.  Just like the Analog feature it acts as a very capable web statistic application.  It differs from both Analog and Awstats by way of its enhancements.  Webilizer is described as a highly complex graphic based application that will not only detail the traffic generated to your site, but also produce them in appealing charts and graphs.  With or without cPanel, Webilizer is one of the most frequently used web stat engines today.

ACCESSING WEBALIZER

You will access the Webalizer application by logging into your cPanel.  >From there you will find the icon labeled “Web/FTP statistics.  After clicking the icon you will be directed to a page with the following choices:

- Analog
- Webalizer
- Subdomain Stats
- Latest Visitors
- Bandwidth
- Error Log

You will click on “Webalizer” to access the application.  Once the Webalizer stats page loads 
you will notice a double column table that reads “Select A Domain”.  This table will be composed of the following:

Domain: Area that holds the domains you have registered on the web site.
View: By clicking on the “magnifying glass” icon in this section you will be able to view web statistics associated with your domain

After choosing the domain you would like to view you will find a “Usage Summary” on the next page.  This page will show you the level of activity for your pages, files, hits, visits and websites over the past twelve months.  If your site and domain haven’t been active for a full year then Webilizer will only display the appropriate amount of months.  

A second chart will display a “Summary by Month” for the last twelve months of your website.  Like in the first chart, if your site and domain have not been active for a full year, Webilizer will only display the appropriate months.  This chart differs from the first as it shows actual figures for the number of hits, files, pages, visits and sites opposed to the graphical chart representation of the data.

To view some of your web stats simply click on any available month in the appropriate column.  After the page loads you will notice the following available links:

- Daily Statistics: This shows a bar chart and numbers chart which represents your hits, files, pages, visits and more.
- Hourly Statistics: This also displays a bar chart and numbers chart that represents your hits, files, pages, visits etc. 
- URLs: This table details top links accessed on your site which includes hits and kbytes related to the URL.
- Entry: This table shows the top entry pages accessed on the site which also includes hits and kbytes related to the URL.
- Exit: This table will display top entry pages accessed on your site that includes hits and kbytes related to the URL.
- Sites: This table shows the top visitors or hosting servers used to access your site that includes hits and kbytes related to the hosting server.
- Referrers: This table displays URLs or referrers used when your site is accessed including hits related to the referrer.
- Search: This table displays top keywords visitors have used to access your site on the search engine.
- Agents: This table shows top browsers like Internet Explorer or Netscape including the operating system used when accessing your site which also includes hits related to the browser.
- Countries: This table displays the country’s top visitors used to access your website which includes hits and kbytes related to that country.    
    
Webalizer is a thorough application that allows you to cover every statistical area of your website.  This popular program typically comes with the installation of cPanel.

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Apr 10, 2008 : Control Panels cPanel Tutorials No responses yet