NC State offers multiple web hosting services:
For fee services that allow for custom domain names:
- Web Publishing – Hosted WordPress platform perfect for many content sites
- cPanel – Build it yourself LAMP environment for those who need more flexibility
Free services that have more limited functionality and no custom domain naming:
- WordPress Blogs – Self Service setup WordPress site with a [sitename].wordpress.ncsu.edu URL
- Google Sites – Self Service CMS setup hosted by Google, but no *.ncsu.edu URL
- GitHub Pages – Self Service setup using GitHub, will be restricted to unity login to view, with pages.github.ncsu.edu/[unityid]/[site] URL
- WolfWare WordPress – For course-based sites
If you are uncertain which type makes sense for you, please visit Get On The Web.
cPanel
The cPanel Web Hosting service is a full-service environment that provides you with flexibility, scalability, economy of scale, and more options for your Web presence. This service is available to any NC State University college, department or unit.
What the Web Hosting Service Provides
The cPanel Web hosting service offers features, some of which are available now:
- NC State hosted URL. For details, see URL below.
- 10 GB of space with option to purchase more. See cPanel and Web Publishing SLA, Pricing, and Terms.
- Both nightly backups
- Unlimited bandwidth
- Unlimited databases w/ MariaDB
- PHP-based application hosting
- a cPanel control panel to administer each of your sites
URL
A URL for a top third-level domain (e.g., xxx.ncsu.edu or www.ncsu.edu/xxx) must be approved. If you will be moving an existing site, we recommend that you request a temporary URL to use until you are ready to transfer the URL to the new site. Please be sure to include this URL request when submitting your Web hosting account request.
If you need to request a top level domain, you will need to fill out the URL Request form.
Shared Hosting with cPanel Web Hosting Services
It is possible to host more than one domain within a single cPanel web hosting account. The maximum number of add-on sites per web hosting account is five; any more than that and users may begin to experience a decline in the quality of the service.
In order to request an add-on site, each site must first have its own URL. Add-on sites must follow the same requirements for approved URLs as those outlined above. Once a new URL is approved the owners of the web hosting account will need to create a new directory that will map to the new URL. Finally, they will need to submit a request at help.ncsu.edu that includes their current hosting account, the new URL (once approved), and the folder created for hosting the add-on site.