The SkyHost Networks DIY Website Migration Guide
How to safely move your website, databases, and files to our high-performance cloud infrastructure.
Moving your website to SkyHost Networks is entirely achievable on your own. By following standard deployment protocols, you can move your files, configurations, and databases to our high-performance nodes without experiencing public website downtime.
Managing a WordPress website? Skip this guide and use our specialized, step-by-step WordPress Migration Guide & Video Tutorial instead.
Step 1: Keep Your Old Hosting Plan Active
Do not cancel your current hosting account yet. Your old hosting account must remain fully active and online throughout this entire process. If you cancel your old hosting early, your web files and emails could be permanently deleted before you finish copying them over to our cloud.
Step 2: Download Your Files and Databases
You must pull a fresh copy of your website assets from your previous provider to your local machine.
- Download Web Files: Log into your old hosting control panel and use their File Manager (or a secure FTP client like FileZilla) to compress your website's public root directory (typically named
public_html) into a single.zipfile. Download that archive to your computer. - Export Databases: If your website uses a database (such as MySQL), log into your old provider's phpMyAdmin. Select your database, click the Export tab, leave the format as SQL, and download the
.sqlfile to your computer.
Step 3: Upload Your Assets to SkyHost Networks
Now, it is time to deploy those assets onto your new high-speed SkyHost Networks cloud account.
- Upload Files: Log into your SkyHost Networks control panel, open the File Manager, and navigate to your
public_htmlfolder. Upload the.zipfile you downloaded in Step 2, and extract it directly into the directory. - Recreate the Database: Navigate to the MySQL Databases section in your SkyHost Networks control panel. Create a brand-new database name, a new database user, and a strong password. Make sure to assign the user to the database with "All Privileges."
- Import Data: Open phpMyAdmin in your SkyHost Networks dashboard, click your newly created database, select the Import tab, and upload your
.sqlfile. - Update Configuration Files: If your website relies on a configuration file (like
config.phporsettings.php), edit that file via our File Manager. Update the database name, database user, and database password lines to match the new credentials you just created on our server.
Step 4: Preview and Test Locally
Before updating your public domain settings, you should test your website on our servers to verify that the files connected to the database correctly.
- The Preview Method: Use the temporary preview URL provided in your SkyHost Networks welcome email, or temporarily modify your computer’s local
hostsfile (see the article here) to force your browser to point your domain directly to your new SkyHost Networks IP address. Verify that all links, contact forms, and images function properly.
Step 5: Update Your Domain Nameservers
Once your local test confirms that your site works flawlessly on our cloud infrastructure, you are ready to go live to the world.
- Log into the registrar where you originally purchased your domain name (e.g., SkyHost Networks, Namecheap, GoDaddy, Domain.com).
- Locate the Nameservers management panel.
- Remove your old provider's nameservers and input your official SkyHost Networks nameservers:
ns1.yourservername.comns2.ns3.ns4.
Note: Global internet routers can take anywhere from 2 to 24 hours to recognize this nameserver update (a process called DNS propagation). Keep your old hosting active for at least 48 hours to ensure zero missed traffic. Once propagation is complete, you can safely cancel your previous hosting service.
