How to use an SSL certificate
Recently, one of our sales representatives came asking how you can actually get an SSL to work after you have purchased it and installed it for your host, since the SSL certificate represents several files. So today, I will show you how you can install an SSL certificate with your web hosting account. For those of you who have missed the news, ResellersPanel now offers SSL certifcates as part of it’s Free Reseller Program.
In order to put an SSL certificate to use, you will have to redirect all traffic from the http:// version of your website to the https:// version of your website. The “s” in https:// will signal that the connection between the server and the visitor is encrypted.
In order to redirect the traffic, all you will have to do is place an .htaccess file in the top folder of the host, for which the SSL certificate is issued. The .htaccess file need to have the following code in it :
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{SERVER_PORT} 80
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://www.mydomain.com/$1 [R,L]
replacing the www.example.com domain name with your own domain name (or host, for which the SSL certificate is issued).
And that’s it. Now all traffic will be redirected to the https:// version of your website – the one protected by the SSL certificate.
You can also enforce this protection for a single folder :
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{SERVER_PORT} 80
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} somefolder
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://www.mydomain.com/somefolder/$1 [R,L]
If you choose to protect just a single folder, the .htacces file must be placed in this exact folder.
To create an .htaccess file, you can either use the .htaccess File Generator, included in the Marketing Tools section of the Web Hosting Control Panel, or you can simply create a new file, named .htaccess with the File Manager and enter the needed content by hand.
Originally published Monday, March 22nd, 2010 at 11:24 am, updated March 22, 2010 and is filed under The Free Reseller Program.
Tags: SSL, .htaccess, SSL certificate