Work this list in order. We host the site, the DNS, or both. The goal is to see whether the problem is your browser, the domain, or the service, then go to the matching Help article or open a support ticket.
This article is a first-pass checklist. Deeper walkthroughs live in the linked articles.
Unsure at any step? Open a support ticket and we will check it with you.
Shared hosting (Beginner and Standard, cPanel, Australia): open cPanel from the portal. Do not guess a hostname.
VPS: credentials and the console are on that server in the portal.
Dedicated: open a support ticket and we will walk you through access.
Jump ahead if the screen already names the problem:
- This site can't be reached, ERRNAMENOT_RESOLVED, or no IP at all: This site can't be reached and DNS resolution problems
- HTTP 500: Fix a 500 Internal Server Error
- WordPress is a blank white page (or a 500 with no useful text): Fix the WordPress White Screen of Death / HTTP 500
- The name loads and the browser says Not secure: Understanding SSL/TLS and HTTPS and Fix "Not secure" and mixed-content warnings
1. Confirm it is not only your browser
A stale cache, an extension, or one network can look like the whole internet is down.
- Open the site in a private / incognito window.
- Try a second browser.
- Try another network. A phone on mobile data is a useful check (turn Wi-Fi off so you are not on the same router).
- Visit a site you know is up. If nothing loads, fix the local connection first.
If it works in a private window or on mobile data, the site is up. Clear cached images and files (Ctrl+Shift+Delete on Windows, Cmd+Shift+Delete on Mac), then reload.
If you just changed DNS, also flush the local resolver:
Windows
ipconfig /flushdnsMac
sudo dscacheutil -flushcache
sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponderLinux
sudo resolvectl flush-cachesThen use a private window again. Mixed results after a DNS edit are often propagation, not a down site.
2. Write down the exact error
The words in the browser decide the next step. Note the full URL and the message (or HTTP code).
| What you see | What it usually is | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| This site can't be reached, ERRNAMENOTRESOLVED, DNSPROBEFINISHEDNXDOMAIN | The name has no public address, or your PC still has a bad cache | Step 4, then the DNS resolution article |
| Connection refused, or the page never starts | The name may resolve, but nothing is answering on that IP | Step 3, then Step 5 or Step 6 |
| HTTP 500 | The web server started the request and PHP, .htaccess, or a resource stopped it | Fix a 500 Internal Server Error |
| Blank white page | Often WordPress or a PHP fatal with display_errors off | WordPress White Screen |
| Error establishing a database connection | The app cannot reach MariaDB | Fix "Error Establishing a Database Connection" in WordPress |
| Not secure, certificate warning, or mixed content | HTTPS is missing, expired, or the page still loads http:// assets | SSL/TLS |
| Registrar parking page, or "domain for sale" | The domain expired, or nameservers still point at previous DNS | Step 3 (domain), then renewals |
| A page that is not yours, or an old copy of the site | Wrong A record, leftover nameservers, or cache | Step 4 |
| The site is defaced or serving spam | Treat it as a compromise | What to do if your website is hacked |
3. Check the service and the domain in the portal
A stopped service or an expired name looks like a down website.
- Sign in at the portal.
- Open the hosting, VPS, or dedicated service for the site.
- Confirm it is active. If an invoice is overdue, pay it under Billing, then try the site again.
- Open Domains and confirm the name has not expired. Dates and auto-renew: Domain renewals, expiry and auto-renew.
- On shared hosting, click Log in to cPanel. You do not need a server hostname.
If Log in to cPanel is missing or fails after the invoice is paid, open a support ticket. Do not reply to an invoice email for help.
If the hosting service is not in the portal at all, pay any overdue invoice first. If it is still missing, open a support ticket.
Several of your sites on the same service failing at once is a reason to ticket us. We will check that server with you.
Nothing is on the account yet (empty public_html, or a new VPS with no web server)? The name can resolve and still show no site. Start with Getting started after you order hosting.
4. Check that DNS points here
DNS turns yourdomain.com into the IPv4 of this service. If that answer is missing or wrong, the browser never reaches the account.
We host DNS on AtlasDNS. For a domain registered with us, records live in the portal: Domains → the domain → DNS. AtlasDNS is the default. Do not send the name to a third-party DNS host.
Our nameservers are:
ns1.atlasdns.net.au
ns2.atlasdns.net.au
ns3.atlasdns.net.auUse all three.
1. Look the name up on MXToolbox DNS Lookup or WhatsMyDNS (type A). You want an A record for @ and for www.
2. Copy the IPv4 this service should use:
- Shared hosting: in cPanel, General Information → Shared IP Address. Open cPanel from the portal.
- VPS: the IPv4 on that server in the portal.
- Dedicated: the IPv4 on that service. If it is not listed, open a support ticket.
3. Compare. The public A record should match that IPv4.
No A record, NXDOMAIN, or an IP you do not recognise. Fix the live zone. See Point your domain at your hosting and This site can't be reached.
AtlasDNS already matches, public checkers are mixed. Wait. Do not keep saving a different IP. See DNS propagation explained.
You edited AtlasDNS and nothing public moved. The domain may be in cPanel Hosting DNS mode (use the Zone Editor), or the registrar may still list other nameservers. Unsure which mode you are on? Open a support ticket.
Visiting http:// plus the raw IP is not a reliable test on shared hosting. Many accounts share that address, so the IP often shows a default page, not your site. Matching the public A record to Shared IP Address is the check that matters.
If a setup wizard tells you to replace our nameservers with a CDN or website builder, stop. Open a support ticket and we will add only the CNAME or TXT records you need.
5. Shared hosting: look at the account
Do this when DNS already points at this account's Shared IP Address.
- Sign in at the portal, open the hosting service, and click Log in to cPanel.
- Open the File Manager. Turn on Show Hidden Files (dotfiles) under Settings.
- Confirm the document root has a site. The main domain is
public_html. Addon domains and subdomains each have their own folder. - If you recently edited
.htaccess, rename it to.htaccess-disabledand reload in a private window. A bad rewrite ordeny from allcan take the whole site offline. Full steps: Fix a 500 Internal Server Error. - Check Disk Usage on the Statistics sidebar, then Check Disk Usage. An account at the disk or file (inode) limit can stop answering.
- Open Resource Usage under Metrics. If a graph is pinned at the ceiling, the site may load slowly or fail for some visitors. See Read your resource usage and metrics. Cards are on /hosting/browse.
- In SSL/TLS Status, confirm AutoSSL has a valid Let's Encrypt certificate once the name points here. Background: Understanding SSL/TLS and HTTPS.
- In Metrics → Errors, read the lines that match the time the site failed. That line is what we need if you ticket us.
You do not restart Apache or PHP on shared hosting. There is no shell restart for this account. If the files are present, disk has room, and the site still fails, open a support ticket.
We keep hourly backups of the account (they do not use your disk quota). If a deploy or plugin update just broke the site, we can put a folder back. See Download and Restore a Backup.
WordPress first path is WordPress Toolkit or Installatron in cPanel, not a zip from wordpress.org. See Install WordPress.
6. VPS and dedicated
The cPanel steps above do not apply.
- Sign in at the portal and open the server.
- Confirm it is running. Use the console if SSH will not connect.
- Connect with SSH: from Windows or from macOS or Linux.
- Check that the web server is running (
systemctl status apache2orsystemctl status nginx, depending on what you installed). - Watch disk, memory, and CPU: Monitor Server Resources.
- On Ubuntu, confirm UFW is not blocking 80/443.
- HTTPS on a VPS is Certbot.
New VPS with no site yet: First steps on a new VPS.
On a dedicated server, open a support ticket rather than guessing service names.
Do not run systemctl restart against a shared hosting account.
Common causes
| Cause | What you notice | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Browser or local cache | Works in a private window or on mobile data | Clear cache, flush DNS, try another network |
| Overdue invoice or stopped service | Portal shows the service past due, or Log in to cPanel fails | Pay Billing, then retry |
| Domain expired | Parking page, or the name no longer resolves | Renew the domain |
| Nameservers are not AtlasDNS | Public lookup is empty or shows an old host | Set the three AtlasDNS hosts, then point the domain |
| A record missing or wrong | Lookup returns no IP, or an IP that is not this service | Edit @ and www on Domains → the domain → DNS (or the Zone Editor in cPanel Hosting mode) |
| Propagation after a change | Some networks work, others still see the old site | Wait. See DNS propagation |
| Empty document root | Name resolves, directory listing or default page | Upload the site or install WordPress |
.htaccess or PHP error | HTTP 500, or a blank page | 500 checklist |
| Disk or resource limit | Site fails under load, or you cannot save files | Resource usage and disk |
| Certificate not issued yet | HTTP works, HTTPS warns | AutoSSL in SSL/TLS Status, or Certbot on a VPS |
| Mid-migration cutover | Some visitors still hit the old copy | Keep the old account up. Migrate with minimal downtime |
If you still cannot reach the site
Open a support ticket and include:
- The exact URL (including
wwwor the subdomain) - The message or HTTP code you see
- Whether a private window or mobile data is different
- The IP a public A lookup shows now, and the IP you copied from the portal or from cPanel Shared IP Address
- When it started
- Any recent change (DNS, nameservers, SSL, upload, plugin, migration)
We will check the live nameservers, the service, and the account with you.
Related
- This site can't be reached and DNS resolution problems
- DNS propagation explained
- Point your domain at your hosting
- Edit DNS with the Zone Editor
- Fix a 500 Internal Server Error
- Fix the WordPress White Screen of Death / HTTP 500
- Fix "Error Establishing a Database Connection" in WordPress
- Understanding SSL/TLS and HTTPS
- Fix "Not secure" and mixed-content warnings
- Getting started after you order hosting
- Migrate your website to us with minimal downtime
- Domain renewals, expiry and auto-renew
- Use the File Manager
- Read your resource usage and metrics
- Check Disk Usage
- Download and Restore a Backup
- What to do if your website is hacked