Server-related downtime issues

The following articles describe common Server-related issues that may cause site downtime and the steps to help get your site online again.

View the following article for a list of other causes your site may be down.

• What to check if your site is down

Confirm if your site is down everywhere

The first step to take is to confirm if the site is actually down in all locations, and not just your local computer. There are a couple of ways to do this.

Is it down for everyone, or just me?

downforeveryoneorjustme.com checks if your site is online from a number of locations. It then lets you know if the site is down everywhere, or if only your computer is unable to view it.

If only your computer is unable to view it and you've recently updated your DNS, use either of the following links to check this site to see if the new DNS has updated in your location:

• whatsmydns.net — A popular site that checks DNS records around the world.
• Viewing your DreamHost DNS records — Use DreamHost's DNS propagation checker in the panel.

If the DNS has updated, try forcing your browser to reload the page. This clears the cache out of the browser so you see the most recent version of the page.

• Forcing a page to reload

Proxy sites

Proxy sites allow you to bypass network issues and view the site from a different location. View the following article for a list of proxy sites you can use:

• Proxy sites

If the proxy site loads your website, it confirms the site is resolving online. If you still cannot view it, try clearing your cache and flushing DNS:

Is my server up?

If your registration is current and your account has not been suspended, but you can’t reach your domain through a proxy site, check to make sure that your server is up. You can do this by running a traceroute to your server, and by pinging your domain. Instructions for performing these steps are found here:

If you cannot ping the server, or if the traceroute does not complete, please contact support. If your traceroute shows multiple hops timing out, you would need to contact your ISP for support.

Are my files in the correct spot?

Make sure the files for your site are in the correct directory. If they are in the incorrect directory or assigned to the wrong user, the site will not load.

Log into your site via FTP or SSH. Make sure your site files are in the correct directory. View the following article for further details:

• Where do I upload my files once connected via FTP?