You know, the ones that have many websites on one IP. Sometimes 200 or more websites on a single machine.
The problem.
When you do a manual DNS search and directly enter the IP address or you have DNS problems and get directed to the wrong IP for that website, You get some funny things.
On sites that have literally been around for years, you still get the “default” install screen.
“If you can read this page it means that the Apache HTTP server installed at this site is working properly”
Ow golly gee….. Umm… Your server has been running for a decade and you still haven’t removed the default screen? The ones that really get me are the ones where you are presented with the admin login page when you enter the direct IP………… Yes, you removed the default install page, but really? Is that really a smart idea?
Yes, I know the settings they probably made to get it to do that, but I have to question their wisdom.
Then you have the ones where a single site is hosted on a machine but you still get the default installation screen when you type in the IP address. Um….that means they went out of their way to mess it up, because if they just left the host name blank, or put the website in the default directory the visitors would have gotten the proper website!
With the advent of virtual server stuff, it seems that everyone has generally overlooked what to do with the root method of arriving at the server. When a user shows up without any helping information, like what website they are looking for or what not. They are here, now what you going to do with them? You know, like when someone is having connection problems and they want to see if it’s dns or not, so they enter the IP, and they get……. Ummmm ………something….. Or it may be conspiracy people that think big brother is going to shut down the DNS system, so they try to get to your website with a direct IP….. Or if those crazy people just happen to be right, and they do shut things down….. Then what…………..(LOL)
Besides all that conspiracy stuff, there is an obvious need to tidy up things in the less traveled areas. The back alley of the internet if you will. Just because we choose to ignore it, doesn’t mean it’s not there. If you don’t actively manage that area, then what happens to the visitors by default may not be to your liking. It may give them a bad view of you, or your customers. And it may potentially route users to weak points on your server that they can exploit. Controlled traffic is always better than uncontrolled traffic, even unwanted traffic.
On servers with multiple websites, some form of a basic landing pad needs to be there to collect visitors coming in via a direct IP visit, or other rogue paths. It could just be a redirect page to the largest site on that server. Or it could be a page that list hyperlinks to all the web pages served on that server. That would set in place an organized system for routing arrant visitors. If the DNS gave them the wrong IP and they was looking for XYZ site, but they hit your server, you could present them with a page saying, XYZ site is not here, you may have been improperly directed here. These are the sites hosted here…...
Even better would be a way to have a page that would give the visitor a way to jump to any one of the pages on the server without the need to go through the DNS system. That would allow visitors to single out DNS problems, and server problems. And, considering that they was incorrectly routed to your website, that would indicate that they are having a DNS problem in the first place, so relying on DNS to get them someplace else may not be the best idea.
I know, anyone could do it now. But they don’t. That is why I am posting this, to remind people that there is the back alley behind the store, you should remember to clean it once in a while.
That point is obvious. It would be neat if the web server done that as default, when set up for multiple websites. A new default error page for servers running multiple websites. Yea that would be great…… At least I could hope…..
But beyond all of that, just try to come up with a logical path for unguided visitors to be directed down when they show up. A path that is half way productive to the visitor and you! It’s one of the things that rounds out a complete web server.
Additional funny bit of information…. Some of those conspiracy websites that talk about big brother shutting off the DNS system are the very same websites that you can’t view by directly entering the IP. Talk about not listening to your own advice…….(LOL)
Take care people.
