Free guides, checklists & references
Everything you need to run a website or a server: practical guides, ready-to-use checklists, technical references and free network tools, no account needed.
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- Guides & references
- 7
- Free tools
- 51
- Articles
Resources
Guides
Choosing the right hosting plan
Shared, VPS, cloud or dedicated: a plain-language guide to matching a plan to your traffic, skills and budget.
4 sections · 2 min read
DNS basics for website owners
What nameservers, A, CNAME, MX and TXT records actually do, and how a change spreads, in plain terms.
4 sections · 2 min read
Moving a website to a new host
A step-by-step plan for moving files, databases, email and DNS with no lost data and minimal downtime.
6 sections · 2 min read
A backup strategy that actually restores
The 3-2-1 rule, retention, RPO and RTO, and why an untested backup is not a backup.
5 sections · 2 min read
SPF, DKIM and DMARC explained
The three DNS records that decide whether your email reaches the inbox, and how to roll them out safely.
4 sections · 1 min read
First steps on a new Linux VPS
Connect over SSH, update, create a user, set up keys and a firewall: the first half hour on a fresh server.
8 sections · 1 min read
Resources
Checklists
Website launch checklist
Domain, SSL, backups, email, SEO and monitoring: everything to check before you point a new site live.
25 items to check
Domain renewal checklist
Auto-renew, payment method and contact details: the things that most often cause a domain to lapse by accident.
13 items to check
Linux server hardening checklist
Access, updates, firewall, services, logging and backups: a baseline for any internet-facing Linux server.
21 items to check
What to do if your website is hacked
Contain, investigate, clean, restore and harden: an ordered response plan for a compromised site.
18 items to check
Resources
Technical reference
Common DNS record types
A quick reference for A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT, NS, SRV, CAA and PTR records, with examples.
3 sections · 1 min read
HTTP status codes, quick reference
The 2xx, 3xx, 4xx and 5xx codes you will actually see in server and application logs, and what usually causes them.
4 sections · 2 min read
Common network ports
Which port each common service uses: web, mail, file transfer, remote access and databases.
6 sections · 1 min read
SSL/TLS certificate types
DV, OV and EV validation, single, wildcard and multi-domain certificates, and which one fits your site.
4 sections · 1 min read
Cron schedule syntax
How the five cron fields work, with ready-to-use examples for backups, reports and maintenance jobs.
4 sections · 1 min read
Linux commands for server admins
Disk, memory, processes, services, logs and networking: the commands used every day on a Linux server.
6 sections · 2 min read
Free tools
Tools to check your site and domain
They run in your browser, with no sign-up.
DNS checker
Follow DNS propagation from locations around the world.
WHOIS lookup
Registration details and expiry date for any domain.
SSL checker
Check any site's certificate, chain and expiry date.
What's my IP?
See your IP address and its approximate location.
Ping tool
Test whether a site or IP address is reachable, and how fast.
Port checker
See which ports are open on any server, like RDP, SSH and email.
Website analysis
Analyse the speed and security of any website for free.
Blog
Latest articles
Industry news
TLS certificates are heading to a 47-day lifetime. Here is what changes and when
The CA/Browser Forum has voted to cut the maximum life of public TLS certificates in three steps, ending at 47 days in 2029. Manual renewals will not survive it.
Oct 19, 2026
Industry news
Windows Server 2016 reaches end of support in January 2027: plan your move now
Extended support for Windows Server 2016 ends on 12 January 2027. After that date there are no free security updates. Here is how to plan the upgrade.
Oct 19, 2026
Industry news
Post-quantum cryptography is standardised. What businesses should do now
NIST published its first post-quantum encryption standards in August 2024. The threat is years away, but data stolen today can be decrypted later.
Oct 19, 2026
Industry news
Gmail, Yahoo and Outlook now enforce sender authentication. Is your domain ready?
Since February 2024, Gmail and Yahoo require SPF, DKIM and DMARC from bulk senders, and Outlook followed in 2025. Unauthenticated mail is rejected or sent to spam.
Oct 19, 2026
Industry news
PHP 8.1 is out of support. Which PHP version should your site run in 2026?
Security support for PHP 8.1 ended on 31 December 2025 and PHP 8.2 follows at the end of 2026. Here is the support calendar and how to upgrade safely.
Oct 19, 2026
Industry news
Ubuntu 26.04 LTS is here. Which Ubuntu release should your servers run?
Ubuntu 26.04 LTS arrived in April 2026 and Ubuntu 20.04 left standard support in 2025. Here is how to choose between the supported releases.
Oct 19, 2026
IDX Academy
Free lessons, arranged in tracks, on domains, hosting, networking and cybersecurity.
4 tracks · 36 lessons
Start learningDomains & DNS
3 courses
Web Hosting
3 courses
Networking
3 courses
Cybersecurity
3 courses
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