DMGi: Co-Lo, Managed & Dedicated Server Hosting in Surrey, UK

FAQ Categories

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General FAQs

This is the General Frequently Asked Question section.

What is the “Security Passphrase” and How do I reset or change it?

The Security Passphrase is the master password for your account with DMG. It is there for your protection and security. The Security Passphrase will be requested by the DMGi team before any changes are made to your account or before private information is given out over the phone or in an email. For this reason it is important to keep this safe and secure.
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How do I reduce the amount of spam I receive?

There are a number of ways to reduce spam, depending on how your email is configured.

Most importantly, do not give your email address out to anyone and everyone. There are many unscrupulous sites that exist purely to gather email addresses for spammers.

If you have a 'catch-all' address on your domain (i.e. you accept email to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ) then consider removing this and setting up individual email addresses for each email address you actually use. This will reduce your vulnerability to 'dictionary walking', where a spammer tries random email addresses on your domain.

DMGi offer an anti-spam service, dSpam, which can reduce the amount of spam you receive. If this is of interest, please see the Packages section of the web-site, or contact us by phone or email.
What is the difference between a POP3/IMAP Mailbox and an Email Address? and why does DMGi make this distinction?
A POP3/IMAP Mailbox is a storage area, it has a username and password which is used to access it. An Email address is your identity, and is the way other users on the Internet recognise you. It is common for users to have multiple email address all delivering to one POP3/IMAP Mailbox.

An example is the email addresses This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it and This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it all would be delivered to a single mailbox, this mean that Fred only has to set up one mail account in his email client.

Other than to simplify the configuration, we make this distinction to allow our customers the greatest amount of flexibility, using this scheme we can set up :
- the classic one email address to one mailbox.
- the Small and Medium Business (SMB) friendly multiple email addresses to one mailbox
- the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) friendly POP3Fetch or POP3MailQueue, where all email for all user is delivered to a single mailbox and then you have a private mailserver which fetches the mail and redistributes it to you users
- Mail Forwarding, where a email address is redirected to another email service provider.
What is an MX record?

MX (Mail eXchange) records provide the list of mail servers that handle
email for a domain. When an email is sent to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it the
sending server will request all the MX records for mydomain.com and sort
them by the priority values stored in the record. The sending server
will then attempt to connect to the server with the lowest priority
value, and if this is unavailable try the next one in ascending order.

An example if MX records used for domains that have our dSpam anti-spam
filtering would be:

MX 10 dspam0.dialin.co.uk.
MX 20 dspam1.dialin.co.uk.

In this case dspam0.dialin.co.uk is the preferred server for email, and
dspam1.dialin.co.uk will be used if dspam0 is not available.
How do I change my DNS

Currently you will need to contact DMGi support to make changes to your
DNS settings, either by email or over the telephone. You will need to
quote your Security Passphrase and let us know the new details you require.
What is FTP

FTP stands for file transfer protocol, it is a method for you to upload content to your web site.
How do I upload to my website

Via FTP

'FTPing' files can be handled in several ways

1, Using windows explorer: in the address bar type ftp://addresstoyoursite (eg www.dmgi.co.uk).
2, Using a 3rd party piece of software such as bulletproof, filezilla or extension built into programs such as Dreamweaver.
3, Using a command line tool, for more advanced users only.

Once logged in you will be presented with 4 folders: cgi-bin, data, htdocs and logs.

cgi-bin; where you should place your website scripts.
data; a read write directory not accessible via a browser.
htdocs; the main root of your website this is where your default index.html/php/asp should reside.
logs; This is where your access logs are written to, useful for web statistic analysis.
I've lost my password. how do I retrieve it or change it

For forgotton passwords please contact DMGi support staff on 01483 407887 and we will let you know the procedure.
What servers do I use to send or receive email?

When configuring your email client you will need to specify your incoming and outgoing mail servers. For incoming mail you can use either the POP3 or IMAP protocols.

Incoming email (POP3/IMAP):

pop3.dmgi.co.uk

Outgoing email (SMTP)

smtp.dmgi.co.uk

If you are using another ISP for your internet connection, you might need to go into your advanced settings and change the port for SMTP from the default of 25 to the alternative setting of 587.
Why can't I fetch my email when my ADSL is offline?

Your ADSL line provides all your internet connectivity. If this is unavailable then you will not be able to contact our mail servers to retrieve your email. You should contact your ADSL provider and report the fault to them, and depending on whether the fault is with the ADSL connection or your phone line, you may need to contact BT or your phone provider as well (normally your ADSL provider will be able to tell you whether this is necessary).

If you have access to a dial-up modem we may be able to provide temporary access to email via this, depending on how your email is configured.
When I do a whois lookup on my Domains why do I somethimes see DMGi addresses

The "whois" information for a domain contains a variety of information and contact details, and this can vary depending on which central registry provides the information (for instance different information is returned for a .co.uk domain compared to a .com domain).

The important information from a customers point of view is whether the domain is registered in your name. You may see our details listed as either the Billing, Technical or Administrative contacts. This is because we manage the domain for you, and fulfill these roles on your behalf.

What servers should I accept email from?

Data Center

Where is the data-centre building?

Our primary datacentre is located at our Head Offices just outside Guildford,

Our secondary sites which are available on request include London - TelecityRedbus, Sovereign House, Marsh Wall, Docklands a purpose built datacentre in a prime docklands location and NewNet datacentre in Fareham, Hampshire.
Who installs servers in the rack?

To ensure that rack fitting and cabling are carried out to the correct standards, DMGi technical team will install servers for you. Servers should be delivered and we will take care of installation. For larger or more complex installation customer technical staff can be involved
Who is responsible for insuring equipment?

Customers are responsible for insuring their equipment.
How high/wide/long is 1U?

1.75". Racks are a standard 19 inches wide, with depth to 80cm.
How can I get a server to you?

1. Send it to us by a reputable courier, such as UPS or DHL. Ensure you get a receipt and tracking number. Servers must be insured while in transit. Advance warning of delivery is essential - contact us for details.
2. Bring it in to us. Call or email us for an appointment.

Customers are responsible for all costs related to delivery and collection of equipment. Overseas customers are responsible for management of any importing customs requirements.
Can DMGi provide technical support for hardware?

Yes, within limits and without any guarantees. This is chargeable separately and is available during office hours with out of office hours for a premium. There is a minimum charge of one hour.
Do I have to choose to host my own equipment?

No. Options are available to host your website and other services on shared servers provided by DMGi. DMGi staff will assess your requirements and recommend the best option for your business.
What do I do if my equipment requires manual intervention and I am not able to attend?

DMGi have skilled personnel available to provide technical and operational assistance for your equipment during business hours, an out of hours is available, call for a quote.
Do you have a Service Level Agreement (SLA)?

Of course, our sales team will provide a copy of our SLA along with your quote.
Can you provide secure off-location storage for my backup media?

Yes. DMGi can package and transport your backup media to and from a secure offsite storage location nightly, you just need to request the service.
Do you have backup power systems for the Data Centre?

Power for all equipment runs via a UPS. As an additional security measure a dedicated diesel generator is setup with an automatic fail over in the event of extended power outages.

Managed Support Services

Why is Dial Media Group better than traditional break fix support contracts?

Dial Media Group gives you the benefits of both worlds. A low cost support programme which provides prearranged proactive engineering coupled with on-going consultancy and also offers on-site assistance when things go wrong. Offering proactive maintenance provides you with a more structured and stable environment which in turn reduces the frequency of Ad-Hoc system crashes and downtime.
How will you understand our needs and review our current set-up?

Before a Chrome contract has been finalised a consultant will complete a "Network Discovery" session. This Audit will provide us with all the information that our support centre will require to implement the service, and also highlight any inadequacies that there may be from which recommendations will be submitted.
What will influence the recommendations stemming from the System Audit?

After the ‘Network Discovery' session, the consultant will consider factors such as stability of the system, interconnection with other systems, IT Policy's and security along with the business criticality of the system. In taking all these factors into consideration the consultant's goal will be to establish the level of support required to maintain the systems services on a monthly basis and will give us the length and frequency of visits required.
After the Network Discovery session am I obligated to sign?

No. The Network Discovery session is to determine our quotation and the type of support your will require. However, if you wish to have a copy of this report there will be a charge made which can then be credited against the support contract if you decide to join.
What does Preventative Maintenance cover?

Preventative Engineering will cover routine issues that will help to reduce the on-going support costs incurred. The areas we cover include general systems configuration management, regular checking of event logs, performance reviews, hard disk monitoring, software patch upgrades, fault monitoring and the installation and movement of new or existing hardware.
What type of technology do you cover?

Dial Media Group covers ALL Microsoft based operating systems and network applications. Other Off-the-Shelf software such as Anti-Virus, Back-up and Firewall software will all be covered.
How will the scope of my support be determined?

The scope of the support will be determined by you, and we will conduct the ‘Network Discovery' session audit accordingly. Once the audit is completed the consultant will determine and define what can be supported in the contract.