Frontpage FAQ's

NOTE: For specific information on How to use the FrontPage software, please consult the program's documentation or Microsoft Technical Support.

Support for FrontPage

According to Microsoft's documentation for FrontPage Web Presence Providers, "Installing the FrontPage Server Extensions gives your customers full support for all of the features of FrontPage. This includes remote authoring, threaded discussion groups, full-text search, and surveys."

Nationwide's Simple Host supports Microsoft FrontPage in several ways:

• We configure your site for FrontPage by installing and maintaining the server extensions.
• We provide Technical Support related to the functionality of the extensions.

Upload Instructions

• FrontPage97
• FrontPage98
• FrontPage2000

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Server Extensions

FrontPage Extensions are CGI programs which provide the server side implementation of FrontPage. FrontPage communicates with the extensions via HTTP using a Remote Procedure Call (RPC). When the server sees the "POST" request addressed to the FrontPage server extensions it simply directs the request to the appropriate CGI program.

Without the FrontPage Server Extensions you will not be able to take advantage of the WebBots that are available through FrontPage. Also, without the extensions you cannot author and administer your web using the tools provided as part of the FrontPage Editor/Explorer package.

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Getting the extensions installed

Existing non-FrontPage accounts:
To have the FrontPage server extensions installed on your existing site, please contact us.

All FrontPage extensions are running on FrontPage ver 3.0.2.1706 . Nationwide no longer installs or supports ver 1.1 or 2.0.

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Charges

There is no charge for installing the server extensions. Nationwide will also reinstall corrupted extensions free of charge *.

Note: There are certain precautions that MUST be taken when publishing and maintaining your site with FrontPage.

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Limitations

There are some issues which potential FrontPage users should consider:

1. Web size -- This seems to be most critical when a "searchable event" is present in the web (Search, Discussion Forum and Table of Contents). The lengthy process of updating the indices for these functions can lead to the connection timing-out (HTTP 500 Error or "Server "" has timed-out.

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Precautions

There are several precautions which need to be taken to protect the FrontPage extensions on your site.

• Do NOT use regular FTP (such as WS_FTP) to upload files to the FrontPage server. You can only use the FrontPage Explorer program to publish to your server space.
• Do NOT use regular FTP (such as WS_FTP) to upload files to the server when FrontPage extensions are installed. This may corrupt the extensions, disabling the interactive features available with FrontPage.

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Bots

WebBots are the mechanism for invoking many of the interactive features built into FrontPage. These features are added to your web through the FrontPage Editor | Insert FrontPage Component.

Some, such as Include and Substitution, allow elements of the web to be entered once and included in any or all of the pages by inserting the Bot component referencing that element (e.g. a logo or navigation bar). Changes made to the "master" element are made automatically to any page containing the referencing Bot.

Other Bots, such as Search, Table of Contents and Timestamp, control dynamic browse-time features. These Bots work behind the scenes to keep the web up-to-date for visitors.

For more information on using the Bots, see the documentation provided with FrontPage or contact Microsoft Technical Support.

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Features

Features Not supported on our FrontPage Server

• ODBC and MS SQL Database connections (Access, FoxPro)

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How do I use SSL (Secure Socket Layer) with FrontPage?

SSL can be used with FrontPage with these conditions:

1. You must have an account with FrontPage extensions installed.
2. You must request that your site be configured for SSL by sending an e-mail to domain@wt.net . Please allow 24 - 48 hours for the configuration to be completed.

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Other Resources

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If you need more help with any of our products or services
please contact us at 1.888.Nationwide (628-4669)