Powered By Network Solutions: WordPress - SSL Certificates

Setting up your SSL certificate is essential for enhancing the security and integrity of your WordPress site. By implementing SSL, you not only protect your users' data but also gain their trust, ultimately improving your site's credibility and search engine ranking.

In this section, we will discuss:

• Secured WordPress Site
• Change Database Entries: WordPress sites
• Troubleshooting WordPress Issues
• WordPress Resources
• 301 Redirects
• FAQs

Secured WordPress Site

Enabling your WordPress site to display securely may require a few steps.

1. Backup your database and site content.
2. Make sure that your SSL is enabled.
3. Log in to your WordPress Dashboard and go to Settings and General.
   
    
4. Revise the WordPress Address (URL) and the Site Address (URL) from HTTP to HTTPS
   
   
    
5. Click Save Changes at the bottom of the page.
6. The database entries must now be revised to reflect the secure address (HTTPS).

Change Database Entries: WordPress sites

There are many plugins available from WordPress.org for this task. Visit the following page at WordPress.org for complete information. https://wordpress.org/plugins/really-simple-ssl/

Troubleshooting WordPress Issues

You may encounter several issues when enabling an SSL on a WordPress site. This section focuses on the most common issue - the Mixed Content Warning - it doesn't and can't address all potential issues.

 

This can occur when your site contains other resources that are not hosted on your site with HTTPS. A few examples of mixed content may be:

• Images
• Videos
• Stylesheets
• Scripts

For instance, you might encounter this issue if you are linking to Facebook images or YouTube videos. The best practice for images would be to upload them to your WordPress media library; they would then display securely on your site.

WordPress Resources

The best source for troubleshooting WordPress issues is WordPress. The Org site is listed below. In addition, a few of the plugins that can help you troubleshoot the mixed content issue are listed.

• https://codex.wordpress.org/Main_Page
• https://wordpress.org/plugins/ssl-insecure-content-fixer/
• https://wordpress.org/plugins/remove-http/

301 Redirects

1. Log in to your Account Manager via https://www.networksolutions.com/my-account/login.
2. On the left side of the page, click Hosting.
   
    
   • If you only have one hosting package, you will be taken directly to the Hosting control panel.
   • If you have multiple hosting packages, you will need to select a package name and then click the MANAGE button to access the Hosting control panel.
     
      
3. In the left nav pane, click on .htaccess Editor.
4. Click Change to select which directory you want to place the 301 redirect in.
5. Use the Direct Editor to add one of the following code snippets into your .htaccess file (based on what you want to do):
6. Update "OLDDOMAIN" to the old domain you want to redirect to, and update the "NEWDOMAIN" to the new domain it is redirecting to.
   • Old to New domain
     RewriteEngine on
     RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^OLDDOMAIN.com [NC,OR]
     RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^www.OLDDOMAIN.com [NC]
     RewriteRule ^(.*)$ http://NEWDOMAIN.net/$1 [L,R=301,NC]


7. Update the "DOMAIN" to the domain that requires the redirect from HTTP to HTTPS.
   • HTTPS Redirect
     RewriteEngine On
     RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^DOMAIN.com [NC]
     RewriteCond %{SERVER_PORT} 80
     RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://www.DOMAIN.com/$1 [R=301,L]


8. Click Save.

FAQs

Q. Will free SSL be an account-wide setting (applied to all domains) or just single domains?
A. You have the option to enable the free SSL on a per-domain basis. A free SSL cannot be enabled on domains with a paid SSL certificate. When enabling free SSL for a domain, that domain and all subdomains will receive a certificate.

Q. What will be required to enable my free SSL?
A. You must have a live website on your domain that is visible on the internet. The nameservers and A Record must point to the IP address associated with your account.

Q. What if I already have a paid SSL certificate on my domain?
A. If you have a paid certificate on your domain, you will not be able to enable the free SSL. If the paid certificate expires or is canceled, you will be able to apply for the free SSL certificate.

Q. If I cancel my paid SSL certificate, can I enable the free SSL?
A. Yes, your domain will show up in the list in Domain Central, and there you can enable the free SSL.

Q. Why should I keep my paid SSL if you are giving me a free one?
A. A paid certificate offers you another level of protection and comes with a warranty. It allows you to display a security seal on your site and is an excellent addition to an eCommerce website.

Q. What is Comodo CA Tustlogo?
A. A site seal (aka a trust seal, logo, or icon) is a visual stamp that communicates the trustworthiness of your website by showing that Comodo has successfully vetted your company or organization.

Q. What is an SSL Warranty?
A. The SSL Certificate warranty covers any damages arising from improperly issuing a certificate to a fraudulent entity.

Q. What is PCI?
A. The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is a set of security standards designed to ensure that ALL companies that accept, process, store, or transmit credit card information maintain a secure environment.
If you are unsure about the level of protection you need, you can purchase additional protection.