Web Pages

CMS vs HTML Websites at VCN

CMS

pre-installed layouts
easy to get started
easy to configure pages and layout
pre-installed web applications
custom VCN subdomain (http://yourcompany.vcn.bc.ca)

HTML

well known language
highly customizable page layouts
many html editors available
many customized web applications
compatible with many other languages and applications
preset VCN subdomain (http://www.vcn.bc.ca/~username)

Managing VCN Web Pages

How to Create a website for a Non-Profit Oganization

Sign Up your organization for a VCN Group Account
If you need a domain name for your website, first, buy a name from a provider such as Webnames, CloudFlare, Namecheap, etc. Charges vary for registering website names (domain names), and the group is responsible for paying these fees and maintaining the account with the provider (known as a “domain name registrar”). Once you have your name, submit the Domain Name Hosting Application form.

How to Create a VCN Personal Page

When you sign up for a VCN Individual Account, there are three steps that you must do before you get your personal page online:

Create a folder named webdata in your personal space. The easiest way is by send such a folder using File Transfer Protocol (FTP) with a computer program such as FileZilla.
Create a homepage for your site and name it either welcome.html or index.html.
Upload your homepage to your webdata folder by using FTP.

There are many different FTP clients that are out there, but one free FTP client that we use is Filezilla. After you install Filezilla, you can use the QuickConnect to connect to your Individual account by entering in the following:

Host: ftp.vcn.bc.ca
Enter in your VCN username and password in the two fields
The FTP port is 21

The files on your computer will then be shown in the left panel and your personal space will be shown on the right side panel. Here you can create the webdata folder and upload files and HTML pages that will make up your personal webpage.

Incorrect or Unknown Password

If you do not have your password, please see the Account section of the help pages for a Group Password reset. Or phone, 778-724-0826, or email our Help Desk.

Web Problems

FTP

Some quick solutions to common FTP errors: make sure to login using the correct domain, username, and password. Also, make sure you are uploading to the correct folder. For websites hosted on the VCN server, the correct folder is webdata, which must be created manually for personal sites.

Domain Name

If you have recently bought your own domain name, (yourcompany.com), and it is not working yet, it sometimes takes a few days for the domain name to point to your VCN website. Please contact the company that is hosting your domain name for more information.