Ordering an SSL certificate from (mt) Media Temple
Follow these instructions to order an SSL Certificate from (mt) Media Temple. We use QuickSSL certificates from GeoTrust.
Instructions
- Log into your AccountCenter.
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Hover over the Domains tab and click on Add New Domain or Service. Alternatively, you can click on the Add New Domain or Service from the Quick Links section on the right. See Figure 1:
Figure 1. Click Add New Domain or Service. -
Scroll down to the Add-On Services section. Click Activate next to the SSL Certificate option. See Figure 2:
Figure 2. Click Activate. -
Read the information, then click Next Step. See Figure 3:
Figure 3. Read and click Next Step. -
You will now be presented with a long form. First, use the dropdown menu to choose the server for which you want to order the certificate. See Figure 4:
Figure 4. Choose your server from the dropdown menu.Here, if you selected a (dv) Dedicated-Virtual Server, you need to choose whether you need an additional IP address or not. If this is the only domain on the server that requires a certificate, you typically DO NOT need an IP. Otherwise, select Add an additional exclusive IP address. See Figure 5:
Figure 5. Select the radio button to add an IP or not. -
Enter the common name for your certificate (the domain you want to protect). In most cases, you will want to keep the www. part checked. If you need advice on what to put here, scroll down to the Common name section. See Figure 6:
Figure 6. Enter the name of the domain or subdomain you want to protect. -
Fill in the contact information for the owner of this certificate. Choose one of your AccountCenter Contacts from the dropdown menu to fill in the details automatically, or choose Other. The Owner is recommended. If you select Other, you will need to fill in the contact details manually. Again, scroll down if you need more information on what to put here. See Figure 7:
Figure 7. Fill in the contact information for the owner of this certificate. -
You must also either set up an email forwarder for certificate renewals, or request (mt) Media Temple to do so, if you use (mt) Media Temple for your email for that domain. Choose the appropriate radio button. Read the Email Forwarding section below for more details. See Figure 8:
Figure 8. Choose to have (mt) Media Temple set up your forwarder, or set up your own if you host email elsewhere. -
Finally, check the box that indicates you agree to the charges, and click Order SSL. See Figure 9:
Figure 9. Agree to the charges, then click the Order SSL button. - That's it! You will be notified via support request when your order is complete.
NOTE:
Please allow 1 to 3 business days for your request to be completed. Most requests will turn around in about 24 hours. However, GeoTrust, our SSL provider, may choose to perform a security audit as part of their ongoing commitment to prevent fraud. So, some orders may be randomly flagged for an additional security review. While we will likely have approved the order, it will not be fulfilled until GeoTrust completes their manual security review.
TIP:
If the form is not working properly for you, try it in a different browser, like Firefox or Chrome.
Pricing
- $50 one-time setup fee per certificate
- $10 per month per certificate
Owner information
The ownership and business details for your SSL certificate are gleaned from the selected Contact information in the AccountCenter. Please make sure that this information is valid, current, and appropriate for your SSL certificate. See this article, if you need to update your Contact information.
You may also purchase an SSL certificate with different ownership and business details. Please fill in the fields completely.
Common name
The common name (CN) must be the exact domain or subdomain that you want to secure. Some typical examples:
- www.example.com
- store.example.com
Single certificates for www and non-www versions of your domain are available.
You can order an SSL certificate for www.example.com to secure both example.com and www.example.com. One certificate will work for both your base domain name and the www subdomain. If you want this functionality, please order the certificate with the www.
Note that you MUST use this same domain or subdomain on your site for the certificate to work properly. For example, if the link to your online store is https://store.example.com, the CN should be 'store.example.com'.
The common name cannot be changed after the order has been submitted and approved by GeoTrust. If you find that you need a certificate with a different common name, you will have to purchase a new one.
Confirmation email forwarder - required
To order and renew your SSL certificate, the following email forwarder must be created for your domain:
- hostmaster@example.com to hostmaster@mediatemple.net
If your email is hosted on your (mt) Media Temple server, (mt) Media Temple will set up the forwarder for you.
If your email is not hosted with (mt) Media Temple, you must set up this exact forwarder yourself. This forwarder must be set up before (mt) Media Temple can place your certificate order.
TIP:
Please send a test email to your new forwarder. If you receive a bounceback, check your forwarder again. You are also welcome to send a test email directly to hostmaster@mediatemple.net.
Platform specifications, IP addresses, and DNS changes
(mt) Media Temple offers a range of hosting platforms. Each kind of hosting service has different SSL requirements. Read below for details on your hosting service:
(gs) Grid-Service
The (gs) Grid-Service can have only one SSL certificate per server. If you have more than one domain that you need to secure, you will need to either purchase a separate hosting service for each SSL certificate, or migrate to the (dv) Dedicated-Virtual Server.
Your domain is assigned a new IP address once the certificate is installed. You shouldn't notice any downtime for your site, due to the (gs) Grid-Service architecture, but the certificate won't become effective for up to 24 hours.
If you use (mt) Media Temple DNS, we will update your zone file for you.
If you use third-party DNS, please update your IP address in the zone file for the domain.
- Find your new IP address in your Server Guide, in the DNS section, under IP Address.
(dv) Dedicated-Virtual Server
You may install multiple SSL certificates on your (dv) Dedicated-Virtual Server. The (dv) 4.0 with Plesk 10.3 supports the Server Name Indication (SNI) extension to the Transport Layer Security protocol, which makes it possible to use authentic SSL certificates for sites hosted on shared IP addresses. For more information, please see: How can I host multiple sites on a single IP address?
Do I need a new IP?
If this is your first custom SSL certificate for your (dv) Dedicated-Virtual Server, you are welcome to install it on your existing IP address. Note that this will replace the generic self-signed certificate provided by default in Plesk. What this means practically: If someone accidentally visits one of your other domains over https://, the certificate error will show your custom certificate rather than the generic self-signed certificate.
How to check for free IP addresses on your server:
- Log into Plesk.
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Click on Server on the left.
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Click on IP Addresses.
- Click on a specific IP address.
- View the SSL Certificate field. If the default certificate or an unneeded certificate is shown, you will not need to order a new IP. If all your IPs are taken, you will need to order a new one. You can have a total of 16 IP addresses on one (dv) Dedicated-Virtual Server.
If you do need to order a new IP, we will need your consent for an additional $1.00 per month per additional IP address charge to your account. We cannot begin processing your order without written consent in your support request. See Ordering additional IP Addresses for details.
DNS details
If you do order a new IP address in conjunction with your SSL certificate, we will configure the new IP to use the certificate. However, to avoid any unplanned downtime, we will not modify your DNS zone file in the AccountCenter, or your domain settings in Plesk. If you use (mt) Media Temple DNS, we will lower the TTL for your domain to help minimize the propagation time when you do make your DNS change. You will be responsible for changing your DNS settings for your domain, and moving the domain to your new IP address in Plesk. Details on what is required for your situation will be sent to you via support request once your SSL certificate has been installed.
(ve) Server
At this time, we do not supply SSL certificates for (ve) Servers. Due to the variance in web server architectures, your (ve) Server may not have an SSL environment for which we can supply a certificate. We hope to offer SSL certificates for (ve) Servers in the future.
GeoTrust Site Seal image
(mt) Media Temple SSL certificates are compatible with the GeoTrust True Site Seal. You must add this to your website yourself.
Renewals
(mt) Media Temple will automatically renew your SSL certificate and install the updated version as long as the following remain true:
- Your hostmaster@example.com forwarder remains valid.
- The billing information on your account remains valid.
- You have not specifically closed the service.