Smugmug vanity domain URLs down?

jchin · August 26, 2008

Is there a problem with Smugmug or something changed?
My pro site is down.
Giving the following error:

[B]Invalid URL[/B]

 The requested URL "/", is invalid. Reference #9.3dc702cc.1219764800.0

What is going on? I've not changed a thing on my smugmug site in months.
:scratch

Barb · August 26, 2008

jchin wrote:
Is there a problem with Smugmug or something changed?
My pro site is down.
Giving the following error:
[B]Invalid URL[/B]

 The requested URL "/", is invalid. Reference #9.3dc702cc.1219764800.0 
What is going on? I've not changed a thing on my smugmug site in months.

Hi,

I'm sorry for your domain troubles! We did make some changes the other night that affected domains that were improperly set up. Please see the below for instructions on how to fix this. If you have any problems, please email the help desk, and we'll get you sorted right away!

http://www.smugmug.com/help/emailreal

It seems as if you have pointed your domain with a CNAME to
yournickname.smugmug.com . This may have worked in the past, but it's not something we instructed you to do. Please change your CNAME record to domains.smugmug.com instead. That'll fix your domain. In the past we asked you to point your CNAME to www.smugmug.com, but this will stop working soon. You will also want to change the IP address for any A record you have pointed at SmugMug (the old IP is 63.81.134.23) as that will also be changing soon.

We have more information on the correct domain setups here:
http://www.smugmug.com/help/professional-accounts

In a nutshell, to set up the CNAME correctly you need the following:
1. for the www host point a CNAME record to domains.smugmug.com - Do not put your nickname, www, subomain or anything in with the domains.smugmug.com 2. also add or change an A record to 208.79.45.23 if you want people to be able to access your site without www. Some domains allow you to use an @ sign for the host to indicate that it is empty. Check the help at your domain host to see what they recommend.

If you use subdomain.yourdomain.com instead of www.yourdomain.com, point the subdomain with a CNAME record to domains.smugmug.com and don't add an A record as it isn't needed.

Do not use your full domain in the CNAME unless the domain host tells
you to. If you do, you will end up with www.yourdomain.com.yourdomain.com or something similar.

Do not put in the yournickname.smugmug.com address as the destination no matter how tempting that may be. Do not use forwarding or redirects either. None of these will work correctly.

records if there are any for your site. It will take 24-48 hours for
the changes to propagate around the internet.

If you have not already done so, go to your SmugMug control panel and enter the custom domain on the settings tab. That is all there is too it. If you have problems, please let us know.

If you are stuck, send us your domain host UserID and set the password to something temporary like SmugTemp123. We will log in and make the changes or check the settings for you. When we are done you can reset the password.

1. the name of your domain registrar
2. login name to your domain
3. change the password for your domain to smugtemp{insert_4_random_digits}

Once we have made the changes, we will let you know so that you could
change your password back.

Our apologies for any inconvenience.

jchin · August 26, 2008

It would have been much appreciated if a massive e-mail went out warning about this last month or even the day the code was changed. I don't normally monitor this support forum.

I've put the changes in the DNS servers so I guess within a few hours it should be working again.

I'll keep an eye on it.

jchin · August 26, 2008

STILL GETTING SAME ERROR MESSAGE!

I just checked the IPs have been updated. From what I can see happening in the browser, it starts to load the page, gives the proper page TITLE in the titlebar, but then gives the same "Invalid URL" error message.

HELP! My clients now sees my site as a joke!

jchin · August 26, 2008

HELP! I cannot get into my SmugMug control panel because I have JavaScript code on the smugmug site to redirect http://jchin.smugmug.com/ to http://galleries.jchinphotography.com/

Is there a www.smugmug.com/..something.. that I can use?

Or can someone help me remove the redirection Javascript for now?

Thanks.

jchin · August 26, 2008

C:\>nslookup jchin.smugmug.com

Non-authoritative answer:
Name:    a539.b.akamai.net
Addresses:  204.188.138.16, 204.188.138.19
Aliases:  jchin.smugmug.com, www.smugmug.com.edgesuite.net


C:\>nslookup galleries.jchinphotography.com

Name:    domains.smugmug.com
Address:  208.79.45.23
Aliases:  galleries.jchinphotography.com

Barb · August 26, 2008

jchin wrote:

C:\>nslookup jchin.smugmug.com

Non-authoritative answer:
Name:    a539.b.akamai.net
Addresses:  204.188.138.16, 204.188.138.19
Aliases:  jchin.smugmug.com, www.smugmug.com.edgesuite.net


C:\>nslookup galleries.jchinphotography.com

Name:    domains.smugmug.com
Address:  208.79.45.23
Aliases:  galleries.jchinphotography.com

We got your email on the help desk. Our domain doctor will get you sorted right away. Sorry for the inconvenience.

docwalker · August 26, 2008

Johnny, we could not warn you as we did not know that this was going to happen. It was a total surprise. The problem is that users had their domains set up with an incorrect setting. They should have never been CNAMEd with yournickname.smugmug.com. We have always instructed users to use www.smugmug.com

We are going to change this soon and I have a sticky post warning users. We are going to send out an email about this soon. These changes are not directly related to the problem you are having.

I got your email earlier on the help desk You should have my response now. As soon as I get your login information, I will be happy to make the changes for you. Or, try making them yourself. I will be available to help if needed. Most changes happen in about an hour. But, it can take 24-48 hours for them to propagate around the internet.

jchin · August 26, 2008

So should it be CNAMED to www.smugmug.com now instead of domains.smugmug.com?

I can make these changes on my DNS servers within minutes. The TTL is set to 90 seconds.

docwalker · August 26, 2008

use domains.smugmug.com the www.smugmug.com was the way it should have been up until the new update goes out. Instead of waiting on the notice email, use the new method so you are ahead of the game.

Sheaf · August 26, 2008

jchin wrote:

So should it be CNAMED to www.smugmug.com now instead of domains.smugmug.com?

I can make these changes on my DNS servers within minutes. The TTL is set to 90 seconds.

No, set it to exactly "domains.smugmug.com".

jchin · August 26, 2008

OK ... hanging tight here ... please let me know when it is resolved.

NOTE: all of my authoritative DNS servers are controlled by my company so the updates should be seen quickly.

jchin · August 26, 2008

THANK YOU EVERYONE!
It seems to be working for me again (rest of world may have to wait a little).
SmugMug support is quick as always!

jchin · August 26, 2008

OPPS! Spoke too soon.

The main page (http://galleries.jchinphotography.com) works, but any sub-sections DO NOT.

http://galleries.jchinphotography.com/Weddings/
is not working, same "Invalid URL" error message.

docwalker · August 26, 2008

Try flushing your cache. They both work for me.

jchin · August 26, 2008

Thanks ... closed out of browser and restarted browser ... now working.

jchin · August 26, 2008

Damn! Worked for about 2 minutes ... now broken again.
Same "Invalud URL" error.

Barb · August 26, 2008

jchin wrote:

Damn! Worked for about 2 minutes ... now broken again.
Same "Invalud URL" error.

It's working fine for me. Did you flush your cache?

jchin · August 26, 2008

Barb wrote:

It's working fine for me. Did you flush your cache?

Barb, it was working after I restarted the browser, then after a few clicks, I clicked on "Home" and it gave the same error again.

I then opened Firefox (was using Flock), which was not running before, and it gives the same error. I even flushed the DNS cache from XP. Same thing.

jchin · August 26, 2008

Just tried from another computer (just turned it on). Same thing.

Barb · August 26, 2008

jchin wrote:

Just tried from another computer (just turned it on). Same thing.

Hi Johnny,

Do you have multiple A or CNAME records? That can cause is to randomly work.

Can you give us a screenshot of your settings?

jchin · August 26, 2008

Barb wrote:

Hi Johnny,

Do you have multiple A or CNAME records? That can cause is to randomly work.

No, just one CNAME.
I only use "http://galleries.jchinphotography.com".

jchin · August 26, 2008

Now it is working again. Something is not right. Nothing changed. I didn't even restart any browsers or clear any caches.

Barb · August 26, 2008

jchin wrote:

No, just one CNAME.
I only use "http://galleries.jchinphotography.com".

Can we get a screenshot of your settings?

jchin · August 26, 2008

Barb wrote:

Can we get a screenshot of your settings?

Screenshots of what? The error message?
If you are talking about the DNS entries, we use BIND on our own servers, so it is just a text file and the entry reads:

galleries       90      IN      CNAME   domains.smugmug.com.

jchin · August 26, 2008

I will check again after I get back from lunch. If it fails again, I'd post here again. Right now it is working.

jchin · August 26, 2008

OK ... for the last hour it has been working fine. Thanks again.
SmugMug support is the best, as always!

Barb · August 26, 2008

jchin wrote:

OK ... for the last hour it has been working fine. Thanks again.
SmugMug support is the best, as always!

Hi,

Glad to hear that! Let us know if you have any further problems.

Smugmug vanity domain URLs down?

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