Knowledgebase

The IP Migration Wizard helps you to change the IP addresses of the cPanel accounts that your server hosts. You can also use the IP Migration Wizard to change your server's primary IP address.

This feature is very useful if you move your server to different subnet or another datacenter.

Change the IP addresses of all cPanel accounts on your server

To change the IP addresses of multiple accounts, perform the following steps:

Step 1: Enter the new IP addresses

1. Enter new IP addresses in the text box.

   Notes:

   • Enter individual IP addresses on separate lines.
   • You may use CIDR notation to enter multiple IP addresses (for example, 192.168.0.20/25).
2. Click Continue to begin Step 2.

Step 2: Confirm the translation

1. Read all of the information in the interface to ensure that it is correct.

   Notes:

   • The wizard assigns a new IP address for each IP address that is currently on the server.
   • If you enter more new IP addresses than the current number of IP addresses, the system discards the extra new IP addresses.
   • If you enter fewer IP addresses than the current number of addresses, the system assigns all available new IP addresses and display an editable text box for accounts that require a new IP address. If you do not enter addresses in the empty text boxes, those accounts will retain their old IP addresses.
2. Click Continue to begin Step 3.

Step 3: Download the translation matrix

1. If you wish to view a list of each domain's administrator username, old IP address, and new IP address, right-click Click Here to Download a IP Translation Matrix, and then click Save Link As.
2. Click Continue to begin Step 4.

Step 4: Convert the configuration files

• The Apache configuration file.
• The FTP server configuration file.
• The cPanel internal data files.

The system changes the Apache configuration file to include both the old and new IP addresses for each virtual host. This allows visitors to access the website through both the updated DNS records and the old, cached IP address.

Click Continue to begin Step 5.

Step 5: DNS Migration

This step updates the DNS zone files, then automatically takes you to the next interface.

Step 6: Wait 48 hours

Log out of WHM and wait 48 hours for DNS records to propagate.

When 48 hours is over, navigate to WHM's IP Migration Wizard interface (Home >> IP Functions >> IP Migration Wizard) and then click Click Here to proceed to Step 7.

Step 7: Additional steps to clear the old IP addresses

To completely remove the old IP addresses, perform the following steps:

Step 7a: Remove the old IP addresses from this system

Step 7b: Update your system's startup scripts to reflect the new main IP address

To assign your new IP address to the primary network interface on a dedicated server, perform the following steps:

1. Edit the proper file in the /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ directory to remove the old IP address and add the new one.

   Note:

   For a dedicated server, eth0 is the most common primary network interface.

2. Restart the network with the /etc/init.d/network restart command. 

   Note:

    We recommend that you have a technician available at the server console to address any issues that may occur during the restart.

3. After the network service restarts, run the ifconfig and ping commands to verify that all of the IP addresses are available.

Step 7c: Change your licensed IP address

1. Log in to your cPanel Store account.
2. Under Orders, click View My Licenses. The Manage Licenses interface will appear.
3. Under Actions, click the pencil icon. A new interface will appear.
4. Click Edit IP.
5. Enter the new IP address.
6. Click Save Changes.

Step 7d: Configure WHM to use the new IP address for new accounts

1. Click the Basic Config tab.
2. In the The IP address (only one address) that will be used for setting up shared IP virtual hosts text box, enter the new IP address that the system will use for shared IP virtual hosts.
3. Click Save Changes.

If you have set a different main IP address for your resellers, you must change the IP address in WHM's Reseller Center interface (Home >> Resellers >> Reseller Center).

To update the main IP address for a reseller in the Reseller Center, perform the following steps:

1. Click the Manage Main Shared/IP-less IP icon.
2. Select the reseller that you wish to modify from the menu.
3. Click Submit.
4. Select the desired IP address from the menu
5. Click Save.

Step 7e: Ensure DNS and reverse DNS are configured properly

Step 7f: Revise custom configurations

• Custom sender IP addresses for Exim in the /etc/mailips file.

• Custom DNS templates in WHM's  Edit Zone Templates interface (Home >> DNS functions >> Edit Zone Templates).