FAQ: Website Setup Questions

This page describes common questions and answers regarding Websites.

How can I get help with FTP issues or web authoring with HTML? 

To start, contact the LTS Help Desk. A member of our team can help troubleshoot ftp and general web authoring issues.

How do I request assistance with a departmental or institutional website?

The LTS Help Desk can route calls for assistance with all types of websites to appropriate resources.  In general, departmental and institutional websites are handled by the Web and Mobile Services Team, while academic and project-focused websites are handled by the Instructional Technology team.

How can I make my web address easier to remember and type, or how can I redirect a URL?

Go links are the best way to create and manage short, memorable URLs or web addresses. Read about setting up and managing go links.

Can I use WordPress to create my website?

WordPress is an excellent option for many users interested in creating and maintaining their own websites. WordPress @ Lehigh is an externally-hosted tool to support academic-focused web blogs/sites for all Lehigh faculty, staff, and students.  Simply log in (link at top-left of screen), and follow on-screen instructions.

I would like to use Drupal to build and maintain our departmental or group website.  Is this possible?

Yes, in some cases, departments or campus organizations may be able to set up their own Drupal sites. For more information, submit a request using the Website Help Request form via the Software and Website Support option at help.lehigh.edu.

How do I create a simple, static website under the Lehigh domain?

All Lehigh faculty, staff, student, and departmental (in-) accounts already have a webspace set up and ready to go (see the Overview for general information about static websites). 

My Lehigh-hosted web site is no longer available.

If your web site is a personal or department account (URL may include a ~ ), your account password may have expired (it must be changed every six months). You can check this:

1. Go to lehigh.edu/account 

2. Click on Display Account Info.

3. Enter the web site's account name this is the account that is part of the web page's URL (e.g., ~sek2, ~infaa or ~inceas). Omit the tilde ~ when you enter the account. 

4. Note the status of the account. If the status is not open, check the password change history. If your last password change was six months or more, you need to change your password at https://accounts.lehigh.edu/change.

I'm getting a web page warning or restriction.

Occasionally, while web searching at work, your web browser will display a warning page that either blocks or advises against visiting a web page you are trying to view. The warning page can mean one of several things, including:

• The web site is known to be dangerous or to routinely infect machines with malware or viruses.

• The web site is temporarily compromised because it has become infected or has been hijacked.

• The web site's owner has not updated the site's security certificate.

This determination is made by a service that maintains a list of sites that are known to host malware or other malicious software, and when a user requests a web page from one of those sites it is blocked. When a problem (if temporary) is fixed the site will be taken off the list in time. 

If you feel strongly that a designation is in error, you can connect to Lehigh Guest wireless to view the site -- however do this with caution, and from a computer that has current anti-malware/virus software, and that can be easily formatted and reloaded without loss of important data.  If you bypass LTS security measures, you do so at your own risk. 

My Wix, Weebly, or personal blog is blocked by Lehigh.

If you find that you are blocked from accessing a web site while on Lehigh's network, that site may be blocked by domain blocking services. This can occur when a site contains suspicious/malicious code or is compromised in some way. If a site you manage is unavailable/blocked, you can contact the LTS Help Desk at helpdesk@lehigh.edu or our Security staff at security@lehigh.edu. We can determine the source of the problem.

Web site hosting services are vulnerable

It's common for web sites hosted by non-Lehigh services (e.g., Weebly, Wix, Squarespace, Wordpress, etc) to be placed on the block list. If you use these site hosting services or have your students use them, be aware that these sites are at high risk for being placed on the block list, which means they will not be accessible from the campus secured network.

What does it mean when a site is placed on the block list?

Lehigh subscribes to a number of malware and security-related filters that help protect Lehigh's users and network from dangerous content.  Because web hosting/blogging sites operate many web sites in one place, a problem with any one of the sites will result in the entire domain (e.g., weebly.com) being blocked. It will remain blocked until the hosting site takes steps to have it removed from the list. The process can occur quickly, or it can take days. Lehigh does not recommend hosting Lehigh content on third-party services. Instead, speak with an LTS consultant about your needs. 

Is there a workaround?

While the site is blocked on the campus secure wired and wireless networks, it will still be available to people on Lehigh's unsecured 'lehigh guest' wireless network, or an off-campus connection to the Internet.

If you have further questions or concerns, please contact the Help Desk or the LTS Security Office.