First steps on a KnownHost managed VPS: WHM, cPanel accounts and backups

What you are starting with

KnownHost's managed VPS page lists five plans, each with 2 dedicated IPs, a /64 IPv6 block and full root access, and states that cPanel, DirectAdmin and Plesk come preinstalled and fully licensed. Starting prices on 30 October 2026 are below; check the order page for the term and renewal price.

KnownHost lists its management as nightly OS and control panel updates, Apache and PHP-FPM optimisation, CSF firewall setup, a non-default SSH port and baseline security hardening. Because the SSH port is changed from the default, use the port given in your account details rather than 22.

Details to record before you change anything

Fill in this list from the account details you receive and keep it in a password manager rather than in your inbox. If something is missing, ask support before you start building.

• The server's primary IP address and the second dedicated IP.
• The server hostname.
• WHM login (root) and the URL you use to reach it.
• The SSH port and how root or key-based login is set up.
• The client area login used for billing, support tickets and add-ons such as JetBackup.
• Which control panel was installed, since cPanel, DirectAdmin and Plesk are all offered.
• Nameserver details, if you plan to run DNS on the server rather than at your registrar or a DNS provider.

WHM versus cPanel

KnownHost's comparison article describes WHM as the server-management interface that serves the root user and resellers, reached at /whm on port 2087 over SSL, and cPanel as the account-level interface for site owners, used mainly for domains, subdomains and email. Root is the only level above reseller, and you cannot create extra admin-level users in cPanel and WHM. DirectAdmin instead has admin, reseller and user levels and allows multiple admin users.

cPanel's own documentation explains the split in terms of who can do what. The practical rule for a course creator: do server-wide work in WHM, and do website work inside a cPanel account, so each site has its own files, databases, mailboxes and limits.

Creating a cPanel account for each site

In WHM, Create a New Account asks for a domain, username, password and contact email. The username must be unique, 16 characters or fewer, lowercase letters and numbers only, and cannot start with a number or with test. If you use MySQL rather than MariaDB, the first eight characters must also be unique, so avoid usernames such as coursesite1 and coursesite2.

You can use a temporary cpanel.site domain while building, but cPanel notes that accounts on a temporary domain cannot use email services. If students will receive mail from the site, create the account with the real domain. A package defines the account's limits such as disk space and bandwidth, and a feature list controls which cPanel tools the user sees; create one package for course sites so every new site starts with the same limits.

Backups: decide before launch

Backups are not included in the plan prices. KnownHost sells JetBackup as an add-on at $8.95 a month or $107.40 a year with scheduled nightly backups, and its coverage page lists remote backup location setup as included on managed plans. The alternative is cPanel's own Backup Configuration in WHM, which is disabled by default.

If you use cPanel's system, choose a backup type, a schedule and retention, and at least one destination off the server. A backup that only lives on the VPS disk will not help if the VPS is lost.

SSL, security and support scope

cPanel's AutoSSL uses Let's Encrypt by default and runs for all users during the nightly update. In WHM you can run a check for a single user or for all users, and AutoSSL logs are kept for 30 days in /var/cpanel/logs/autossl. After pointing a domain at the server, run a check for that account rather than waiting overnight, and read the log if a certificate is not issued.

Malware scanning is extra: KnownHost lists Imunify AV+ at $7 a month and Imunify360 from $11 a month for one user up to $41 for unlimited users. Its support coverage page includes OS management, initial security hardening, initial account migration from the same control panel and remote backup setup, but lists third-party applications and custom configurations as best effort. WordPress, LMS and membership plugin problems fall into that category, so budget for a developer or a WordPress-focused maintenance service.

Week-one checklist

• Record the IPs, hostname, WHM URL, SSH port and client area login somewhere other than email.
• Create a package for course sites, then one cPanel account per site with its real domain.
• Point DNS, run an AutoSSL check for the account and confirm HTTPS loads without warnings.
• Enable backups (JetBackup or cPanel Backup Configuration) with at least one remote destination.
• Run a test restore of one site to a new cPanel account or a subdomain.
• Decide whether to add Imunify, and who will handle WordPress-level problems.
• Do daily work as the cPanel user; reserve WHM and root for server changes.

Sources & verification

Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.

1. KnownHost: Managed VPS hosting Accessed 30 Oct 2026
2. KnownHost: Support coverage Accessed 30 Oct 2026
3. KnownHost Knowledge Base: cPanel and DirectAdmin, the basics Accessed 30 Oct 2026
4. cPanel Docs: Create a New Account Accessed 30 Oct 2026
5. cPanel Docs: Backup Configuration Accessed 30 Oct 2026
6. cPanel Docs: Manage AutoSSL Accessed 30 Oct 2026