At your old host, access phpMyAdmin, you're going to prepare for the backup procedure.

Since a download and an eventual upload is required, you may want to reduce the size of the backed-up sql file. This step is not overly necessary and can be skipped if you prefer.

Select the database to be backed-up and click the Structure tab so as all the tables are listed in the main window. In order to reduce the eventual file size certain tables can be emptied, that is, all the records deleted, not the table itself. The tables that can be emptied are:

A tool that you will definitely need is a File Transfer Protocol ("FTP") client program. These programs are more or less explorer type programs in which files can be uploaded and downloaded from the server.

There are a number of freely available FTP client programs and here are a few:

• Smart FTP (31 Aug, 2008, no longer free)
• Filezilla
• Core FTP
• Cyberduck (for Mac)
• Google Search Results

In order to utilise an FTP client you must first set-up FTP accounts at your host. I'm assuming that this particular process doesn't require detailed explanation as most likely you would have been using an FTP client at your old host. Suffice to say, that at my host, when creating the addon domain names corresponding FTP accounts were created as well. If this is not the case with your host, simply follow the prompts to create an FTP account(s). Even if automatic and default FTP accounts were created I'd recommend purposely creating an FTP account that purposely points to a specified folder. That folder's sole purpose being to receive uploaded files. Once uploaded, they can be moved to where ever you want.

As seems to be the case these days most hosts are offering one free domain for your use. Obviously, if you are transferring from another host you already have a domain name registered and you will eventually be changing the nameservers at your domain registrar to point to your new domain. Don't do it now, that is the last step.

In regards to the 'free domain name' accept the offer and use that domain name purely for administrative purposes. I recommend not using the free domain name for public purposes. It's not a good idea for your host to also be your domain registrar (they will be for the free domain name), it only leads to problems down the track should there be any issues with your host. Effectively, your host could hold you to ransom as they hold the key, the domain name registration.

So you've been with a host for a number of months or years and now it's time to change for whatever reason.

The following is a guide as to the smoothest process possible. There are many steps involved and over the next few weeks I'll add various pages and update where necessary. I'll attempt to include as many screen shots as possible and in that regard I'll be basing everything on using cpanel and MySql. For those not using these tools I'm hoping it should be clear enough in order to translate the information to your tools of choice. The concepts will be the same regardless.