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My domain is through Network Solutions and it points to my WordPress site on Siteground. Siteground provides SSL certificate. However, I keep getting warnings from Network solutions that I need to reissue the certificate that I also have through them. Do I need SSL certificates issued at both the Domain and the web host site?

I asked Network Solutions support if this was necessary and they said it was. I asked Siteground support and they said I just need the SSL through them.

I don't like paying for something I don't need but I also don't want my site to be unreachable.

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  • You need a (or multiple) certificate(s) for each name you have a website on. If your domain is example.com and your website is ONLY www.example.com then you need a certificate only for that second name, not for the first one.
    – Patrick Mevzek
    Jun 25, 2022 at 1:18
  • @PatrickMevzek You can however also have a wildcard certificate that would cover both of those and more, or a single SAN certificate that lists both those domains, so again you'd only need one. The actual needs will vary depending on what you are doing with the domain and the set-up.
    – Zhaph - Ben Duguid
    Jul 2, 2022 at 10:58
  • @Zhaph-BenDuguid Which is why I said "a (or multiple) certificate(s)". Also a wildcard can NEVER match both example.com and www.example.com. So you need both names in the SAN, or two certificates. Like I said.
    – Patrick Mevzek
    Jul 2, 2022 at 23:13
  • @PatrickMevzek - You do not need two certificates - possibly semantics, but pretty much every "wildcard certificate" I've had for the domains I manage is technically a SAN certificate and covers the root as well as these are issued with the Subject as *.example.com and a SAN covering both.
    – Zhaph - Ben Duguid
    Jul 6, 2022 at 9:37

2 Answers 2

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SSL must be installed on the web host server where your domain is hosted. You will need to use SiteGround SSL since your website is hosted on SiteGround. You will have to contact the SiteGround Support Team to renew SSL.

Check the SSL status of your site by visiting the URL below, https://www.sslshopper.com/ssl-checker.html

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Navigate to your website in your browser, click on the lock icon and examine the Security Certificate. It will have an issuer associated with it. If that issuer is Network Solutions you need to get in touch with Siteground and establish if a replacement is needed.

Most providers offer free certs, so you likely don't need a Network Solutions certificate - and indeed if you do, you should find out how to generate the CSR (signing request) and how to install it before buying it as this is a process in itself (and enough that most providers will issue a free one) - this would help stop you falling prey to a dishonest registrar.

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  • "Most providers offer free certs" And Let's Encrypt certificates are free for every one no matter which registrar and webhosting company you use (as long as you can set up any certificate on the hosting of course, if this is locked down then you are fully chained to your webhosting company). Otherwise 2 nitpicks: the issuer might not mention "Network Solutions" it can be another name (hence difficult to navigate), and it is not the CSR you install, but the certificate provided by the authority upon submission of the CSR (or equivalent depending on its API/UI).
    – Patrick Mevzek
    Jun 29, 2022 at 3:12
  • "this would help stop you falling prey to" Even better to avoid this: making sure to fully understand the roles and job of domain name registrar vs DNS provider vs webhosting company vs email handling company vs certification authority for the WebPKI. Completely different jobs, that can technically all be done by one given company (even either fully direct for all or as a reseller of other ones), but which can be also completely split, in which case it may be clearer to know exactly what needs to be paid where and for what reasons. My 2 cents.
    – Patrick Mevzek
    Jun 29, 2022 at 3:14

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