How to Install an SSL Certificate on WebSTAR

A Step by step guide to installing an SSL Certificate on WebSTAR

With the browsers pushing to mandate SSL in 2017, countless website owners have been left with a choice: encrypt or have your site labeled “Not Secure.”

Obviously, the latter option isn’t ideal so that means right now SSL certificates are flying off the shelves (not literally) as site admins and owners are being tasked with installing them on their servers. The problem is, for many people this is the first time they’ve ever been asked to install anything on a web server. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

This guide will detail:

• How to Make a Private Key on WebSTAR
• How to Generate a CSR on WebSTAR
• How to Install an SSL Certificate on WebSTAR

Don’t worry, we’ve written this in a way that anyone can follow along—regardless of your technical acumen.

How to Make a Private Key on WebSTAR

The first thing you’ll need to do, before you can start installing your SSL certificate, is to generate a private key and CSR, then get your certificate issued. We’ll start by going through how to create a private key.

1. Login to your WebSTAR server via the admin client.
2. Go to the Tools menu, select Generate Keys and CSRs
3. Name your private key file.
4. Choose a password.
5. Select Generate Key.

Your private key will now be saved in the WebSTAR Keys Folder. Make sure to hang on to your password, too. You will need it later.

How to Generate a CSR on WebSTAR

Next you will need to generate a Certificate Signing Request or CSR. The CSR serves as a de facto application for you certificate. The Certificate Authority (CA) that is issuing your SSL certificate will use the information on your CSR to populate the certificate. Make sure you include only the most accurate, up-to-date information. Any mistakes will cause you big  problems later.

1. Go back to the Generate Keys and CSRs window from earlier.
2. Fill in each field with accurate information.
3. Select the private key you just created, enter your password.
4. Select Generate CSR.
5. Create a new text file, save the contents of the CSR you have just generated into it. Make sure to give it a .txt extension.
6. You can now send your CSR to the CA that will be issuing your certificate.

How to Install an SSL Certificate on WebSTAR

After your CA issues your certificate, it’s time to install it. Now, before we get started you’re going to need to open your text editor and paste all of the certificates you’ve just received (Roots, Intermediates, etc.) in this order:

1. Your SSL certificate
2. Intermediate certificate(s)
3. Root certificate

Make sure you copy/past everything, including the prompts that say “BEGIN CERTIFICATE” and “END CERTIFICATE.” There should be five dashes on either side of each prompt as well. Save your text file as comodopack.pem.

Also, before we go any further it’s important that your web server has its SSL capabilities turned on. Now let’s begin:

1. In Settings, select SSL Security under WebSTAR admin.
2. Select the IP address that corresponds to the domain name of your SSL certificate.
3. On the security popup menu, select the SSL/TLS versions you want to support.
4. Click Certificate Choose, select the comodopack.pem file you just created.
5. Click Private Key File Choose, select the private key you created earlier.
6. Enter your private key’s password.
7. Select Save.
8. Check the server Status window, you will now see a message that confirms your SSL certificate has been accepted.
9. Select which ciphers you want to support.
10. Select Save.

Congratulations! Your SSL Certificate has now been installed!